Ghana Statistical Service to begin 2020 trial census on May 26

Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) will begin a multi-staged Trial Census from 26 May 2019, with 2nd June 2019 as the Trial census night as part of the preparations for the 2020 Population and Housing Census.

The districts chosen for the trial census, are Dormaa West District (Bono Region), Bunkpurugu District (North East Region), and Ashiedu Keteke, Ledzokuku, Osu Klottey, Ayawaso West, Okaikoi sub metros all in the Greater Accra Region.

A Statement from the Service signed by Professor Samuel Anim, the Government Statistician, said the conduct of the Census is in accordance with the Statistical Service Law, 1985 (PNDCL 135), which empowers the Government Statistician to conduct statistical surveys and any census in Ghana.

The Trial Census is also in line with the United Nations’ recommendations guiding the conduct of Population and Housing Censuses worldwide.

The statement said for the first time, GSS would adopt the use of electronic data collection with other geo-spatial technologies, which has been recommended by the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) for the 2020 round of Population and Housing Censuses.

Consequently, the trial phase has been put into various stages with each stage testing a specifically different process.

The Population and Housing Census is an essential national exercise that takes count of every person residing in Ghana at the time of the census, and establishes other important demographic details about every individual in the country.

In this regard, the 2020 Population and Housing Census will provide the current population of Ghana, by age, sex, educational level, marital status, literacy, educational attainment, occupation, type of economic activity, and geographic area of residence.

The count will also cover access to social amenities such as water, health care, educational infrastructure and housing conditions.

“The information collected will be for district, regional and national governance as well as for business decision-making, it will also be for industry, media, academia, research institutions and international organizations as the basis for informed decision making, effective planning and policy decision-making,” the statement said.

Starting from 26th May, 2019, a week prior to the Trial Census Night, census officials from GSS appropriately identified will start visiting the communities that have been selected for the Trial Census to identify and number houses and other structures which precedes the enumeration of the households after the census night.

This is to ensure that there is complete coverage of all households in the selected areas during the trial census.

The statement entreated all persons residing within the selected communities to cooperate with the census officials in order to ensure a successful Trial Census.

“This means that persons living only within the selected areas will be enumerated in the Trial Census,” it added.