Stats SA targeting 17 million households for Census 2022

Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) is set to conduct a population census between 3 and 28 February 2022.

This year’s census will mark the fourth population count since 1994 and will be the first digital population count.

The census was scheduled to take place in October last year, however, it was delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

A population count is held every 10 years with the data of each citizen in every household across South Africa is collected.

A census collects data about a country’s socio-economic dynamics such as people’s living conditions, access to basic services and income, among others.

The latest census was conducted in 2011, which found that South Africa’s population increased to 51.8 million compared to 40.6 million counted in 1996.

17 million households

Stats SA is targeting 17 million households in order to collect data.

Briefing the media on Tuesday, Deputy Minister in the Presidency, Thembi Siweya highlighted the importance of a census.

“As government, we would want Stats SA as independent as they are to collate data that is going to help us to understand the household. How many people are employed?

“How many are not employed? Who is at school? Who is not at school? Who is at crèche? Who is not in a crèche? Why are they not so? And the household income,” she said.

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With Stats SA having recruited at least 165,000 staff members to conduct the census across different households, Siweya called on the public to be transparent when providing information.

“We are asking South Africans that when [the field workers] come and knock on your doors, please participate with an understanding you are feeding into government wants to do to understand where you are in your economic status.

“When they come to your houses, they are going to be identified with some form of an identification document [or] stick of some sort. If you don’t feel comfortable that they come from Stats SA… all of the field workers’ [information] will be on [ Stats SA’s] website,” she said.

R3.2 billion has budgeted for this year’s census.

Where to register

Registration for the 2022 census opened in December last year and three methods will be use to collect data.

If one prefers to do data collection remotely, they can register their household online via Stats SA’s website or telephonically.

Another option they can choose is the face-to-face data collection.

Citizens are required to register to participate in the census and can select the method they prefer to fill the questionnaire, which will take 10 minutes per person.

The registration platform is data free, so no one will not be charged for accessing the registration platform.