CARICOM Member States to conduct Population and Housing Censuses

CARICOM Member States are scheduled to conduct Population and Housing Censuses this year, with Barbados having begun its count on May 1.{{more}}

The Bahamas began its count on May 3, Saint Lucia will begin on May 10, Belize, May 12, and Bermuda, an Associate Member of the Community, on May 20.

The British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands and other Associate Members will conduct their Censuses on 14 June and 10 October, respectively. Door to door canvassing by enumerators will begin after midnight on those dates – designated as Census Days. Guyana will begin its count later this year, while other Member States are to conduct their Censuses in 2011.

It is anticipated that Haiti will have its Census done in 2013.

CARICOM Member States have taken a regionally-coordinated approach to the 2010 Census and have agreed to common elements on the Census forms to be used by enumerators. For the first time during a Census, information will be gathered on the regional integration movement with specific focus on the Free Movement of Persons, a core element of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).

The Population and Housing Census is conducted once every decade. The extent to which it is successful depends on the participation of nationals in any given country.

The population, social and economic data collected during the Census will assist governments in making decisions in the national interest and will serve as a baseline for monitoring the international development goals.