MONROVIA – The much awaited outcome of the 2022 National Population and Housing Census conducted by the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS) was yesterday, Wednesday, February 22, 2023, released to the public which showed an increase in the population by 1.8million people from its initial 2008 figure of 3,476,608 to 5,248,621 people at a colorful ceremony held at the Monrovia City Hall and was attended by profile government officials including Vice President Madam Jewel Howard Taylor, members of the international community, civil society groups, among others.
The 2022 National Population and Housing Census is Liberia’s first complete digital census. It used state -of – the – arts geo- spatial, census monitoring dashboard and Computer Aided Personal Interview (CAPI) technology in all aspects of its implementation. As a comprehensive digital census, it leveraged the available technology to improve operational efficiency and enhance the quality of the data collected
Breakdown of the presentation showed that the total population captured was 5,248,621 with a growth rate of 3.0 and average 4.4 while the population distribution in 48.1% urban and 51.9% are found in the rural area.
Overall, the male population makes up 50.4 percent representing 2,644,450 and the female population accounts for 49.6 percent or 2,604,171, giving a national sex ratio of 101.5 for males for every 100 females. The report further said 1,187,388 households were enumerated, with an average national household size of 4.4 persons, while national population density is 140 persons per square mile.
Like the 2008 census, the current results show similar growth trend among the counties where Montserrado, Nimba, Bong,Lofa and Margibi Counties, are among the top 5 and while there are some changes in the movement of population trend in the various counties, the only difference seen was Rivercess County coming last with 90,777 people and being replaced by Gbarpolu which has 95,995.
In his Statement and presentation of the provisional results, the Acting Director Mr. Lawrence George said the Liberian government through the LISGIS with technical support from the United Nations Population Fund and development partners conducted the 5th population and Housing census utilizing the first digital technology process and described the exercise as successful and being in consonance with the 2020 rounds of census.
He thanked the government of Liberia, the international development partners and other stakeholders for the level of support and encouragement towards the project.
In brief her brief remarks, Vice President Madam Jewel Howard Taylor expressed excitement that Liberia was able to do the digital census which she describes as probably the first in the subregion and has set a new bar that the digital census can be done in difficult environment that people can be given the right tools to go out and ensure that people are counted.
“This digital census has given us different platform for a finger point of everyone in our country, that means immigration, security, health, education; I pray that our government and partners will now begin to synchronize all the issues that will give each one digital footprint that will be used in every area, whether it is for driver license, voters’ registration or passports that provides unlimited possibilities.
Also she asked the government of Liberia and international partners to begin to look at setting up a poster system where houses will be numbered for traceable addresses like are found in other countries in the world.
Mr. Samuel D. Tweah Jr., Minister of Financial and Development Planning, who is also the Chairman of LISGIS Board of Directors, thanked the more than 16, 000 enumerators who were spread throughout the country for their demonstrated patience and patriotism. He also extended massive thanks to the extraordinary intervention of the many stakeholders.
He said the 2022 National and Population Census acclaimed as meeting the highest standard of international best practice. “We are elated that the results are out and we now inform us how to design government development planning and policy options. While these provisional results have been globally acclaimed, the road to getting to the results have been tough”, he said.
He also extended special thanks to the government and the World Bank for additional funding that was required to complete the process and remarkable gratitude to members of the census steering committee co- chaired by the government and the Resident Coordinator of the UN system, but comprising other partners such as the government of Sweden, Irish government, the United Nations Population Fund, EU, UNDP, USAID among others.
Also, Minister Tweah thanked the government of Ghana for the provision of more than 21,000 tablets and 21, 000 power banks, saying the cost of the materials could have cost some 5.8 million in nominal terms.
Also speaking was Representative of the Sweden embassy said the Census Data is key to Liberia’s development as he looks forward to both houses of the national legislature to concur. He praised the outcome of the census that it met international standard
A representative of the World Bank said the recording of the country population will deliver development, terming it as one of the best censuses in the country history. He urged the government to analyze the data in detail.
Among other development partners who spoke at the occasion was the EU Ambassador to Liberia Laurent Delahousse who applauded the government of the Liberia for the conduct of the Census, saying “bravo to the government and people of Liberia”, while a representative of the Irish Embassy said he looked forward to the government of Liberia using the outcome of the Census to improve the life of the people especially those in the leeward counties.
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