KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Statistical Institute of Jamaica (Statin) is on track to release the official population count for the 2022 Population and Housing Census by the end of September 2025.

This was disclosed by Acting Director General, Leesha Delatie-Budair, who indicated that, “we are currently in our final stages of data validation”.

She was responding to a question posed during Thursday’s virtual Economic Statistics Media Stakeholders Meeting on revisions to the Jamaica System of National Accounts.

The Population and Housing Census, which is conducted every 10 years, is one of the most important sources of data in a country.

It provides benchmark estimates about the size of the population as well as important demographic and socio-economic indicators for policy planning and decision-making by the Government, private sector and other key stakeholders.

Jamaica’s census, initially scheduled for 2021, was delayed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The last census was undertaken in 2011.

Data collection for Jamaica’s 15th Population and Housing Census began in September 2022 and was initially scheduled for four months, but was extended due to delays.

Meanwhile, Statin announced the official adoption and implementation of the 2008 System of National Accounts (SNA), which is the most current internationally recognised standard for compiling national accounts.

The SNA is the globally accepted standard for compiling measures of economic activity.

It provides a comprehensive conceptual and accounting framework for compiling and reporting macroeconomic statistics to analyse and evaluate an economy’s performance.

Originally adopted in 1953, the System of National Accounts was developed by the United Nations (UN) and global statistical bodies. Its last major revision before the 2008 update was in 1993.

– JIS