National Census Not Related To NIDS

The Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) is informing citizens that the National Population and Housing Census is not related to the National Identification System (NIDS).

“The National Population and Housing Census and NIDS are two completely independent projects. The Population and Housing Census is conducted every 10 years [since 1844] and is an important source of statistics for the Government,” Deputy Director-General of STATIN, Leesha Delatie-Budair, told JIS News.

Ms. Delatie-Budair explained that during a national census, data is collected from citizens across all parishes, divided into 5,776 enumeration districts. The data collected through door-to-door interviews include age, sex, marital status, household composition, family characteristics, and household size. This data is treated confidentially and analysed by STATIN which then publishes a report.

The information in the report is used by policymakers, entrepreneurs, researchers, civil society groups, faith-based organisations, the private sector, and the public sector to make informed decisions.

“When we do the census and we get a count of how many persons are living in an area, the policymakers can then use that information to decide whether facilities like schools and hospitals are sufficient to support the population which resides in that area,” she stated.

Ms. Delatie-Budair told JIS News that STATIN is bound by the guidelines of the Statistics Act, which explicitly prohibits the sharing of persons’ confidential information with anyone, including other government entities.

“We take pride in confidentiality at STATIN, and this is not only due to the Statistics Act but the Institute’s adherence to the United Nations Statistical Commission (UNSC) Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics, which guides all statistical agencies of member states like Jamaica,” she said.