Iipumbu Sakaria
The time has come and the 2023 Population and Housing census enumeration has officially begun. From Monday, 18th September until 3rd November 2023, census enumerators will be going through the country to enumerate and count people living in Namibia. It is very important to understand that the census does not only count people, but also enumerates the housing and living conditions of people in Namibia. The Census covers all corners of the country and NSA enumerators will visit people at their dwelling addresses, whether it is a house, an apartment, a gated community, or a secure building. In addition, people living in institutional households such as hostels, correctional facilities, army barracks, etc. will also be enumerated. Furthermore, those who are homeless or found to be traveling on the census night will also be enumerated. This is to make sure that no one is left out.
It is critical to understand who will be counted. For the sake of clarity, every person found within the borders of Namibia on the 24th September 2023, regardless of nationality, age, or social status will be counted. This will range from newborn babies to the elderly and all people whether they are Namibian nationals or non-nationals. Everybody who finds themselves outside of Namibia on the 24th September 2023 will not be counted as part of the population. This is because a census always has a reference point, which is known as the reference night, to which statistics collected is referred. This just means to say, on this specific day, the demographic information for Namibia was this and that and the method to collect data for this census is such that those that not in Namibia during the reference period will not be counted. People will be counted where they are found, hence it is important to know and remember who slept in your household on this reference night, Sunday 24th September 2023.
Practically, what happens during the enumeration process is that census enumerators will, whilst visiting a household, administer a questionnaire for collecting some information from the head of household or any other adult in the household. The enumerator will present their ID card, letter of authorization and Census ID on arrival and will be clearly identifiable. The information that the census collects includes how many people are in the country, where they live, their age structure, whether they are male or female, what language they speak, as well as their educational background. Other questions relate to the living and household conditions of people living in Namibia.
This includes information on the household conditions, what type of housing we live in, do we have access to water, access to electricity, questions on sanitation situation of the household, as well as questions on access to information and communication technology. The ownership and usage of cell phones, for example, has changed over time and new data provides exact information. The census will also collect information on the labour force in the country. The aim is to understand, amongst others, the employment and unemployment situation in the country. It aims to understand in which industries people are employed in, questions relating to business enterprises, and much more labour information market information. Data collected is confidential and any disclosure of respondents’ information is an offense punishable by law. Information collected is immediately anonymised and encrypted.
For the first week, Census enumerators are going to each household for listing purposes. This simply means identifying boundaries in which they operate as well as identify all household structures and dwelling units in that identified boundary for statistics collection. Make sure to play your part and be counted.
*Iipumbu Sakaria is the Manager of Corporate Communications at the Namibia Statistics Agency.