Census 2012: Everyone counts
The effects of forced migration due to economic and political crisis which affected the country a couple of years ago will soon become apparent in this year’s national population census. According to figures on the IndexMundi website, Zimbabwe’s population as of 2011 was estimated at around 12 084, 304. This figure may be subjected to debate with some suggestions of figures around 15 million including those in the Diaspora. The demographic changes are mainly attributed to the socio-economic and political crisis the country has faced in the last decade and this has resulted in mass migration of Zimbabweans to neighboring countries such as Botswana and South Africa with others going as a far as Europe and America. Census figures are vital to national planning and some development agencies rely on the figures for their development activities. It is almost a decade now since the last census was held in the country and the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT) is preparing to embark on the enumeration exercise in August this year. This year’s census is the fourth since the country attained its independence from Britain. The first census was held in 1982 and the others were held at ten-year intervals. ZIMSTATS recently came under attack for failing to publicize the event, which is estimated to cost $39 million dollars. Last year the organization received vehicle donations from the US government to be used in reaching remote areas when carrying out the national census and other surveys.