Mozambique’s national population census to cost $45 million

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Mozambique’s national population census to cost $45 million

8:18 CAT | 13 Jul 2017

File / INE estimates the current population is 26.4 million

Mozambique’s fourth national population census will have a budget of 45 million US dollars funded by the government, the World Bank, and cooperation partners.

The World Bank has allocated 25 million dollars, whilst the Mozambican government will provide 10 million dollars. Other contributors are Sweden, Italy, and Indonesia.

Details of the funding were revealed on Thursday by the spokesperson for the National Statistics Institute (INE), Cirilo Tembe, during a meeting with various interested local groups.

Tembe explained that the census will be carried out by over 96,000 agents and assured everyone that all the necessary logistical conditions were being created so that the census will run smoothly between 1 and 15 August.

He stated, “we have already sent the census material to the central and northern regions. For the provinces in the southern region we still have time because of their proximity. But the teams are working so that by 18 July at the latest all the census material will be on the ground.

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Questioned about the problems raised by census trainers (who train the census agents) over the last fortnight, which include complaints about poor living and working conditions, and the lack of food and transport, Cirilo said that there are currently two options. Either the trainers receive a payment of 1,225 meticais (about 20 US dollars at current exchange rates), or they receive food and accommodation from the INE.

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He added, “beginning next Monday, the INE will conduct training for the census agents, which will take place close to their homes so that it will not be necessary for them to be put up in hotels. Food and money for transport are also guaranteed”.

Regarding the reliability of the census results, Tembe explained that a month after the census is held a sample will be taken to determine the rate of omission. He said that “in the 1997 census, the rate of omission was five per cent. In 2007 this was reduced to two per cent. Our perspective is that this census will use the most modern processes which will further reduce the rate of omission”.

Also Read: World Bank grants US$62M for production of statistics, 2017 population and housing census.

The community meeting was organised by the INE in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund UNFPA to intensify social communication and mobilisation activities.

The census is being carried out by the Mozambican government with the support of the World Bank, UNFPA, UNICEF, and the Embassies of India, Indonesia and others.

Since independence, Mozambique has carried out three population censuses – in 1980, 1997 and 2007. Based on projections from the 2007 census, the INE estimates the current population is 26.4 million. The country is still overwhelmingly rural, with 17.9 million people living in the countryside, and 8.5 million living in urban areas.

Source: AIM