DILI, 15 august 2022 (TATOLI) – Timor-Leste launched, on monday (15/08) its 2022 census with a call for all households across the country to participate.
The household data collection of the 2022 Population Census is set to take place between september 4 and october 5, 2022. Over the next month, the enumerators will knock on every door in all 452 villages to collect the household data.
A census of the population has been taken every five years in Timor-Leste since 2004, with the exception of 2020 due to political impasse and 2021 owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Government of Timor-Leste allocated US$3.1 million of the General State Budget (GSB) for the implementation of the 2022 Census. In addition, nearly US$1 million was made available by the development partners, including more than US$777.000 came from UNFPA, US$56.000 from UNICEF, US$25.000 from UNDP, US$24.000 from UN Women, and US$20.000 came from WFP.
Around 3424 temporary workers were recruited of which around 3000 are enumerators and supervisors who will be visiting all households across the country. While more than 200 trainers were also recruited.
The census will ask questions on a range of topics, covering age, sex, race, language use, veterans, elders, young people, children, people with disabilities, education, employment, health, housing, income, property, etc.”
Speaking at the launching ceremony, the Vice President of the National Committee for the 2022 Census, and Minister of Finance, Rui Augusto Gomes said that the census will help the government, development partners, and NGOs to formulate policies and make decisions on how to improve services in the communities, including schools, hospitals, roads and so on.
“For instance, we need to build pre-schools in those administrative posts with the highest number of children,” said Gomes at the launching ceremony of the 2022 census, at Dili Convention Center (CCD), on monday.
On march 23, the Council of Ministers issued the resolution on the establishment of the Administrative Body responsible for the 2022 Census, made up of three committees – the National Committee for 2022 Census, led by Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak, and both Technical Committee and Publication Committee of 2022 Census, led by the National Director of Statistics, Elias dos Santos.
At the same place, the President of the Republic, Jose Ramos Horta reiterated that: “The census will help the government with the right data to plan and take decisions to find solutions for the problems facing Timor-Leste.”
“I call on the heads of hamlets, villages, the President Authority of the Municipalities across the country to mobilize the population to fully participate in the 2022 census,” said Horta.
The UN Resident Coordinator, Roy Trivedy said that the census is one of the most important things other than elections that take place in a nation: “Census is the bedrock of everything that the government, development partners and private sectors and all of us want to do.”
He said UN System in Timor-Leste will be willing and continue to collaborate with the 2022 Census Committees to ensure the success of Timor-Leste’s 2022 census.
“Apart from the nearly US$1 million made available by the UN System in Timor-Leste, we also support Timor-Leste with the utilization of tablets for data collection and processing,” he said.
The 2015 Timor-Leste Population Census was conducted in July 2015. The total population at the time of the census was 1,167,242, a 9.46% increase from 2010.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges
