Rwanda : The 2012 census to cost Rwf16.5 bn

Rwandans will be counted for the fourth time in August 2012

The 2012 National population census slated to kick-off on August 15 is projected to cost the government a whopping Rwf16.5 billion by the time the results are announced in 2014.

The Population and Housing Census aims at updating all population statistics provided in the previous census for proper planning. It will also determine the size of the population and the number of households.

The 2012 census becomes the fourth that the country has conducted. The first was conducted in 1978. This census comes to update the last one which was conducted in 2002.

The last one put the country’s population at 8,128,553. But population projections estimated the current population to be 11,033,141 in 2012.

In preparation for the August census, the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) has also recruited 24,426 officials, including computer experts, statisticians, specialists and trainers manage the survey.

According to NISR, the officials will be teamed in groups and dispersed countrywide to conduct door-to-door counting in the nationwide survey.

The survey comes as a fulfillment of a requirement by the United Nations which requires that a national census be carried out at least every ten years.

In an interview with the Director General of NISR Yusuf Murangwa he called upon all Rwandans to be ready to be counted.

“We need to get the clearest picture of the Rwanda’s achievements against challenges and find out which communities have more needs than the others,” he said.

He was also optimistic that the findings will give the institute capacity to guide both the public and private sector on initiatives aimed at raising people’s standards of living.