The Namibia Statistics Agency is planning to conduct a pilot phase of the Population and Housing Census, which has been moved to August 2022. The pilot phase of the census serves as a test or dry run for the actual population and housing census enumeration.
This pilot phase will be conducted for a two-week period in October throughout the entire country and all regions with complete coverage.
NSA spokesperson Iipumbu Sakaria said their census pilot enumerators will come to people’s homes throughout the country, whilst adhering to all Covid-19 protocols, and conduct a census survey with the household members.
The aim of this is to enable the NSA to test its tools, methods, practices, modalities, awareness and logistics.
Sakaria explained that NSA enumeration staff will conduct the census pilot data collection in October 2021, and several mini-tests to ensure that all is in place for the main census enumeration next year.
Therefore, that census will be spatially enabled, and will link statistics to geography to provide more detailed information.
“The just-concluded 2021 census mapping project, whereby each and every infrastructure in Namibia was visited to determine whether they are households or business establishments or other types of institutions, is to be followed by the pilot phase. The NSA has completed 100% of the census mapping for the households’ component, and about 60% for the establishments and businesses,” he noted.
Sakaria added that the NSA had recruited 517 unemployed people to visit and verify the 955 037 built-up structures countrywide during the census mapping project.
“The NSA remains grateful to all Namibians for opening their doors to our enumerators. Statistics and the environment around us changes quickly, hence relevant, timely and up-to-date statistics are required for socio-economic development and personal life planning,” he stated.
The population and housing census is conducted every 10 years, and includes various stages. Namibia conducted population and housing censuses in 1991, 2001 and 2011, but this year’s census has thus been moved to next year.