National Census to Keep Personal Information Confidential

The Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) is assuring Jamaicans that the information they will be required to provide for the 2011 Population and Housing Census will be kept in the strictest confidence.

“We are bound by the Statistics Act to keep the information confidential and in the final analysis, no information is divulged on any individual. That is not the purpose of the census. Its purpose is to provide aggregate data on the population of the country,” said Director of Censuses at STATIN, Valerie Nam.

She was addressing a JIS Think Tank held on Thursday (January 13) at the agency’s Half-Way-Tree Road head office.

Mrs. Nam informed that in some of the questions, especially those relating to sensitive subjects such as income will be phrased in a manner that provides citizens with an added degree of privacy. She said information on income was one of the hardest items of data to collect and as a result, citizens would be required to select from a range of incomes rather than stating a specific figure.

She informed further that all census takers will be trained to be very sensitive when asking questions about fertility/child bearing and other delicate areas, adding that all the questions are very important and people have nothing to fear by answering them.

All members of staff at STATIN as well as the census takers have to sign confidentiality agreements for which breaches are punishable by the law. According to STATIN there have been no breaches to date.

The 2011 Population and Housing Census, which is themed: ‘Every one Counts You, Me, All a Wi!’ will begin on April 4, 2011 and last until July 2011.

The census is the total process of collecting, compiling and publishing demographic, social and economic data pertaining to a specified time for all persons in a country.

Meanwhile, the Director of Censuses also used the occasion to emphasise the importance of the census as a planning tool and a key component for the continued development of the country, especially within the context of the Vision 2030 Jamaica, National Development Plan.

“There is no other source of data like the census, which brings together in one database, the characteristics… social and demographic profile of the population and of the housing conditions. Think about it in terms of if we didn’t have this information, knew nothing about ourselves… how many of us are men/women, the age structure, education level, etc. The cost of not doing the census is much greater because how would we do any form of planning if we didn’t have this form of data,” she reasoned.

Urging Jamaicans to comply, Mrs. Nam said that it would take about 15 to 20 minutes to complete the questionnaire.  We have two forms – a household form which one person answers and the individual form and although the form could look formidable because it has 55 questions, nobody answers 55 questions because there are questions that are specific to a particular age group, sex, etc. and depending on the answers to some questions, you skip to other questions,” she pointed out.

She further appealed to citizens to co-operate with census takers and to treat them with respect. “What we want is for people not to run them away, not to abuse or set the dogs on them but be polite because they are trained to be polite and courteous and it really would be nice if people reciprocate in that way.

“We realise how inconvenient it is sometimes, you are at home catching up on your house work and you hear a knock at your gate, somebody is out there wanting to ask you questions…but please co-operate,” she said.

The last population and housing census was conducted in 2001. At that time, the population count was 2,607,633. Since then annual estimates of the total population have been done and at December 2009, the population was estimated at 2,698,800 with 1,329,300 males and 1,369,500 females.