PRESTON UNIVERSITY, ISLAMABAD: The Population Census provides complete and most reliable information about the population of a country and its characteristics at a particular point in time. According to the Population and Housing Censuses Handbook of the UN (1992), a population census is a complete process of collection, assessment, analysis, publication and distribution of demographic, economic and social data relating to all the residents of a country or of a well-defined partial geographic area.
A population census is a gigantic project that entails enormous cost. Planning, data collection, and results presentation are the three main stages. Before the execution of the census, much spadework is done. In many countries, a census is conducted every ten years, while in some countries such as Japan and Canada, it is held every five years. In the 1960s, the UN developed a plan for conducting population censuses throughout the world in order to facilitate comparative research between countries based on the data gathered.
Five population and housing censuses (1951, 1961, 1972, 1981, and 1998) have been conducted in Pakistan. Another census was expected to be conducted in October 2008; it was later scheduled for 2012 and has yet to be undertaken. To conduct a census, thousands of people are given necessary training so that they are able to collect the necessary and relevant data correctly. Keeping in view the pivotal importance of census, the enumerators are supposed to do their assigned duties honestly and efficiently. Besides, the respondents (household heads) must also provide honest and correct information.
The problem of population growth is not simply a problem of numbers but has welfare implications. If development means improvement in living standard, then how does the present population situation in Pakistan affect the goals of development not only for present but also future generations? These are some of the issues that a census can help answer.
The male-to-female sex ratio has also changed over the years. It declined from 115 males for every 100 females in 1972 to 111:100 in 1981, 107:100 in 1995 and 107:100 by 2011. Rapid population growth has put immense pressure on the country’s natural resource base and this has increased pollution. Industrial waste, water pollution, solid waste, and vehicle emissions have resulted in serious health problems. All these need serious attention especially because they have not cropped up accidentally. Many factors — social, economic, political — have contributed to them.
For macroeconomic stability and to meet demands of the global economy, it is imperative that complete, latest and reliable information about a country’s population is available to policymakers, so as to make more informed policy decisions. The common man does not attach real significance to population census because he doesn’t realise that it could have a positive impact on the quality of his life, through better policy formulation and planning. Furthermore, the number of seats in the National and provincial assemblies as well as the National Finance Commission award are all based on the census.
The earlier the population census is conducted, the better it would be for the people and the country.
Prof Dr Muhammad Afzal
Department of Management Sciences
Published in The Express Tribune, March 25th, 2013.
