The national population and housing census, which will be carried out by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR), is set to kick off in six days.

Here are seven things you should know.

1. It will be carried out over a two-week period

From August 16-30, the government, through NISR, will conduct the census. The outcomes will help the country in planning.

They will feature multiple aspects and characteristics of Rwanda’s population including demographic, social, economic and cultural characteristics and its distribution up to village level.

Other aspects include population structure and trends of fertility, mortality and migration, population projections, economic activities, housing characteristics, and indicators for particular groups of the population such as female, children, youth, elderly, and disabled persons

2. It is the third in post-Genocide era

The upcoming census will be the fifth to be conducted in Rwanda, and the third since the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Rwanda conducts a population census every decade to update demographic, social, economic and cultural characteristics of the population.

The first one, which was conducted in 1978, put the Rwandan population at about 4.8 million. The second census was conducted in 1991, with the population rising to 7.1 million. The population growth rate between 1978 and 1991 was 3.1 per cent.

The third census, in 2002, indicated that the population had grown to 8.1 million. The previous one, which put the population at 10.5 million, was done in two weeks in 2012.

3. Over 20,000 enumerators were deployed and are set to complete training on August 9

Over 20,000 enumerators deployed for the fifth national population and housing census are expected to complete training on August 9, Yusuf Murangwa, Director General of NISR told The New Times.

The training started on July 21 and will be followed by the listing of households which will be conducted from August 10 to 14.

4. It will cost Rwf30 billion

The census will take a total budget of Rwf 30 billion given that it takes around four years of preparation, according to Murangwa.

5. The night of August 15 leading to August 16 is census night

Rwandans are urged to take note of the census night date and remember to answer the questions accurately during enumeration.

6. Technology to be used

Technological devices for data entry will be used in census operations in replacement of paper questionnaires to reduce the time between data collection and publication of census results, Venant Habarugira, the director of the census department at NISR previously told The New Times.

7. Provisional results to be announced by December 2022

Provisional results from the census will be announced in December 2022, whereas the final results will be out in December 2023, according to NISR.