Luanda - The Pilot Census held this year from July 9 to September in 14 municipalities carried out in seven provinces of the country, enabled the registration of roughly 35,549 households, the National Statistics Institute (INE) announced.
According to a statement sent to ANGOP, the data was collected in Luanda, Bengo, Bié, Lunda Norte, Cuando Cubango, Uíge and Cunene.
Ine says the Pilot Census made it possible to test the difficulties related to interpretation of the questionnaire, resistance of materials and equipment, movement of technicians in areas that are difficult to access and the intervention of local and traditional authorities in sensitising the population.
It adds that the country is currently undergoing cartographic updating, an operation that will provide a more up-to-date picture of Angola's geography and, consequently, define the areas to be selected for the main collection of data.
For this reason, the National Statistics Institute says it is calling on the population to participate and collaborate with agents conducting the census.
The Pilot Census is an activity that aims to test the level of organisation, methodologies, procedures and, above all, the possible constraints of the operation to correct and take precautionary measures, serving as a prelude for the General Census/2024.
Next year's General Population and Housing Census will be the third in the country's history, the first having been carried out in 1970, five years before Angola's independence, while the second took place in 2014.
The aim of this process is to find out the population structure for all the country's administrative units and to strengthen the national technical and material capacity to conduct future data collection.
It also aims to provide a database for planning, management and decision-making, and building a sample for the selection of household survey samples.
In addition, the Population and Housing Census is the realisation of two simultaneous censuses: population and housing, which makes it possible to obtain reliable and up-to-date statistical information necessary for monitoring and evaluating the strategy to combat poverty.
JAM/QCB/BA/Amp/jmc
