Abstract: The post-enumeration survey(PES) of the First National Agriculture Census in China(NAC) was carried out in order to check the quality of the census data at the national level. A sample of about 40 000 rural households was enumerated, census and PES records were matched one-to-one, and census-PES discrepancies on farm structure and management were computed. Almost 150 000 records of rural family members were matched, and individual response errors were computed. The most apparent errors on survey estimates were those of the interviewers. As far as respondents’ errors are concerned, is was determined that most of the census data are highly reliable, both at the farm and individual levels but some of the figures should not be published at the provincial or lower levels. Indications for future activities are given.