Symposium 2001/Final
31 May 2002
Global Review of 2000 Round of Population and Housing Censuses:
Mid-decade Assessment and Future Prospects
Census takers, statisticians and researchers met in New York from 7 to 10
August 2001 at the invitation of the United Nations Statistics Division to share
their achievements and problems and to consider plans for future census
operations. This United Nations Symposium addressed the question: “When and
under what circumstances do censuses succeed?” Over 100 experts, including some
55 heads of population and housing census programmes responsible for counting
approximately three fourths of the world’s population, participated in this
meeting. The discussions among participants identified issues and problems that
emerged in the current census round (1995-2004) and sought solutions that may
serve to guide census planning during the next round (2005-2014). Participants
shared national strategies that contributed to the success of censuses with
respect to relevance, cost, coverage, timeliness and accuracy.
Are there really more than 6.1 billion people in the world? If so, how do we
know? How do we know that the count and descriptions of people through
population censuses are correct? Undertaking a population census is one of the
most complex and challenging jobs for any government statistics office. Everyone
must be counted, no matter how remote the location and how difficult the task.
The whole population must feel that it has a stake in the success of the census
as a tool for planning the future of their country, so that they participate
fully in the process. Topics at the Symposium ranged widely, from considerations
of the timing of a census and such difficult-to-enumerate groups as nomads and
refugees to ways in which countries can work together to share resources and
expertise.
Six major areas were identified as critical to the success of population and
housing censuses.
1. Strategies for involving stakeholders in census activities
2. Strategies for choosing among data-collection methods as sources of
demographic and social statistics: censuses, sample surveys and administrative
records
3. Adapting new technologies to census operations
4. Maintaining census-related activities during the intercensal years
5. Identifying and resolving problems of census mapping
6. Post-Enumeration Surveys: Are they worth it or not?
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