The 2010 World Programme on Population and Housing
Censuses
Paul Cheung, DirectorUnited Nations Statistics Division
2010 World Programme on Population and Housing
Censuses
A long history of international cooperation
• 1958 – The first UN Programme on Population and Housing Censuses
• Followed by five rounds (one per decade)
2010 World Programme on Population and Housing
CensusesComponents:
Update and implement methodological standards
Assist countries to conduct at least one census in ten years (2005-2014)
Facilitate exchange of knowledge, technical assistance and data dissemination
Lessons learned from the 2000 round
201 out of 230 countries/areas conducted a census
91% of the world’s population
57% of African population
80% of Latin American population
National commitment and financial resources – key for success
Overview of 2000 round of censuses
Africa – 1990 and 2000 round of censuses
1990 round 2000 roundNo census conducted
Countries’ practices
Census questionnaires used by countries between 1995 and 2004 are available at:
http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/sources/census/censusquest.htm
They provide information on the potential availability of data by topic/country
Major Programme Activities
Updating the United Nations Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses
Major international standard – a measuring yardstick for critical socio-economic statistics
Comprehensive guidelines for collection, processing and tabulation
Major reference for users at all levels
Basic concepts and definitions
Definition of Population Census
The total process of collecting, compiling, evaluating, analyzing and publishing or otherwise disseminating demographic, economic and social data pertaining, at a specified time, to all persons in a country or in a well-delimited part of a country.
Essential features:
• Individual enumeration,
• Universality within a defined territory,
• Simultaneity,
• Defined periodicity
Definition of Usual Residence
The place at which the person lives at the time of the census, and has been there for some time, or intends to stay there for some time.
Countries apply a threshold of 12 months when considering place of usual residence according to:
a) place at which the person has lived continuously for most of the last 12 months (min. of 6 months), or intends to live for at least six months;
b) place at which the person has lived continuously for at least the last 12 months, or intends to live for at least 12 months.
Major Programme Activities
• Developing common output standards
Basic set of tabulations - 29 tables
Recommended set of tabulations - 43 tables
Optimum set of tabulations - 110 tables
All tables include meta-data
http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/meetings/egm/censusegm06/docs/Issues%20for%20discussion.pdf
Expected Handbooks on censuses
a. Use of Geographical Information Systems in Population and Housing Censuses;
• for census mapping, new advances in using geo-coding (geo-coding = assigning geographical coordinates to objects - houses and apartments, for example) using GPS (Global Positioning System)
b. Census Documentation;• ensuring thorough documentation, maintaining
historical aspects, institutional memory, turnout of people between two censuses
Future Handbooks on the following topics
c. Census Data Dissemination;• crucial for the success of the census, to address
different audiences, different media and provide feedback to the population
d. Measuring economic characteristics in censuses• complexity of coding of occupation and industry,
definitions (current versus usual activity), framing of questions
c. Census profiles, standards and metadata• it describes the census meta-database containing
all the questions ever asked in national census and other characteristics of a census
Major Programme Activities
Focus on regional cooperation
Regional interests in census collaborationDeveloping common strategies and
programmesProviding assistance at regional and sub-
regional levelsWorkshopsTrainingTransfer of knowledgeJoint activities
Major Programme Activities
Building methodological support
Meta-data database from the 2000 Round (census designs, questions, definitions, coverage)
Developing a web-site to exchange experiences
Planning for producing handbooks on specific topics – outsourcing of census operations, data dissemination
Assisting countries in the conduct of census
Major Programme Activities
Assisting data dissemination
Providing standardized tabulations layouts
Synthesizing and documenting best dissemination practices
Providing specific advice to countries upon request
Using census to build strong national statistical systems
Improving credibility and trust
Enhancing policy relevance
Building effective organizational structure
Developing professional culture
Promoting better data dissemination