Dominica’s next population and housing census is to be conducted beginning November, 2021.
In making the announcement, Acting Chief Statistician at the Dominica Central Statistics Office, Lorna Prevost-Stephens said the aim of the exercise is to undertake a comprehensive high quality count of all residents and buildings to determine demographics, socio economic and environmental characteristics and particularly how these have changed since the last census of 2011.
Based on the preliminary results of Census 2011 which was extracted from the Census Visitation Records, the total population of Dominica as of midnight May 14, 2011 was 71,293.
According to the preliminary report, the total population comprised of 36,411 males and 34,882 registering 1,529 more males than females and a sex ratio of 104.4. This compares to 1,141 more males in the 2001 Census and a sex ratio of 103.2.
The total population also represented a net decrease of 434 or a slight 0.6 percent decline over the 2001 head count and a fall below the 2010 mid -year population estimate of 72,729.
In comparison to the 2001 Population Census and according to the 2011 Census preliminary results, only four parishes seemed to have gained population. St. Paul recorded the largest increase, 1,176.The parish of St George added 709 and the parish of St. John gained 632 while the parish of St. Luke increased by 88.
Other movements and demographic forces seemed to have countered these moderate increases resulting in a net population loss. As in the 2001 Census, the largest population decrease was again recorded in St. Andrew with a loss of 1,024 (in the 2001 Census the loss was 645). The community of Wesley registered a loss of 394 persons followed by Marigot with 265. It is interesting to note that the parish of St. Andrew having registered a significant percentage in vacant buildings also reflected the largest population loss. The parish of St. Patrick followed with a loss of 871, almost doubling the 2001 loss of 452 with the Grand Bay Area recording a loss of 329 persons followed by Montine/Tete Morne with 126.
The parish of St. David recorded a population loss of 746 with Castle Bruce registering a loss of 252 persons followed by Good Hope/Dix-Pas with 114 and Grand Fond, 106. The parish of St. Joseph registered 314, with the village of St. Joseph registering a population loss of 283. Population decreases were also recorded in St. Peter, 91 and St. Mark, 62.
Stephens said that to aid in staff work, a new feature of the 2021 census is the use of computer aided programmes interface.
“It is basically, fully digitizing the census using tablets to collect the data as the census plays a vital role in national policies and decision making,” she explained.
Meantime, the Dominica Registry Division is for the year 2020, reporting more births in the Commonwealth of Dominica as opposed to deaths.
From the period of January 1, 2020, to November 20, 2020, the civil registry has recorded 668 births, compared to the 472 deaths for the year thus far.
According to Acting Registrar General and Registrar of the High Court Marie-Therese Etienne, the registration of 390 of these births has been completed by the parents and so their certificates are available for issue, however, the registration of 278 of these births have not been completed.
With regard to deaths, 337 of the figures provided have been registered and completed by their relatives and so death certificates are available and can be issued to the public.
A total of 103 marriages have been registered, however this does not include the marriages which may have been solemnized by religious ministers since in many instances the duplicate registers have not been submitted to the Registrar General.
Despite that the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic halted operations in many sectors, Etienne noted that the civil registry, which has a high traffic, has had to adjust and position itself accordingly to deliver the services it is mandated to provide since members of the public have continued to conduct business.
The acting Registrar General expressed appreciation that the civil registry converted what was a serious challenge brought upon by the pandemic into a triumph and took advantage of this opportunity to implement the division’s previous efforts to commence same-day issuance of life certificate.
As of April of this year, life certificates which include births, deaths, and marriage certificates are processed and issued on the same day.
The 2011 census preliminary report is posted below.
I say it is a very good idea as long there is no Dna off Lennox Linton, and his half brother foot print it would be a disaster for Dominica once again!!!
Congratulations DNO! This is an excellent article with a detailed analysis of the information provided!! I look forward to seeing more such analyses when statements are made by public officials.👊💪👍
HOTEP!
Admin is very correct.
The link quoted was the Preliminary Results
This is a total count base on VR.
This data from the VR is not what is needed to do comparative analysis nor is it relevant to be used for socio-economic planning or research. What is of statistically significant is the entire database fully analyzed by the various variables such as education, health, crime, telecommunications, economic activity, housing including sanitation, demographic and migration.
Statistics on the above mentioned variables are most significant for government policy, academic research, regional and international donor agencies developmental programs for small island states.
Dominica not making the Census Report available earlier missed many opportunities for developmental programs from the international community.
After the completion of Population and Housing Census field exercise what is published soon after is preliminary results base on the Visitation Records which capture data on just the total number of male/female living in the household and by community and parish.
Comprehensive data on demographic, socio- economics, health, education, housing, crime, etc., are tabulated and computed after all editing, coding, data entry and validation are completed.
As the former deputy census officer for the last census in 2011 the comprehensive report was not published when I left Dominica in 2017. The report was fully completed but was never approved to be published by the powers that be. The approval process had to go through the financial secretary to the PM who is the minister of finance who is the minister responsible for the central statistics office of Dominica
what government wasting money on doing census when they have no use for it.. they do not publish it.
@Neva Augustina, l could bet on your life you do not know the meaning of the word census and what it is for!
Why didn’t they do the census before election ???? Now election done all you looking for how much people in dominica ? Barstarrds
So, hold on hold on hold on. AFTER they waste Dominica money to build apartment complex and how much nonsense around the country. Just putting housing just putting housing, ONLY NOW!!!!!! they see it fit to do a census? ONLYY NOWWWW? they want to know how many people actually left and living in the country AFTER Maria? AFTER general election? Dominica only have about 50,000 Dominicans living in it. The majority of the rest is Haitians and Chinese and handful of Trinidadians. In total i estimate maybe 55-57,000 people left in Dominica.
Shameful. That should have been done ages ago. Especially after Maria when we saw mass migration. How do you account for the nations most valuable resource – the people? well let the census come. IT needs to be done even though it is too late. We will realize that most of our plans will need to be revised from the info received.
The census is every 10 years. Why are you so angry?
The experts say a census is when a government collects information about its people. What happens to that information in Dominica after the census? For example do the census people talk to the voting list people at Electoral Office? When i was a little girl many years ago I learned our population was 70,302. A cursory glance on the internet on today’s date shows it is 71,625. A further glance on Caribbean elections.com website shows that 74,895 people were registered to vote in the last general elections in December 2009. Recently, the PM was in effect hyping baby making on a radio show essentially admonishing the youth to let the baby making season begin ( I suppose never mind family planning). My country is truly magical.
This Census information is so not correct. I was on the team the last time and alot of people in my area was not counted. No one came to my house. Further more I have a question why do a census and the information is hidden. the actual information ref Poverty and the real health and standard of living information was never truthfully revealed by the government officials why is that. what is the secret.
The information has been available for 10 years now. Stop making silly comments without doing your research. Every single donor organisation and regional and international organisation make reference to the census information when making decisions. The information is even published on the government’s website and the Statistics office website. Even the political parties make reference to the statistic figures when they do their manifestos.
The report is available here:
http://www.dominica.gov.dm/cms/files/2011_census_report.pdf
or
http://www.dominica.gov.dm/about-dominica/national-symbols/60-government-publications/statistical-information-on-dominica/524-statistical-information-on-dominica
ADMIN: 10 years would take us to 2010 the report would not have been available that early. Based on information we attained, the full report was made available only late last year. Certain limited information was released prior to the report being made publicly available – which is what you may be referring to.