The Director of Social and Demographic Statistics at Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), Anthony Amuzu-Pharin, has expressed that the aim of the Post-Enumeration Survey is to assess the 2021 Population and Housing Census (PHC).

As recommended by the United Nation’s (UN) Commission on Population and Development, he explained that the post-enumeration exercise is to ensure that the PHC results are accurate and meet international standards.

“The Post Enumeration Survey is conducted to determine whether data collected during the Census were reliable, accurate and up to international standards.”
Anthony Amuzu-Pharin

Speaking in an interview on Monday, 6^th September, 2021, Mr. Amuzu differentiated between the Post-Enumeration Survey and the Population and Housing Census (PHC).

Unlike the Population and Housing Census that had everybody being interviewed, Mr. Anthony Amuzu clarified that the Survey will focus on specific samples of the population.

“The Post Enumeration Survey will collect independent data from selected locations. The data will be compared with the census data from the same location to check errors during the exercise. This is to ensure accuracy in the population figures”.
Anthony Amuzu-Pharin

The Director of Social and Demographic Statistics GSS further explained that the Survey officials have undergone training that requires them to master both the content and the use of the tablet for data capture since this is the first digital Population Evaluation Survey.

He added that the survey is different and independent from the Census, therefore, people should take advantage of the survey.

This, according to Mr. Amuzu, will give accurate census results, which is an essential factor in demographic analysis and planning.

Population census vital for policy making

According to the United Nation’s Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses (PRPHC), “the fundamental purpose of the population census is to provide the facts essential to governmental policymaking, planning and administration”.

Per the explanation from United Nation’s PRPHC, having a detailed overview of a country’s population is vital for describing and evaluating its socio-economic and demographic conditions and for developing comprehensive policies that will spur development as well as the well-being of the citizens of the respective country.

Apart from serving specific governmental policy purposes, UN indicated that the population census provides crucial data for the scientific research.

“In addition to serving specific governmental policy purposes, the population census provides indispensable data for the scientific analysis and appraisal of the composition, distribution and past and prospective growth of the population. The changing patterns of urban/rural concentration, the development of urbanized areas, the geographical distribution of the population according to such variables as occupation and education, the evolution of the sex and age structure of the population…, are questions of scientific interest that are of importance both to pure research and for solving practical problems of industrial and commercial growth and management.”
United Nations (UN)

UN further clarified that housing censuses “produces benchmark statistics on the current housing situation and is vital for developing national housing and human settlements programs”.

“The housing census is also valuable for providing the sampling frame for special housing and related surveys during the intercensal years.”
United Nations (UN)

With regard to UN’s PRPHC, datum from housing censuses is also critical for emergency planning for response to natural disasters such as storms, earthquakes, tsunami and fire outbreaks as well.

According to UN, the numbers of people and structures affected as a result of the natural hazards could be easily ascertained with the help of information from housing censuses.