2. Users Producers Workshop
Presentation on
Population Statistics by
Muhammad Saeed
Census Commissioner
Population Census Organization

3. POPULATION CENSUS
Population Census is the primary source of information on population size and its characteristics. The data collected through population census serves as bench mark for all types of socio-economic development planning and evaluation and provide basis for all administrative activities, demographic research and various projections of population characteristics.
Census taking is a universal practice and is undertaken in almost all countries of the world. Through population census a vast amount of data on all basic demographic and socio-economic variables is collected about each person living within country/territory. The main advantage of population census is the large amount of data it produces at one point of time and the availability of data at the lowest level.
DEFINITION
Population census is total process of collecting, compiling, evaluating, analyzing and publishing / disseminating demographic, social and economic data of all persons in a country or a well defined territory, at a specified time.

4. CHARACTERISTICS OF CENSUS
i) Largeness to cover entire area / population
ii) Accuracy and reliability of information
iii) Time oriented activity
ESSENTIAL FEATURES
i) INDIVIDUAL ENUMERATION-Implies that each individual is enumerated and his/her characteristics recorded separately
ii) UNIVERSALITY WITHIN A DEFINED TERRITORY- Census should cover the entire country or well defined territory and include every person living therein
iii) SIMULTANEITY-Data collected should refer to the same well defined reference period – generally the census day with specific time
iv) DEFINED PERIODICITY-Census should be taken at regular intervals so that comparable information is made available in a fixed sequence. A series of censuses makes it possible to appraise the past, describe the present and estimate the future

5. CENSUS HISTORY
1. First regular census in the areas now comprising Pakistan was held in 1881.
2. Since then regular censuses have been conducted after every ten years in the year ending at one.
After independence five censuses have been undertaken in 1951, 1961, 1972, 1981 and 1998.
4. Fifth census due in 1991 could not be conducted as scheduled due to some administrative / political reasons but was undertaken in March, 1998.

6. SCOPE OF CENSUS I) AREA COVERED
- Entire Area Of Pakistan including Tribal Areas (F A T A & P A T A)
- AJK & Northern Areas covered on behalf of M/o Kashmir and Northern Affairs
II) POPULATION COVERED
- All persons living in above areas enumerated on de-jure and de-facto basis
- Afghan refugees and special population groups living in camps / pockets excluded
- Foreign national living in Pakistan covered except diplomatic personnel and their families
- Seasonal migrants covered at place of residence on census date
- Pakistanis living abroad not counted.
III) TOPICS OF INFORMATION COVERED
A) DEMOGRAPHIC & SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS
- Age
- Sex
- Relationship to the head
- Marital status
- Religion
- Mother tongue (language)
- Nationality

7. B) EDUCATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS
- Literacy status
- School attendance
- Level of education completed
- Field of education
C) GEOGRAPHICAL/MIGRATION CHARACTERISTICS
- Usual residence
- District of birth
- Duration of continues residence in district
- District of previous residence
- Reason of migration
D) ECONOMIC CHARACTERSTICS
- Type of activity
- Occupation
- Industry
- Employment status
- Reason of un-employment

8. E) FERTILITY MORTALITY
- No. of children ever born alive by sex
- No. of children still living by sex
- No. of children born during last 12 months by sex
F) MISELLENIOUS
- Nature of disability if any
- Immunization of children under 10 years of age
- Holding of NI Card of persons 18 years plus

9. IMPORTANCE OF CENSUS (SOCIO-ECONOMIC
Provide bench mark data for all socio-economic development plans / policies and their evaluation
Provide basis for all administrative activities, demographic research and projection of population to meet future requirements.
Provide population data for smallest Admn. Units / areas.
Establish sampling frame for intercensal sample surveys on various topics and others statistical programs
Provide changing patterns of urban / rural concentrations and development of urbanized areas.

10. IMPORTANCE OF CENSUS (LEGAL / CONSTITUTIONAL)
Census also meets legal and political requirement:
- Provides basis for political representation to the National Assembly under article 51 (3) of the constitution.
- Population base used for distribution of funds to the federating units by the National Finance Commission formed under article (2) of the constitution.
- Determines quota for recruitment to all civil posts in Federal Government.

11. SELECTION OF TOPICS Mainly depends upon needs of data users
(planners, administrators and researchers)
Continuity of census information – Traditional topics
Quality of data collected in previous census
Availability of qualified and dedicated field staff
Ability of respondents in answering complex questions
Availability of resources in term of money, men and technical capabilities
International practice and UN / ESCAP recommendation

12. CENSUS METHODOLOGY
Methodology refers to methods employed for collecting data, different phases involved, use of sampling, etc.
Canvasser method: information for each individual and living quarter collected and recorded by enumerator through interaction with the respondent – generally used in illiterate population.
In householder methods, the responsibility for recording information on head / person in the housing unit however, questionnaire or usually distributed, collected and checked by census officials.
Dejure verses defecto count: dejure count in all previous censuses except Next census on dejure as well as defecto basis to provide counter check of total count.
Use of sampling in enumeration to collect additional information.

13. PLANNING PROCESS Initial decisions about census taking / date
Consultation with data users
Census methodology – dejure / defacto
Determine different phases of census
Type of maps required
Determination of training procedure
Work out requirement of staff, equipment and supplies
Determine budgetary requirements and logistics.

14. PRE-CENSUS ACTIVITIES
Designing of questionnaires and their pre-testing
Development of tabulation plan for census reports
Delimitation of census areas to ensure complete coverage
Preparation of maps to avoid omission/ duplication
Development of sample design
Plans for data entry / processing
Preparation of training material
Appointment and training of field staff
Printing of census documents
Logistic supplies

15. ENUMERATION ACTIVITIES
House numbering / house listing to identify residential and commercial etc. units and to prepare inventory of households.
Census enumeration through door to door visit and interaction of enumerator with the head or responsible member of household.
Supervision / monitoring to ensure accuracy in recording of information. Each supervisor to fill 20 forms of each block independently.
Retrieval of filled-in documents according to delimitation of areas.

16. DATA PROCESSING
Manual editing of filled-in census forms for inconsistency, incompleteness and erroneous data
Coding of open ended questions on occupation, industry, district of migration, etc.
Data entry for accurate and speedy transfer of data for further processing
Computer editing and imputation of missing values
Preliminary tabulation and consistency checking
Final tabulation according to pre-determined tabulation plan

17. QUALITY CONTROL MEASURES
Delimitation of whole country into small census areas i.e. census blocks, circles etc. with boundary description to ensure complete coverage of area and population.
Preparation/supply of maps of each census areas to avoid omissions or duplication.
Proper training of all tiers of the field staff i.e. enumerators, supervisors, superintendents.
Supervision and monitoring during all stages of census operation.
Use of machine readable form/optical mark reader to transfer data from census forms directly to computer to ensure accurate and speedy data entry.

18. DISSEMINATION OF DATA Provisional Results
Advance tabulation on important characteristics
District Census Reports
Provincial / National Reports
Subject wise reports on important characteristics
Special area reports (Thar & Cholistan)
Analytical reports on important topics
Big city reports (population 3 lac & over)
Census Atlas giving geographical presentation of census data

19. SALIENT FEATURE OF 1998 CENSUS
BLOCK LEVEL MAPS PREPARED TO ENSURE COMPLETE COVERAGE OF AREA / POPULATION AND AVOID UNDER / OVER ENUMERATION
NO MAJOR COMPLAINT ON OVER / UNDER ENUMERATION OF AREA / POPULATION - EXPERTS ACCEPTABILITY
MOST SUPERVISED CENSUS - EVERY ENUMERATOR ACCOMPANIED BY A PERSON FROM ARMED FORCES
COUNTER CHECK SYSTEM - THREE TYPE OF FORMS USED FOR RECORDING POPULATION
DATA ENTRY THROUGH OMR TO ENSURE ACCURACY

20. = 2 = QUICK CENSUS RESULTS
= 2 =
QUICK CENSUS RESULTS
- PROVISIONAL RESULTS IN ABOUT 3 MONTHS TIME ( 4 MONTHS IN 1981 CENSUS )
- ADVANCE TABULATION IN 10 MONTHS ( 21 MONTHS IN CENSUS)
- FINAL RESULTS IN 30 MONTHS ( 45 MONTHS IN 1981 CENSUS )
GROWTH RATE JUSTIFIABLE
EXTENSIVE TABULATION
STATISTICAL TABLE AGAINST 32 IN 1981 CENSUS
- 25 ANALYTICAL TABLES AT DISTRICT LEVEL AGAINST ONLY ONE IN 1981 CENSUS

21. THANKS