Statistical Digest of the 2010 Round of Population and Housing censuses in Africa

The objective of this digest is to briefly present the status of population and housing censuses in Africa. Population census is the total process of collecting, compiling, evaluating, analyzing, publishing and distribution of demographic, economic and social data during a specified time, to all persons in a country. Population is basic to the production and distribution of material wealth. In order to plan for, and implement, economic and social development, administrative activity or scientific research, it is necessary to have reliable and detailed data on the size, distribution and composition of population. The population census is a primary source of these basic statistics, covering not only settled population but also homeless persons and nomadic groups. The chart below shows the status of the 2010 round of population and housing censuses in Africa. Thirty one African countries have already conduced the censuses and 20 have scheduled to conduct censuses. Only four African countries namely, Eritrea, Somalia, South Sudan and Western Sahara had not conducted or scheduled to conduct the 2010 round of population and housing survey.