Every decade, the government of Rwanda conducts a population census to update demographic, social, economic and cultural characteristics of the population. This year, the government through the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda will conduct the fifth census. The outcomes 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. Below are five things we know so far about the exercise. 1. When will the census take place? According to the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda, the main census enumeration (field enumeration) will be conducted from 16-30 August, 2022. The census night is the night of 15-16 August, 2022. Census night refers to the night to the day that serves as a basis that respondents use when answering the number of people who were at their house including visitors. Respondents answer to the question, how many people spent the night in this household on the night of 15th of August to avoid double counting. This has remained the same date since the census was first conducted in 1978. According to officials from NISR, this particular night remains the same for two reasons; the first is that the census has to be made on the exact date it was last conducted. The second reason is that this day coincides with Assumption Day which is celebrated by Catholics to celebrate the ascension of the Virgin Mary. It is also a public holiday in Rwanda and would be easier for the family members to remember events on that particular day. According to the institution, preliminary results will be out in December, 2022 and final results with all thematic reports will be released by December 2023. 2. Preparations Venant Habarugira, the Director of the Census Department at NISR told The New Times that they are currently engaged in a campaign for the public awareness in order to gain the public participation during the census. “This month, we have nearly completed the recruitment of teachers who will be deployed as enumerators. Training of trainers will be conducted in July, 2022, main training of enumerators will be conducted between 20 July-9 August, 2022, and the listing of households will be conducted from 10-14 August, 2022. Time per household,” Habarugira said. 3. Outcomes from pilot study Habarugira, said that they conducted a pilot census in September, 2021 to test all tools/materials and methodology of the main census just to inform plans for the main census as well as the methodology to be used in the main census. “Experience showed that during 2 weeks, the census is doable; hence expecting to cover the enumeration of all living in Rwanda between 16 and 30 August 2022,” he said. He added that some lessons from the pilot are being integrated in the main census preparations. On average, the questionnaire interview will take about 20-30 minutes during the main census. 4. Technology-driven exercise While the previous censuses were paper-based questionnaires, the 2012 Censuses used technology during the census mapping (GPS used). The upcoming census will use technology in almost all operations: mapping, training of enumerators, data collection, field monitoring and data processing. “This will speed up the release of census results but also improve the quality of census data. During the mapping of the 2022 PHC mapping, high resolution technologies were used (satellite image were used), tablets and latest GIS softwares used to map and reproduce the maps of the whole country starting from the mapping of all villages and counting housing units within villages,” He added that technology will also be applied in training and will be used during the data collection and transmission, field data monitoring and data processing and has been tested in the pilot phase. 5. Mitigating Covid-19 concerns The agency is not oblivious to challenges that could emerge during the exercise with the main one being the linked to the covid-19 pandemic which could hamper the preparations and implementation. “One of the mitigation measures is the use of technologies in census operations but also we are following all measures taken to curb the spread of the covid-19 pandemic including social distancing, use of sanitizers, wearing face masks, vaccination and testing people before gathering for all personnel involved in the census,” he said.
