2008 Population Census of Cambodia Post Enumeration Survey Mrs. Hang Lina Deputy Director General National Institute of Statistics, Min. of Planning Regional Workshop on the 2010 World Program on Population and Housing Censuses: Census Evaluation and Post Enumeration Survey, Bangkok, Thailand, May, 2010

Contents Background Objectives Time line Legal Basis of 2008 Cambodia Population Census Post Enumeration Survey

Background 1962 Census (pop. = 5.7 million) 1998 Census: the first census post Khmer Rouge. 36 year interval since last census Cambodia Population Census: 10 year interval since 1998 census. The majority of the 1998 Population Census was supported by UNFPA 2008 Population Census is supported by United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Japan, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Germany, and Cambodia

Objectives Provide basic demographic information Provide updated population and development indicators Provide trends and patterns in fertility, mortality, migration and other demographic and socio-economic variables. To monitor and formulate the National and decentralized plans Provide a sampling frame. Establish a population database.

Timeline – Dec 07 to Feb 08: Final Census Trainings – 29 Feb to 2 Mar 08: Final Household listing – 3-13 March 08: Full census enumeration – Sept 08: Preliminary census results - Sep Release of final results - Sep Analyze, evaluate, and disseminate main census results

Legal Basis of 2008 Population Census Statistics Law enacted 19 May, 2005 Sub-Decree on The Organization and Functioning of The National Statistics System, 26 January, 2007 Sub-Decree on The Organization and Implementation of The General Population Census of Cambodia 2008, 30 January, 2006

Post-Enumeration Survey (1) Conducted immediately after the census. The main objective is to estimate the coverage and contents errors in the census

Post Enumeration Survey (2) In a huge exercise like the population census errors in coverage and response are unavoidable. This does not diminish the importance of the census as long as the limitations of the data are understood by the users and the errors are within reasonable limits. The evaluation of the census results is recommended by the Statistics Division of the United Nations as a good census practice and Cambodia has implemented it.

Post Enumeration Survey (3) A Post Enumeration Survey (PES) was organized for evaluation purpose in about a fortnight’s time after the completion of the census enumeration both at the 1998 and 2008 Censuses of Cambodia. The procedure adopted for the PES of both the censuses was the same and the presentation will mainly deal with the PES of the 2008 Census. PES was a sample survey in which population in the selected sample Enumeration Areas was re-enumerated and the results matched to measure coverage and content errors.

Post Enumeration Survey (4) Coverage error in the census is due to persons being missed or counted more than once. Content error is the error in the characteristics of the persons counted. This happens due to incorrect reporting or recording or from failure to report. The PES attempted to quantify likely omission or duplication ( coverage error) in enumeration and measure response error of certain selected characteristics ( content error).

Post Enumeration Survey (5) One limitation of this method of evaluating the census is that it is not possible to estimate the error due to persons omitted both at the census and at the PES (for example persons who could not be contacted at both the enumerations) The PES was carried out with the guidance of UNFPA consultant. He also made the estimate of errors. The Sampling Plan for PES was simple. It was a probability sample selected in a single stage using systematic random sampling.

Post Enumeration Survey (6) The sample size was 100 Enumeration Areas (EAs) spread over the country. The sampling frame was the final list of EAs in Cambodia. PES estimates were provided at the National level only since the sample size was small for provincial level estimates. PES was kept independent. In the selected EA it was done by enumerator/supervisor who was different from the census enumerator/supervisor for that EA. The list of selected EAS was not released before the PES was actually undertaken.

Post Enumeration Survey (7) Listing and enumeration of persons in all households in the buildings situated in the sample Eas,desk matching of PES particulars with Census particulars and final reconciliation formed the important stages of PES. PES staff were well trained by senior officers of NIS. Separate schedules were designed to carry out PES. The net missed rate according to PES is 2.77 percent. It is higher than 1.8 percent undercount estimated for 1998 census. Yet the undercount of 2.77 percent is considered quite reasonable.

Post Enumeration Survey (8) The level of response variances of selected characteristics (age, marital status, mother tongue, literacy, physical/mental disability, main activity and secondary activity) show that in general the quality of data collected at the census was good. However, it was observed that the aggregate index of inconsistency of secondary activity was much higher than that of other characteristics. The original census population figures of 2008 Census were not corrected on the basis of PES results. The undercount will however be taken into account for projection purposes.

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