Population and Housing Census on after COVID delay – Clarke
KINGSTON, Jamaica – The 2021 Population and Housing Census that was delayed by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 will be conducted this year.
The announcement was made on Tuesday by the Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr Nigel Clarke, as he opened the 2022/23 Budget Debate inside Gordon House.
“We were planning Jamaica’s 15th Population and Housing Census in 2021, thereby maintaining the 10-year frequency following from censuses conducted in 1991, 2001 and 2011.
“The pandemic, however, resulted in us losing 2020 as the preparatory year and, as such, critical supplies to support the execution of a census were not available in time for 2021. In light of these factors, I am pleased to announce that Jamaica will now conduct its 15th Population and Housing Census in 2022,” Clarke informed.
The minister noted that the census is not simply a count of the population.
“It is the only statistical product that provides information on the social, demographic, and economic profile of the population, the conditions under which they live, and housing characteristics at the lowest geographic level of a country. Generating relevant, accurate, timely, and detailed statistics is the foundation for sound policy making, evidence-based decision making, efficient management of economic and social affairs, and effective governance,” he said.
He also noted that data from the population census is also used by the private sector and influences the location of businesses and services.
The minister stated that Census Day will be September 12, 2022. On that day a count will be made, and data collected in respect of persons who are usual residents of Jamaica (whether physically present or not) on that date. This will provide an estimate of the Jamaican population at a single point in time
Meanwhile, the training of 8,000 temporary field workers including area managers, census supervisors, census takers, and data editors is taking place.
Interviewers will be deployed island-wide to visit each household, private and non-private, to complete a questionnaire for each household and each member of that household. Special arrangements will be put in place to enumerate the institutionalised population and those of no fixed abode. The main data collection phase is expected to last up to December 2022 with a general census report available by December 2023.