SENIOR Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, on Wednesday, signed the Census Order declaring September 15, 2022 as Census Day in Guyana.

The order was published on Friday in the Official Gazette.
According to a release, the signing of this order followed the approval on Monday, August 8, by the National Assembly for supplemental funding of G$2 billion to aid in the execution of the census.

The declaration of Census Day allows the Bureau of Statistics, an agency of the Ministry of Finance, to count the population at a specified point in time and marks the commencement of a three-month long enumeration period for the 2022 National Population and Housing Census.
A Population & Housing Census is a complete count of the population, which is conducted every 10 years and provides detailed data on population size, age structure, educational attainment, labour force, housing, and many other socio-economic characteristics.

Guyana’s last census was conducted in 2012, and, since then, there have been many changes across the length and breadth of the country. These changes include the population size, composition, economic activities, access to social services, maternal health, food security, agricultural activity and education attainment, among other areas of change, the release said.

“The census, Guyana’s largest national data collection exercise is more than just a headcount, as it plays a critical role in evaluating the aforementioned changes and data collected during the 2022 Census will contribute significantly towards chartering the course of national development over the next ten years. This data is extremely valuable to users at all levels, including Government, the private sector, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), students, researchers and international agencies,” the release said.

It should be noted that Census data is collected, analysed, and made available in an aggregated format, while ensuring that individual information is treated with the strictest of confidence, the release said. Provisions under Chapter 19:09 of the Statistics Act ensure that the data is only used for analytical purposes and that any individual data is protected and never made public.

Meanwhile, among some of the preparatory works being undertaken by the Bureau of Statistics are the establishment of temporary regional offices, finalisation of data collection tools, training of approximately 3,000 temporary personnel and the rolling out of a public education and awareness campaign.

“All persons in Guyana are being encouraged to fully participate in the 2022 Census by providing accurate information and co-operating with the Enumerators/Census-takers, who are scheduled to visit every household and building in Guyana. The Official launch of Census Day will be Monday, August 22, 2022,” the release concluded.