2011 census workers will use GPS Tracking System in Nepal

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As Nepal gears up for national census, the Central Bureau of Statistics is planning to introduce Global Positioning System to make the forthcoming census more accurate.

The country is planning national census in June next year.

Uttam Narayan Malla, Director General of CBS, said they were planning to use GPS to find out the latitude and longitude of each and every household. While state restructuring, it will help distribute and demarcate the number of households in each state, added Malla.

In South Asia region, Bhutan had used GPS for its 2008 census.

An enumerator carrying GPS will visit every household to send feedback, said Malla, adding, “By using GPS we believe we will be able to assemble data with more accuracy.” CBS has proposed that the government buys 8,000 GPS units for the census.

“We have received positive response from the government.” Per unit of GPS will cost around $100.

Nepal had its last census in 2001. The post-enumeration 2001-survey had showed four per cent margin of error. According to Malla, CBS is working hard to plug all the loopholes with the help of new technology.

The 2011 census will be the 11th in the history of Nepal marking 100 years of census practice.

CBS is planning to conduct field work for the forth coming Population and Housing Census from June 1727, 2011. June 22 will be celebrated as Census Day — the mid day of the census period.

The forthcoming census expects population growth rate of 2.13 per cent, resulting in a population of 28,584,975, with per square km density of 194.

Malla said they would use Enumeration Area maps in 58 municipalities, other district headquarters and urban characterised VDCs.

According to him, CBS will capture geographical coordinates of all clusters and each dwelling using GPS and disseminate data through web mapping, interactive maps and atlas.

CBS will mobilise up to 44,000 personnel for the census, including 8,500 field supervisors, 34,000 enumerators (40 per cent female), 85 census officers , 750 central core staff and other district level management staff.

During the census, one enumerator will collect data from 175 households and there will be one supervisor for every four enumerators.

Malla said up to 400 micro computers, 400 decoders and data entry operators will take around four to six month for coding and editing data.

The total expense of resources required for the census is estimated at $ 24 million, which will be borne by the government and several international agencies.

Central Bureau of Statistics, Nepal, has also launched a website: http://www.census.gov.np

Population by Census Year

The tabulation below gives the snapshot of population growth in each of the last censuses.

Census year Population Growth rate (%) Density (km²)
1911 5,638,749 38
1920 5,573,788 -0.13 38
1930 5,532,574 -0.74 38
1941 6,283,649 1.16 43
1952/54 8,256,625 2.3 56
1961 9,412,996 1.65 64
1971 11,555,983 2.07 79
1981 15,022,839 2.66 102
1991 18,491,097 2.1 126
2001 23,151,423 2.25 157
2011 (Projected) 28,584,975 2.13 194