A Population Census is a complete count of every person living in a country at a specific time. It aims to accurately measure the number of people in St. Vincent and the Grenadines on Census Night, their key characteristics, and the dwellings in which they live. It is the largest statistical operation undertaken by the Statistical Office.
The scope of the Census is all people in St. Vincent and the Grenadines on Census Night, other than foreign diplomats and their families. Visitors to St. Vincent and the Grenadines are counted but are not included in the Enumerated Population if they are on the island for less than six months.
Population and housing censuses are a principal means of collecting basic population and housing statistics as part of an integrated programme of data collection and compilation aimed at providing a comprehensive source of statistical information for economic and social development planning, for administrative purposes, for assessing conditions in human settlements, for research and for commercial and other uses.
In most Caribbean countries, a Population and Housing Census is generally conducted every ten years, mainly because of the size and the enormous cost of the operation. Censuses have been undertaken in most of the OECS member states since 1871, and every ten years thereafter except 1901,and then, until 1921. In 1931, St.Vincent and the Grenadines was the only member state of the OECS territories along four (4) other Caribbean countries that conducted a census that year. There was no census in 1941on account of World War 11. A census was taken 1946, and then in 1960, 1970, 1981, 1991 and 2001 and 2010. Given the importance of having census data for which there are numerous uses, the census activity will be repeated in May 2012, due to the loss of information as a result of a fire which destroyed substantial amount of questionnaires less than two weeks of their return to the Census Office.
We are therefore appealing to the general public for your cooperation in providing the information being sought.