Population and Housing Census 2003
Gambia, The, 2003
Created on
Apr 25, 2019
Last modified
Apr 25, 2019
Page views
4537
Identification
Survey ID Number
GMB_2003_PHC_v01_M
Title
Population and Housing Census 2003
Country
| Name | Country code |
|---|---|
| Gambia, The | GMB |
Study type
Population and Housing Census [hh/popcen]
Series Information
The 2003 Population and Housing Census of The Gambia (referred to as the 2003 Census of The Gambia in the following pages) was the tenth undertaken in the country's history. It was the third one since Independence. Records show that a census was taken in 1881 and every tenth year thereafter. Owing to the war, however, the 1941 census could not be held. It was deferred until 1944 when a count of Banjul (then Bathurst) was taken. The 1951 census covered only Banjul and Kombo St. Mary. The population of the rest of the country for that year was based on estimates made by travelling commissioners. The 1961 census had to be deferred to 1963 due to general elections. That census marked the first complete and simultaneous count of the country's population. The 1963, 1973, 1983, 1993 and 2003 censuses employed the canvasser method in which enumerators visited individual households and completed questionnaires for each household in the country. In the household questionnaire detailed particulars in respect of usual members present and visitors to the household were collected. The 1963 census and censuses prior to it were carried out by the Ministry of Local Government, as this Ministry with its Divisional Commissioners was the only one with tested machinery for carrying out censuses. In these censuses one of the officers of the Ministry was designated as the Census Controller and the Divisional Commissioners were designated as Census Commissioners. Each Census Commissioner was responsible for organizing census activities in his area under the co-ordination of the Census Controller. From the 1973 census onwards, the Central Statistics Division took over the responsibility of conducting the decennial census.
Abstract
A population census is defined as the total process of collecting, compiling, evaluating, analyzing and publishing or otherwise disseminating demographic, economic and social data pertaining, at a specified time, to all persons in a country or in a well-delimited part of the country. A housing census is the total process of collecting, compiling, evaluating, analyzing and publishing or otherwise disseminating statistical data pertaining at a specified time, to all living quarters and occupants thereof in a country or in a well-delimited part of a country.
The 2003 Population and Housing Census of The Gambia was in accordance with these definitions. Further, it contained all the essential features of a census, namely individual enumeration, universality within the country and simultaneity.
Objectives of the Census
The objectives of the Census are to count all the people in the country and to provide the Government with their number in each Local Government Area and District, by age, sex and several other characteristics. These figures are required for various aspects of economic and development planning. The ultimate aim of such planning is to provide a better way of life for the people of The Gambia, and to conquer what have been called the Five Giants: Disease, Ignorance, Squalor, Idleness and Want.
Planning for education obviously requires a knowledge of the number of children of school age who are likely to require schooling at various levels. The Government cannot know where to build the necessary schools or how many school teachers must be trained unless it knows where the need is great in terms of the number of children who should be going to school.
1.5 Housing is a major problem, particularly in urban areas where people are often living in terribly crowded conditions. If new houses are to be built in order to relieve this overcrowding, the Government must know the number of people living in these conditions who will be requiring such houses.
The Government wishes to improve and extend the medical services of the country so as to eliminate diseases and to reduce the number of children dying in infancy and early childhood. But if medical services are to be planned properly, the Government must know the number of people involved, the number of children being born and the rate at which they are dying.
For all these purposes, it is not enough just to know how many people there are at the time of the Census because figures of this sort get out-of-date very quickly. We must know also how fast the population is increasing, so that we can tell the Government how many people there will be, not only this year but also next year, in five years, in ten years time, etc. We therefore wish to obtain information not only of people now living, but also of the number of children being born and the number of children who have died.
Since the last Census there might have been changes in the structure of the population. The 2003 Census will thus help us up-date the Census data thereby ascertaining the specific changes in the structure of the population since 1993.
The 2003 Population and Housing Census of The Gambia was in accordance with these definitions. Further, it contained all the essential features of a census, namely individual enumeration, universality within the country and simultaneity.
Objectives of the Census
The objectives of the Census are to count all the people in the country and to provide the Government with their number in each Local Government Area and District, by age, sex and several other characteristics. These figures are required for various aspects of economic and development planning. The ultimate aim of such planning is to provide a better way of life for the people of The Gambia, and to conquer what have been called the Five Giants: Disease, Ignorance, Squalor, Idleness and Want.
Planning for education obviously requires a knowledge of the number of children of school age who are likely to require schooling at various levels. The Government cannot know where to build the necessary schools or how many school teachers must be trained unless it knows where the need is great in terms of the number of children who should be going to school.
1.5 Housing is a major problem, particularly in urban areas where people are often living in terribly crowded conditions. If new houses are to be built in order to relieve this overcrowding, the Government must know the number of people living in these conditions who will be requiring such houses.
The Government wishes to improve and extend the medical services of the country so as to eliminate diseases and to reduce the number of children dying in infancy and early childhood. But if medical services are to be planned properly, the Government must know the number of people involved, the number of children being born and the rate at which they are dying.
For all these purposes, it is not enough just to know how many people there are at the time of the Census because figures of this sort get out-of-date very quickly. We must know also how fast the population is increasing, so that we can tell the Government how many people there will be, not only this year but also next year, in five years, in ten years time, etc. We therefore wish to obtain information not only of people now living, but also of the number of children being born and the number of children who have died.
Since the last Census there might have been changes in the structure of the population. The 2003 Census will thus help us up-date the Census data thereby ascertaining the specific changes in the structure of the population since 1993.
Kind of Data
Census/enumeration data [cen]
Unit of Analysis
- Households
- Individuals
- Individuals
Scope
Notes
The 2003 Population and Housing Census covered the following topics:
IDENTIFICATON PARTICULARS
- Local Government Area
- Settlement
- Enumeration Area Code
- Compound Number
- Household Number
- Name of Household Head
- Name of Responder
DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
- Sex
- Age
- Relationship to the Head of Household
- Marital Status
- Type of Union
- Nationality
- Ethnicity
- Religion
- Birth Place
- Previous resident
- Duration of Stay
- Number of Children Born
- Birth in the last 12 Month
- Survival of Parents
- Death in the last 12 month
- Disability
EDUCATION INFORMATION
- Literacy
- Educational Attainment
- Area of Study (graduate and diploma holders only)
- ECONOMIC INFORMATION
- Type of Economic Activity
- Occupation
- Industry
- Employment Status
- Average Monthly Income/ Salary (graduate and diploma holders only)
- HOUSING CONDITION
- Type of Accommodation
- Main Source of Light
- Kitchen Facility
- Main Source of cooking Fuel
- Bathroom Facility
- Toilet Facility
- Source of Water
COMPOUND AND BUILDINGS/STRUCTURES
- Construction Material of Wall and Roof
- Use Classification of Building
- Number of Rooms (including kitchen, bathroom, toilet and store).
IDENTIFICATON PARTICULARS
- Local Government Area
- Settlement
- Enumeration Area Code
- Compound Number
- Household Number
- Name of Household Head
- Name of Responder
DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
- Sex
- Age
- Relationship to the Head of Household
- Marital Status
- Type of Union
- Nationality
- Ethnicity
- Religion
- Birth Place
- Previous resident
- Duration of Stay
- Number of Children Born
- Birth in the last 12 Month
- Survival of Parents
- Death in the last 12 month
- Disability
EDUCATION INFORMATION
- Literacy
- Educational Attainment
- Area of Study (graduate and diploma holders only)
- ECONOMIC INFORMATION
- Type of Economic Activity
- Occupation
- Industry
- Employment Status
- Average Monthly Income/ Salary (graduate and diploma holders only)
- HOUSING CONDITION
- Type of Accommodation
- Main Source of Light
- Kitchen Facility
- Main Source of cooking Fuel
- Bathroom Facility
- Toilet Facility
- Source of Water
COMPOUND AND BUILDINGS/STRUCTURES
- Construction Material of Wall and Roof
- Use Classification of Building
- Number of Rooms (including kitchen, bathroom, toilet and store).
Coverage
Geographic Coverage
National
Universe
All individuals in the country.
Producers and sponsors
Primary investigators
| Name | Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Gambia Bureau of Statistics (GBOS) | Department of State for Finance and Economic Affairs |
Funding Agency/Sponsor
| Name | Abbreviation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| World Bank | WB | Sponsor |
| The Gambia Government | Sponsor |
Data Collection
Dates of Data Collection
| Start | End |
|---|---|
| 2003-04-15 | 2003-12-12 |
Data Collection Mode
Face-to-face [f2f]
Questionnaires
Questionnaires
The following questionnaires were used to collect census information:
Form A - Normal Household
Form B - Institutional Population
Form C - Building and Compound Particulars
Form G - Graduate Card
Form A - Normal Household
Form B - Institutional Population
Form C - Building and Compound Particulars
Form G - Graduate Card
Access policy
Access authority
| Name | Affiliation | URL | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Gambia Bureau of Statistics | Department of State for Finance and Economic Affairs | gamcens@qanet.gm | http://www.gbos.gm |
Contacts
| Name | Affiliation | URL | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Gambia Bureau of Statistics | Department of State for Finance and Economic Affairs | info@gbos.gm | http://www.gbos.gm |
Confidentiality
The Act places a restriction on publication so that information obtained from individuals shall not be published or disclosed without lawful authority. Penalty for such an offence is a fine not exceeding D2,500.00 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year, or both.
Access conditions
This data should not be given form commercial conditions only for research purposes.
Citation requirements
Use of the dataset must be acknowledged using a citation which would include:
- the Identification of the Primary Investigator
- the title of the survey (including acronym and year of implementation)
- the survey reference number
- the source and date of download
- the Identification of the Primary Investigator
- the title of the survey (including acronym and year of implementation)
- the survey reference number
- the source and date of download
Disclaimer and copyrights
Disclaimer
The user of the data acknowledges that the original collector of the data, the authorized distributor of the data, and the relevant funding agency bear no responsibility for use of the data or for interpretations or inferences based upon such uses.
Metadata production
DDI Document ID
DDI_GMB_2003_PHC_v02_M
Producers
| Name | Abbreviation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| World Bank, Development Economics Data Group | DECDG | Generation of DDI documentation |
Date of Metadata Production
2007-02-27
DDI Document version
Version 02 (June 2011) Adopted from "gam_census_household" Nesstar file.