The launch of the General Census of Population, Housing and Establishments 2020 by the Planning and Statistics Authority represents a qualitative leap in the provision of data with less effort, cost, and more accurately and comprehensively, through automatic linking with the data sources.
The census data represents a key base for population, housing and establishments statistics that concern planners, researchers and decision-makers. President of Planning and Statistics Authority H E Dr Saleh bin Mohammad Al Nabit said the importance of the census stems from the fact that it is the only statistical process that is conducted through an all-inclusive survey.
The General Census of Population, Housing and Establishments is the only statistical exercise conducted comprehensively, once every five or ten years, and the State of Qatar implemented a number of them in 1986, 1997, 2004, 2010, and 2015.
Head of the Department of Censuses, Surveys and Statistical Methods at the Authority, Nasser Al Mahdi, said the census is the first of its kind to be conducted through administrative records of the country’s data source. Census 2020 will depend mainly on the latest technologies, systems and manuals adopted internationally, in order to obtain accurate and comprehensive results on the population and their characteristics as well as housing and establishments and extraction of important statistical indicators at different levels, he added.
Census data are important in various developmental fields such as the distribution of services according to the population numbers and characteristics, and the identification of electoral districts. It is also important for the study of population structure of the society, estimating sources of labour force and numbers of workers and the promotion of the role of women, their socio-economic status and other uses that are difficult to enumerate.
Al Mahdi explained that statistical evidence and classifications receive great attention from PSA as well as other statistical agencies in the world and international organizations as it enables the dissemination of statistical data in an international format that facilitates the process of statistical comparisons inside and outside the country.
The census data for the buildings and facilities implemented by the PSA in 2019 revealed huge growth in housing and facilities in the country, reflecting huge economic growth witnessed by the state. The data showed that the number of buildings in Qatar rose to 216,740 this year, compared with 148,804 in the 2010 census, an increase of 45.6 percent. The number of housing units reached 354,549 units, based on the census this year, compared to 259,067 units in 2010, an increase of 36.9 percent.
The role of statistical data and indicators in all fields, whether planning and development or in daily life, is vital. The provision of accurate and timely statistical data and indicators help to formulate policies and monitor progress at all levels.
