6 Aug 2020

Vanuatu prepares for rare census

6:14 pm on 6 August 2020

Preparations are underway in Vanuatu for the fourth National Population and Housing Census, 11 years since the last one was conducted.

A busy street in Vanuatu's capital, Port Vila.

A busy street in Vanuatu's capital, Port Vila. Photo: RNZI / Jamie Tahana

The Vanuatu Daily Post reported census fieldwork was scheduled to take place from 16-29 November.

The National Statistics Office is running the census for which it plans to recruit 700 fieldworkers, 150 supervisors, and 50 office staff.

Information to be collected includes the number of people in each household as well as their living conditions and other socio-economic data.

It will be used by the government to formulate policy and to inform its response to crises such as cyclones.

In 2016, a mini census found Vanuatu's population had grown to about 272,000, an increase of 38,000 on 2009.

The theme of the census is 'Kasem everiwan. Kaontem everiwan. No livim eniwan' or 'Reach everyone, Count everone, Don't leave anyone out.'