Census 2011 is set to take place starting Saturday April 9, and will last for 9 days ending April 17, 2011 with over 500 enumerators who will be collecting various information that will be analyzed into statistical data.
In order to make sure that everyone is counted during Census 2011 over 500 enumerators are divided into groups of 29. Each group consists of about 15 persons who are responsible for interviewing 30 to 35 homes. Those 29 groups each represent a district of Dutch St. Maarten.
Enumerators will commence Census 2011 starting Saturday where all districts will be visited at the same time. Census 2011 commences during the weekend due to it being more likely to find persons at home during this time. During the weekdays, enumerators will be completing these districts during the afternoon and evening hours.
All housing institutes including those for the elderly, incarcerated, women’s safety, orphanages, and rehabilitation centers among others will also be interviewed during this time by what is defined as the “Floating team”.
Enumerators are identifiable by their Census identification badges as well as their Census buttons, bags and folders. In case of any doubt, please contact the Department of Statistics on 542-2355 to verify whether the person visiting is affiliated with the Department of Statistics or not.
In order to prepare for Census 2011, the Department of Statistics has provided some essential tips to assist. 1.When an interviewer arrives at your doorstep, before answering any question or inviting the person into your home, ask the person for his/her official Census identification badge. 2. Try to be at home and answer all questions in a correct and concise manner. 3. The enumerator could ask questions you cannot answer immediately. Therefore, prepare yourself beforehand and have the necessary information ready such as educational certification dates, marriage or divorce dates, size of your home, and things of that nature.
During the Census, everyone will be interviewed based on two questionnaires, one being a living accommodation form, and the other a personal form. There are roughly 80 questions to answer. An average sized household can be interviewed 45 minutes. Thus, it is important to be prepared for the enumerator to minimize the interviewing time. This will also allow enumerators to cover more houses in less time.
Everyone will be asked questions about their housing, transportation methods, languages spoken, neighborhood inconveniences, demographics, family and ethnicity, health, fertility, education, labour, and income.
The Living Accommodation Form consists of detailed questions about the space occupied by the household. This information will be used to describe the characteristics of living accommodations on St. Maarten. The Census is the only source of comparable information on housing in St. Maarten. Its results will identify changes in the living conditions of the population. Additionally, the condition of the housing stock provides a firm basis for assessing current and future demand and contributes to the allocation of new housing projects. People who use this information are usually the Fire Department and the Department of Infrastructure and Planning. It will also provide an overview of how many living accommodations have basic needs. See this table from the 2001 Census:
|
Occupied living accommodations by kind of water supply |
No. of Households |
(%) of Total |
|
Water distribution system |
10411 |
88.8% |
|
Cistern/deepwell |
278 |
2.4% |
|
Combination of distribution system and cistern/deepwell |
621 |
5.3% |
|
Watertruck |
7 |
0.1% |
|
Buckets |
247 |
2.1% |
|
Through other means |
86 |
0.7% |
|
Unknown |
77 |
0.7% |
|
Total |
11727 |
On the Personal form we ask questions about demographics but also health. Persons with a handicap or disability often belong to the most vulnerable groups within society. In order to be able to provide for adequate support for this group, high quality data is needed. In 2001 we analyzed the following disabilities:
|
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
|
Blindness |
14 |
7 |
21 |
|
Impaired sighted |
307 |
466 |
773 |
|
Deafness |
16 |
6 |
22 |
|
Hard of hearing |
38 |
41 |
79 |
|
Physical |
118 |
158 |
276 |
|
Mental |
12 |
16 |
28 |
|
Other |
114 |
61 |
175 |
|
Multiple |
71 |
80 |
151 |
|
Total |
690 |
835 |
1525 |
The illnesses and disorders we ask about are common ones and they were also requested by the Department of Health as there are no other recent data sources of these illnesses.
The prevalence of these illnesses and disorders can assist policy makers in the development of strategies to help improve the health of the population. Chronic illnesses are expensive and not much is known about the group suffering from chronic illness. It is not known how big this group is and there is not always the opportunity to get information about this group from other sources. Most countries in the Caribbean ask questions about the prevalence of diseases. As such, we can use the information collected in the census to compare St. Maarten with other countries in the region.
The population census will be used to determine, the characteristics of the economically active and inactive population. Information about the number of individuals who are employed, unemployed or not active in the community, gives a clear overview of the labour market. The income for example will allow us to not only realize how many there are under the minimum wage, but also the viability of the minimum wage. Other insights are international comparability in terms of labour and average wage.
In 2001 the division of income was as follows:
|
Population, 15 years and over, by level of income, age and sex |
|||||||||||
|
Income |
|||||||||||
|
Age |
|||||||||||
|
15- 19 |
20- 24 |
25- 29 |
30- 34 |
35- 39 |
40- 44 |
45 - 49 |
50 - 54 |
55 - 59 |
60+ |
Total |
|
|
1 - 500 |
26.1% |
9.0% |
6.9% |
7.1% |
6.1% |
6.8% |
7.4% |
9.4% |
8.1% |
21.3% |
8.1% |
|
501 - 1000 |
19.9% |
14.6% |
11.6% |
13.2% |
14.2% |
12.2% |
13.4% |
12.7% |
14.0% |
20.4% |
13.5% |
|
1001 - 2000 |
42.6% |
54.1% |
44.3% |
39.6% |
37.4% |
37.5% |
32.1% |
31.0% |
26.4% |
23.1% |
37.8% |
|
2001 - 3000 |
8.0% |
13.8% |
20.4% |
19.9% |
20.3% |
18.5% |
18.2% |
15.9% |
15.8% |
11.5% |
18.1% |
|
3001 - 5000 |
2.1% |
5.9% |
11.8% |
13.8% |
14.2% |
15.3% |
17.1% |
16.2% |
18.2% |
12.3% |
13.9% |
|
5001 - 7500 |
1.2% |
1.3% |
3.0% |
3.7% |
4.4% |
5.2% |
6.4% |
7.6% |
9.0% |
4.6% |
4.7% |
|
7501+ |
1.3% |
2.0% |
2.7% |
3.4% |
4.6% |
5.4% |
7.1% |
8.6% |
6.9% |
4.0% |
|
These questions are not asked to be intrusive, but to get a better understanding of the current situation on St. Maarten, and the needs of the population. The information which is collected during the Population Census will be used (anonymously) by a large number of government departments,other non-government organizations and the public. The information gathered during the Census will be used for policy-making, planning and administrative purposes, research and support.
For instance, assistance to vulnerable groups in our community (such as the handicapped and the elderly) can only be defined in a proper manner, if the numbers and the characteristics of these groups are fully known and understood.
Additionally, the Census is a valuable source of information for companies and industries. The effective planning of the labor market can only happen if reliable information regarding the size and composition of the local labor force is available.
The use of the Census information by the community is completely dependent on the quality of the data. Two basic elements determine the quality of the Census 1.The completeness of the population and housing count; which is why the majority of the people must provide the interviewers with information and 2. The quality of the collected information. If participants do not provide correct information during the Census, it will create an incorrect image of the living conditions of our population.
To optimize the quality and the use of the census data, it is imperative that each individual on St. Maarten is counted and that each provide the correct information. Census 2011 will help us all create a better future for Country St. Maarten and its population. Everyone will be counted because everyone matters. It’s not about where you’re from, what counts is where you’re at. All of us share 16 square miles to raise our children, work, and have a quality life in the place we call home. Thus, all of us must raise our voices and say “Count us in!”.
For more information on the Census 2011 please contact Innovative Marketing Creations Marketing Coordinator, Emmalexis Velasquez at 543-2150/51 or e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For questions pertaining to Census 2011 please contact Senior Statistical Analyst, Maurette Antersijn at the Department of Statistics at 542-2151/542-2355. Or visit the Census 2011 website at www.mysxmcensus2011.org.