Censuses of Population and Housing in Africa: Some Issues and Problems

Ben Kiregyera

Abstract:
A census of population and housing, which contributes immensely to the development of social statistics and national statistical services in general, has been carried out at least once in every African country except Chad. The common issues and widespread practices of design, implementation, processing, and evaluation of this census are reviewed. Also reviewed are the problems that arise at each of these stages of conducting the census; problems arising as a result of the socio-economic and physical peculiarities of African conditions.

Keywords:
African Household Survey Capability Programme (AHSCP); Census of Population and Housing (CPH); Enumeration Area (EA); pilot census; de facto enumeration; de jure enumeration; post-enumeration (PES); Myers's index.