GOVERNMENTS SEE CONDUCTING CENSUS AS A VITAL PART OF COLLECTING INFORMATION WITH THEY ARE ABLE TO PLAN FOR BETTER GOVERNANCE. On The Surface, If This The Information Discovered Is Used For The Betterment Of Society Then Conducting A Census Has Much Merit, Because Humans Are Not Omniscient, So The Data Has To Be Collected And Collated. The problem with a census is that the data obtained can also be used for further enslavement of the people by the government.

In the Old Testament, why was it so bad for King David to order a census? Why was God so angry with that?

Happy Riches answers request by Ricky Duenas

Commentary in the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges states:

The nation had sinned and incurred His anger, and He instigated David to an act which brought down a sharp punishment on the nation. The statement that God incited David to do what was afterwards condemned and punished as a heinous sin cannot of course mean that He compelled David to sin, but that in order to test and prove his character He allowed the temptation to assault him. Thus while we read that “God himself tempteth no man” (James 1:13), we are taught to pray “Bring us not into temptation” (Matthew 6:13). In 1 Chronicles 21:1 we read “Satan stood up against Israel and moved David to number Israel.” The older record speaks only of God’s permissive action: the latter tells us of the malicious instrumentality of Satan. The case is like that of Job (Job 1:12;Job 2:10).
(2 Samuel 24 Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges)

When speaking to His disciple Peter (who apparently suffered from foot-in-mouth disease,) Jesus informed him that he was on the side of Satan, not God.

And he began to teach them that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter, and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not on the side of God, but of men.”
(Mark 8:31-33)

Essentially, the thinking of humans is very much influenced by the god of this world; especially, when it comes to consideration of God and His divine purpose. Like a sore loser, Satan does everything he can to dissuade people from thinking that since God is omniscient, a wise person would seek Him out. Or, in having sought God out and found Him, Satan would seek to distract the wise person sufficiently to cause the person to do foolish things, that would weaken the authority granted to people who walk in the ways of the Almighty.

For anybody to put their trust in man rather than God Himself is tantamount to rejecting Him. For anyone to be distracted by listening to a human rather than inquiring of the Omniscient One, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist (Romans 4:17), is foolishness. It appears that David may have been guilty in both instances: being distracted rather than seeking God for advice and then putting his trust in man rather than the Holy One. (Proverbs 30:3-4 Matthew 22:43-45).

God had a purpose in establishing Israel, so that as a theocracy, with the people walking in complete obedience, the nation would be a beacon of hope for all the peoples of the Earth. Unfortunately, not only did the people of Israel follow after their sinful desires, so, too, did the nation’s kings. King David had been anointed by the prophet Samuel, having been chosen by God Himself to lead Israel. Apparently, King David thought it would be good to number the people and assess his greatness by the number of people over whom he ruled; rather than trust God to keep His plan and purpose intact.
When God expressed His displeasure in bygone days, we read in the Bible, this is called anger. However, when God expresses His displeasure—which is anger—this is often confused with the wrath of God. Merely expressing displeasure is not the same as righteous judgment that condemns a person to eternal punishment. Similarly, expressing displeasure, as God does, is not the same as a human being filled with rage and frustration and hostility.

God was angry with King David in the same way parents might be angry with their children for not doing what they had been told. This does not mean the parents lose their temper. Loving parents, nonetheless, might express their displeasure to their children because of their disobedience. The children see their parents as angry. This is because the sound of their parent’s voice is stern and authoritative and not inviting and soothing.

God was displeased with David because He thought to do something that was an insult to His Lord, rather than consult Him first. God is in control of everything. Humans need to realize this and learn how to walk humbly before the Eternal One.

Discerning The Difference Between Righteous Displeasure And Frustrated Anger