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