36 nsus to be held digitally for the first time
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Following Hurricane Dorian and COVID-19-related delays, the Census of Population and Housing will commence in January 2022.
Kim Saunders, chief census officer, while addressing a press conference on the upcoming census, noted that a prelisting exercise is being undertaken between August and November and is aimed at collecting information from the public, which will create a database to allow for the digital and online census to be taken.
Saunders noted that the census is usually carried out every 10 years and was initially set for May 2020 but was delayed due to Hurricane Dorian and the pandemic. The overall budget of the census is roughly $6 million.
“The census will take place starting in January 2022 and for the first time, the census will be completely digital,” said Saunders.
“The digital format will not only change how data is managed and analyzed, but it is also changing the way data is collected. For the first time, there will be three ways to complete the census questionnaire — online, via the telephone and in person.”
She added: “For the online census, there will be a questionnaire individuals can complete from the comfort of their home, over the phone and in-person interviews. Census workers will collect data using digital devices.”
Saunders noted that the data collected will be used for important planning and policy decisions in the government and private sectors. She further noted that it helps to determine school zones and the location of housing developments, and to assist the government in making decisions on the allocation of resources.
According to Saunders, the census will begin in January and run through March. She further noted that a few weeks in April will be used to “clean-up” the data, with the preliminary census results to be released after three to six months.
The census is targeting 119,000 households.
