Population and Housing Census 2011

The 2011 Population and Housing Census is the third national Census to be conducted in Namibia after independence. The first was conducted 1991 followed by the 2001 Census. Namibia is therefore one of the countries in sub-Saharan Africa that has participated in the 2010 Round of Censuses and followed the international best practice of conducting decennial Censuses, each of which attempts to count and enumerate every person and household in a country every ten years. Surveys, by contrast, collect data from samples of people and/or households.

Censuses provide reliable and critical data on the socio-economic and demographic status of any country. In Namibia, Census data has provided crucial information for development planning and programme implementation. Specifically, the information has assisted in setting benchmarks, formulating policy and the evaluation and monitoring of national development programmes including NDP4, Vision 2030 and several sector programmes. The information has also been used to update the national sampling frame which is used to select samples for household-based surveys, including labour force surveys, demographic and health surveys, household income and expenditure surveys. In addition, Census information will be used to guide the demarcation of Namibia's administrative boundaries where necessary.

At the international level, Census information has been used extensively in monitoring progress towards Namibia's achievement of international targets, particularly the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The latest and most comprehensive Census was conducted in August 2011. Preparations for the Census started in the 2007/2008 financial year under the auspices of the then Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) which was later transformed into the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA). The NSA was established under the Statistics Act No. 9 of 2011, with the legal mandate and authority to conduct population Censuses every 10 years. The Census was implemented in three broad phases; pre-enumeration, enumeration and post enumeration.

During the first pre-enumeration phase, activities accomplished including the preparation of a project document, establishing Census management and technical committees, and establishing the Census cartography unit which demarcated the Enumeration Areas (EAs). Other activities included the development of Census instruments and tools, such as the questionnaires, manuals and field control forms.

Field staff were recruited, trained and deployed during the initial stages of the enumeration phase. The actual enumeration exercise was undertaken over a period of about three weeks from 28 August to 15 September 2011, while 28 August 2011 was marked as the reference period or 'Census Day'.

Great efforts were made to check and ensure that the Census data was of high quality to enhance its credibility and increase its usage. Various quality controls were implemented to ensure relevance, timeliness, accuracy, coherence and proper data interpretation. Other activities undertaken to enhance quality included the demarcation of the country into small enumeration areas to ensure comprehensive coverage; the development of structured Census questionnaires after consultat.The post-enumeration phase started with the sending of completed questionnaires to Head Office and the preparation of summaries for the preliminary report, which was published in April 2012. Processing of the Census data began with manual editing and coding, which focused on the household identification section and un-coded parts of the questionnaire. This was followed by the capturing of data through scanning. Finally, the data were verified and errors corrected where necessary. This took longer than planned due to inadequate technical skills.