Census of Population and Housing 2001
Sri Lanka, 2001
Created on
Apr 25, 2019
Last modified
Apr 25, 2019
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Identification
Survey ID Number
LKA_2001_PHC_v01_M
Title
Census of Population and Housing 2001
Country
| Name | Country code |
|---|---|
| Sri Lanka | LKA |
Study type
Population and Housing Census [hh/popcen]
Series Information
Sri Lanka has a long history of census taking. The first scientific census was conducted in 1871. Since then censuses have been conducted once in ten years with certain exceptions. The last census was conducted on the 17th of July 2001 and it is the 13th of the series. The previous census was conducted in 1981. The census, which was scheduled for 1991, could not be conducted due to the disturbance prevailed in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. The 2001 census has special significance as it was the first census to be taken in the new millennium after a lapse of 20 years from previous censuses, which is the largest time gap recorded for an intercensal period in the history of censuses in Sri Lanka.
In Sri Lanka the method of enumeration has traditionally been 'de facto' basis i.e. where persons were enumerated at the place they were actually found in the Census night.
In Sri Lanka the method of enumeration has traditionally been 'de facto' basis i.e. where persons were enumerated at the place they were actually found in the Census night.
Abstract
A Census of Population and Housing is the single most extensive statistical undertaking of a country. In order to plan and implement programmes and activities, statistics are needed by the Government administrators of various levels, private users, research organizations and the general public.
The 2001 Census was conducted under the Census Ordinance, which was amended by the Census Act No 55 of 2000. Census Ordinance places the legal obligation upon the public to give accurate information to the Census officers. The ordinance also guarantees the confidentiality of the information collected at individual level. The CPH 2001 has been designed to collect various information about the characteristics of the population, housing units and the households in Sri Lanka.
The CHP2001 provides:
a. Reliable and detailed benchmark statistics on the size, distribution and composition of population.
b. Information pertaining to the characteristics of the housing units.
c. Information on the characteristics of the households
d. Information pertaining to the characteristics of the disable persons.
The 2001 Census was conducted under the Census Ordinance, which was amended by the Census Act No 55 of 2000. Census Ordinance places the legal obligation upon the public to give accurate information to the Census officers. The ordinance also guarantees the confidentiality of the information collected at individual level. The CPH 2001 has been designed to collect various information about the characteristics of the population, housing units and the households in Sri Lanka.
The CHP2001 provides:
a. Reliable and detailed benchmark statistics on the size, distribution and composition of population.
b. Information pertaining to the characteristics of the housing units.
c. Information on the characteristics of the households
d. Information pertaining to the characteristics of the disable persons.
Kind of Data
Census/enumeration data [cen]
Unit of Analysis
(1) Individual
(2) Household
(2) Household
Version
Version Description
Version 1.0: Full edited dataset, original version for internal DPD use.
Version Date
2004-02-08
Scope
Notes
Usually, the Population and Housing censuses are taken concurrently, often with the use of a single schedule. This makes it possible to relate to the housing data, the demographic characteristics of the members of the households. The topics that are to be included in a census questionnaire depends mainly on the data users need, usefulness of the continuity of topics for measuring changes, the ability of the public to give correct information on the topics and the available resources.
In CPH 2001, two types of schedules were used to collect information. The schedule for population characteristics and housing conditions with unit information and household information to be canvassed from all housing units in all the census blocks and the other disability schedule when information on disability was collected from the disabled persons. Information on migration, fertility and housing were collected on a complete enumeration basis whereas these were collected from a sample of blocks in previous censuses.
In CPH 2001, two types of schedules were used to collect information. The schedule for population characteristics and housing conditions with unit information and household information to be canvassed from all housing units in all the census blocks and the other disability schedule when information on disability was collected from the disabled persons. Information on migration, fertility and housing were collected on a complete enumeration basis whereas these were collected from a sample of blocks in previous censuses.
Topics
| Topic | Vocabulary | URI |
|---|---|---|
| employment [3.1] | CESSDA | http://www.nesstar.org/rdf/common |
| compulsory and pre-school education [6.2] | CESSDA | http://www.nesstar.org/rdf/common |
| housing [10.1] | CESSDA | http://www.nesstar.org/rdf/common |
| censuses [14.1] | CESSDA | http://www.nesstar.org/rdf/common |
| migration [14.3] | CESSDA | http://www.nesstar.org/rdf/common |
Coverage
Geographic Coverage
National coverage
The 2001 census enumeration was able to be carried out completely in 18 districts. These include all the 17 districts in Western, Central, Southern, North Western, North Central, Uva and Sabaragamuwa Provinces and Amparai district in the Eastern Province. Due to the disturbed conditions in Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka, however, certain areas could not be enumerated completely.
The 2001 census enumeration was able to be carried out completely in 18 districts. These include all the 17 districts in Western, Central, Southern, North Western, North Central, Uva and Sabaragamuwa Provinces and Amparai district in the Eastern Province. Due to the disturbed conditions in Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka, however, certain areas could not be enumerated completely.
Universe
CPH 2001 covered all residents in each household and all units in each census block. The census did not cover diplomats.
Producers and sponsors
Primary investigators
| Name | Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Department of Census and Statistics | Ministry of Finance and Planning |
Funding Agency/Sponsor
| Name | Abbreviation |
|---|---|
| Government of Sri Lanka | GOSL |
Data Collection
Dates of Data Collection
| Start | End | Cycle |
|---|---|---|
| 2001-06-25 | 2001-07-05 | Preliminary census |
| 2001-07-17 | 2001-07-17 | Final Census (from 6.00 PM to 12 PM) |
Time periods
| Start date |
|---|
| 2001-07-17 |
Data Collection Mode
Computer Assisted Personal Interview [capi]
Supervision
The Director General of the DCS was the superintendent of Census and responsible for the entire Census organization. Administrative responsibilities for the taking of the census were decentralized and authority was vested with the Government District administration. In such Districts, the Govt. Agent/Dist. Secretary was appointed as the Commissioner of Census for the District.
The Census operational activities were performed by the District structural staff of the DCS under the administrative control of the respective District Secretary, and under the overall supervision of the DCS. However, the final responsibility of planning and executing of the census rests with the DCS.
The Census operational activities were performed by the District structural staff of the DCS under the administrative control of the respective District Secretary, and under the overall supervision of the DCS. However, the final responsibility of planning and executing of the census rests with the DCS.
Data Collection Notes
Training
The training of the Census staff was a three tiered process. In the first tier, the master trainers were trained. They were the senior officers of the DCS in the ranks from Statisticians to Deputy Directors.
The second tier was the training of the trainers by the master trainers. The trainers were the statistical officers of the DCS and who were entrusted with the task of training all supervisors and enumerators. The third tier was the training of supervisors and about 120,000 strong army of enumerators.
The census was carried out in 4 stages:
Stage-1) Mapping Operation - (From January to December 2000)
GN divisions (Grama Niladhari) are the lowest administrative units in the country. To avoid omissions or duplications of building units or any individuals GN maps were drawn with clear boundaries. As the GN divisions are too large to handle in a census operation they were subdivided into smaller area units called the 'Census Block'. Around 60 housing units and /or other building units in the rural sector and around 80 housing units and/or other building units in the urban sector comprised a census block. In the mapping operation the census block maps were also marked in the GN division maps.
Stage-2) Listing Operation (February and March 2001)
Based on the maps prepared, a building unit or part of a building unit is identified and categorized as follows:
(1) Housing Unit
(2) Collective living quarter
(3) Institution
(4) Non-housing unit
All of the above categories were listed in a Pre-Listing Form (F1) during the listing operation together with additional information such as number of residents, whether there is agricultural activity or a business is going on and so forth. This list with additional information would provide the basic frame for the censuses and various surveys, which will be conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics, during the next ten years.
Stage-3) Preliminary Census (From 25th June to 5th July 2001)
In this stage, the enumerators collected information pertaining to every individual who usually live in the household using the Population and Housing Schedule. Each 'Census Block' was assigned to an enumerator. There were around 120,000 enumerators throughout the country. In addition to the population data, information on housing and household were also collected from each housing unit and collective living quarter on a 100 percent basis.
At the time of recording a persons' individual information to the 'Population and Housing Schedule (F3)', if a physically or mentally disabled person were found in the household, enumerator completed 'Schedule for Disabled Persons(F4)' for that person after completing population and housing schedule for the household.
Stage-4) The Final Census (17th July 2001, 6.00 p.m. to 12.00 mid night)
The time of census taking was adjusted in certain areas depending on the prevailing ground situation in that area. The referred date for the final census is the final date and all information relating to each individual was collected from 6.00 pm on the 17th July 2001.
The final census enumeration was carried out as a direct check on the persons enumerated in the preliminary census, in order to ensure that no person is missed or enumerated more than once. In particular a person found in any unit is classified into:
1). A usual resident and actually present
2). A usual resident but temporarily absent (excluding those who were abroad)
3). A household member but currently abroad
4). A non-usual resident but temporarily present on the census night.
If the enumerator finds a person in a household belonging to a category (4), then his/her particulars are recorded in the census schedule pertaining to that household.
Special arrangements were made to enumerate people staying outdoors on the final census night. Places like barracks/camps of forces, hospitals, large hostels etc. were covered by officers selected for the purpose from their own places.
The method of enumeration was “de facto” basis.
The training of the Census staff was a three tiered process. In the first tier, the master trainers were trained. They were the senior officers of the DCS in the ranks from Statisticians to Deputy Directors.
The second tier was the training of the trainers by the master trainers. The trainers were the statistical officers of the DCS and who were entrusted with the task of training all supervisors and enumerators. The third tier was the training of supervisors and about 120,000 strong army of enumerators.
The census was carried out in 4 stages:
Stage-1) Mapping Operation - (From January to December 2000)
GN divisions (Grama Niladhari) are the lowest administrative units in the country. To avoid omissions or duplications of building units or any individuals GN maps were drawn with clear boundaries. As the GN divisions are too large to handle in a census operation they were subdivided into smaller area units called the 'Census Block'. Around 60 housing units and /or other building units in the rural sector and around 80 housing units and/or other building units in the urban sector comprised a census block. In the mapping operation the census block maps were also marked in the GN division maps.
Stage-2) Listing Operation (February and March 2001)
Based on the maps prepared, a building unit or part of a building unit is identified and categorized as follows:
(1) Housing Unit
(2) Collective living quarter
(3) Institution
(4) Non-housing unit
All of the above categories were listed in a Pre-Listing Form (F1) during the listing operation together with additional information such as number of residents, whether there is agricultural activity or a business is going on and so forth. This list with additional information would provide the basic frame for the censuses and various surveys, which will be conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics, during the next ten years.
Stage-3) Preliminary Census (From 25th June to 5th July 2001)
In this stage, the enumerators collected information pertaining to every individual who usually live in the household using the Population and Housing Schedule. Each 'Census Block' was assigned to an enumerator. There were around 120,000 enumerators throughout the country. In addition to the population data, information on housing and household were also collected from each housing unit and collective living quarter on a 100 percent basis.
At the time of recording a persons' individual information to the 'Population and Housing Schedule (F3)', if a physically or mentally disabled person were found in the household, enumerator completed 'Schedule for Disabled Persons(F4)' for that person after completing population and housing schedule for the household.
Stage-4) The Final Census (17th July 2001, 6.00 p.m. to 12.00 mid night)
The time of census taking was adjusted in certain areas depending on the prevailing ground situation in that area. The referred date for the final census is the final date and all information relating to each individual was collected from 6.00 pm on the 17th July 2001.
The final census enumeration was carried out as a direct check on the persons enumerated in the preliminary census, in order to ensure that no person is missed or enumerated more than once. In particular a person found in any unit is classified into:
1). A usual resident and actually present
2). A usual resident but temporarily absent (excluding those who were abroad)
3). A household member but currently abroad
4). A non-usual resident but temporarily present on the census night.
If the enumerator finds a person in a household belonging to a category (4), then his/her particulars are recorded in the census schedule pertaining to that household.
Special arrangements were made to enumerate people staying outdoors on the final census night. Places like barracks/camps of forces, hospitals, large hostels etc. were covered by officers selected for the purpose from their own places.
The method of enumeration was “de facto” basis.
Data Collectors
| Name | Abbreviation | Affiliation |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Census and Statistics | DCS | Ministry of Finance and Planning |
Questionnaires
Questionnaires
I) Population and Housing Schedule (F3): This schedule was used to collect 24 items from individuals pertaining to demographic and economic characteristics such as General information, Migration patterns, Educational characteristics, Economic characteristics, Nuptiality and Fertility and additional 9 items on Housing unit characteristics such as Occupancy status, Number of households in the unit, Number of occupants in the unit, Construction material of wall, floor, roof, Type of structure, Year of construction, Unit usage, Availability of rooms and Number of rooms and 7 items on Household such as Number of occupants in the household, Availability of toilet, Type of toilet, Source of drinking water, Type of lighting, Type of cooking fuel and Tenure
II) Schedule for Disabled Persons (F4): This schedule was used to collect information pertaining to 6 types of disabilities such as Vision, Hearing / Speaking, Manual/walking, Mental and Other Physical disabilities. [This is dealt with as a special census project and archived separately].
Data Collection Forms:
F1 - List of all the building units located in a Census block
F2 - Administrative/Technical form (Summary of F1)
F3 - Population and Housing Schedule (all information of the population, housing and household information).
F4 - Schedule for disabled persons
F5 - Special schedule for Tourists and Foreign visitors
Schedule for post enumeration survey
II) Schedule for Disabled Persons (F4): This schedule was used to collect information pertaining to 6 types of disabilities such as Vision, Hearing / Speaking, Manual/walking, Mental and Other Physical disabilities. [This is dealt with as a special census project and archived separately].
Data Collection Forms:
F1 - List of all the building units located in a Census block
F2 - Administrative/Technical form (Summary of F1)
F3 - Population and Housing Schedule (all information of the population, housing and household information).
F4 - Schedule for disabled persons
F5 - Special schedule for Tourists and Foreign visitors
Schedule for post enumeration survey
Data Processing
Data Editing
Data processing consisted of two major phases:
(1) Manual editing and coding,
(2) Computer processing such as fixes while data entry, structure checking and completeness and secondary editing
Manual editing was confined in the field to simple checks such as verification of area identification codes and the codes for certain questions (e.g. district of birth). Coding was required only in respect of three questions, namely educational attainment, occupation and industry.
Data were entered for the second time to verify the original keyed data which is called the verification process. When the administrators fell that the overall error rate is diminishing, the verification process was mitigated step by step assuming that the operators are progressively improving in entering the questionnaires correctly.
A series of computer edit checks were carried out and records containing errors were printed for visual verification. These edit checks included both range and consistency checks. Finally limited number of imputations was done before the tabulation of data.
Processing was done on IBM S390 integrated server 3006 model B01 and several personal computers.
Keyboard to disk type data entry was adopted for data capture.
The software Integrated Micro Computer Processing System (IMPS) developed by U.S. Bureau of Census was used to data processing activities including data entry.
(1) Manual editing and coding,
(2) Computer processing such as fixes while data entry, structure checking and completeness and secondary editing
Manual editing was confined in the field to simple checks such as verification of area identification codes and the codes for certain questions (e.g. district of birth). Coding was required only in respect of three questions, namely educational attainment, occupation and industry.
Data were entered for the second time to verify the original keyed data which is called the verification process. When the administrators fell that the overall error rate is diminishing, the verification process was mitigated step by step assuming that the operators are progressively improving in entering the questionnaires correctly.
A series of computer edit checks were carried out and records containing errors were printed for visual verification. These edit checks included both range and consistency checks. Finally limited number of imputations was done before the tabulation of data.
Processing was done on IBM S390 integrated server 3006 model B01 and several personal computers.
Keyboard to disk type data entry was adopted for data capture.
The software Integrated Micro Computer Processing System (IMPS) developed by U.S. Bureau of Census was used to data processing activities including data entry.
Other Processing
Other data processes include:
1) Merging edited batchwise data to form the Master for each district
2) Imputations
3) Recoding of variables needed for analysis
4) Districtwise tabulations
5) The 18 complete District data batches were finally merged and produced the full file.
All tabulations were done by the application of IMPS software package developed by the US Bureau of the Census.
1) Merging edited batchwise data to form the Master for each district
2) Imputations
3) Recoding of variables needed for analysis
4) Districtwise tabulations
5) The 18 complete District data batches were finally merged and produced the full file.
All tabulations were done by the application of IMPS software package developed by the US Bureau of the Census.
Data Appraisal
Data Appraisal
The Districtwise data files were analysed. the breakups of the analysis such as
1. Male/female totals
2. Frequencies
3. Housing unit types
were filed as standard benchmarks for each district to be used to compare various District Table figures.
1. Male/female totals
2. Frequencies
3. Housing unit types
were filed as standard benchmarks for each district to be used to compare various District Table figures.
Access policy
Access authority
| Name | Affiliation | URL | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Director General | Department of Census and Statistics | dgcensus@sltnet.lk | http//:www.statistics.gov.lk |
Contacts
| Name | Affiliation | URL | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Director, Information Unit | Department of Census and Statistics | information@statistics.gov.lk | http//:www.statistics.gov.lk |
| Census Division | Department of Census and Statistics | census@statistics.gov.lk | http//:www.statistics.gov.lk |
Confidentiality
Under the Census Ordinance, micro data cannot be released with identifications for public use. Procedures are in place to ensure that information relating to any particular individual person, household or undertaking will be kept strictly confidential and will not be divulged to external parties. Information on individual or individual Household/establishment will not be divulged or published in such a form that will facilitate the identification of any particular person or establishment as the data have been collected under the Census Ordinance, according to which the information at individual level cannot be divulged and such information is strictly confidential.
Access conditions
The dataset has been anonymized and is available as a Public Use Dataset. It is accessible to all for statistical and research purposes only, under the following terms and conditions:
1. The data and other materials will not be redistributed or sold to other individuals, institutions, or organizations without the written agreement.
2. The data will be used for statistical and scientific research purposes only. They will be used solely for reporting of aggregated information, and not for investigation of specific individuals or organizations.
3. No attempt will be made to re-identify respondents, and no use will be made of the identity of any person or establishment discovered inadvertently.
4. No attempt will be made to produce links among datasets provided by the Department or among data from the Department and other datasets that could identify individuals or organizations.
5. Any books, articles, conference papers, theses, dissertations, reports, or other publications that employ data obtained from the Department will cite the source of data in accordance with the Citation Requirement provided with each dataset.
6. An electronic copy of all reports and publications based on the requested data will be sent to the Department
The following rules apply to micro data released by the Department of Census and Statistics:
• Only the requests of Government Institutions, Recognized Universities, Students, and selected international agencies are entertained. However, the Data users are required to strictly adhere to the terms stipulated in the agreement form.
• All the data requests should be made to Director General (DG) of the DCS as the sole authority of releasing data is vested with the DG of the DCS. The DCS of Sri Lanka reserves sole right to approve or reject any data request made depending on the confidential nature of the data set and intended purpose of the study or analysis.
• Requests for micro data should be made through the agreement form designed by DCS for this purpose (Form D.R.1). The agreement form should be filled in triplicate and the Study/project proposal should accompany the filled agreement form. If requests are made for the micro data of more than one survey, a separate agreement should be signed.
• If the data request is from a student a letter from the respective Dept. Head/Dean/Supervisor, recommending the issue of data, should also be accompanied.
• If the request is approved only 25% of the data file is released at the first stage. The release of the total data file is considered only after reviewing the draft report prepared on the basis of the 25% sample data file.
• The released Data file should be used only for the specific study/Analysis mentioned in the agreement form and shall not be used for any other purpose without the prior approval of the Director General of the DCS. Moreover, Copies of the micro-data file, obtained from the DCS, shall not be given to anyone else without the prior written approval of the Director General of the DCS.
• The draft report of the Study/Analysis should be submitted to the DCS and the concurrence of the DG of the DCS, should be obtained before publishing it. Once published, a copy of the final report should be submitted to the DCS.
Source : http://www.statistics.gov.lk/databases/data%20dissemination/DataDissaPolicy_2007Oct26.pdf
[Department : The Department of Census and Statistics]
1. The data and other materials will not be redistributed or sold to other individuals, institutions, or organizations without the written agreement.
2. The data will be used for statistical and scientific research purposes only. They will be used solely for reporting of aggregated information, and not for investigation of specific individuals or organizations.
3. No attempt will be made to re-identify respondents, and no use will be made of the identity of any person or establishment discovered inadvertently.
4. No attempt will be made to produce links among datasets provided by the Department or among data from the Department and other datasets that could identify individuals or organizations.
5. Any books, articles, conference papers, theses, dissertations, reports, or other publications that employ data obtained from the Department will cite the source of data in accordance with the Citation Requirement provided with each dataset.
6. An electronic copy of all reports and publications based on the requested data will be sent to the Department
The following rules apply to micro data released by the Department of Census and Statistics:
• Only the requests of Government Institutions, Recognized Universities, Students, and selected international agencies are entertained. However, the Data users are required to strictly adhere to the terms stipulated in the agreement form.
• All the data requests should be made to Director General (DG) of the DCS as the sole authority of releasing data is vested with the DG of the DCS. The DCS of Sri Lanka reserves sole right to approve or reject any data request made depending on the confidential nature of the data set and intended purpose of the study or analysis.
• Requests for micro data should be made through the agreement form designed by DCS for this purpose (Form D.R.1). The agreement form should be filled in triplicate and the Study/project proposal should accompany the filled agreement form. If requests are made for the micro data of more than one survey, a separate agreement should be signed.
• If the data request is from a student a letter from the respective Dept. Head/Dean/Supervisor, recommending the issue of data, should also be accompanied.
• If the request is approved only 25% of the data file is released at the first stage. The release of the total data file is considered only after reviewing the draft report prepared on the basis of the 25% sample data file.
• The released Data file should be used only for the specific study/Analysis mentioned in the agreement form and shall not be used for any other purpose without the prior approval of the Director General of the DCS. Moreover, Copies of the micro-data file, obtained from the DCS, shall not be given to anyone else without the prior written approval of the Director General of the DCS.
• The draft report of the Study/Analysis should be submitted to the DCS and the concurrence of the DG of the DCS, should be obtained before publishing it. Once published, a copy of the final report should be submitted to the DCS.
Source : http://www.statistics.gov.lk/databases/data%20dissemination/DataDissaPolicy_2007Oct26.pdf
[Department : The Department of Census and Statistics]
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 country, acronym and year of implementation)
- the survey reference number
- the source and date of download
Example:
Department of Census and Statistics (DCS), Sri Lanka. Census of Population and Housing 2001. Ref.LKA_2001_PHC_v01_M. Dataset downloaded from http://statistics.sltidc.lk/index.php/catalog on [date].
- the Identification of the Primary Investigator
- the title of the survey (including country, acronym and year of implementation)
- the survey reference number
- the source and date of download
Example:
Department of Census and Statistics (DCS), Sri Lanka. Census of Population and Housing 2001. Ref.LKA_2001_PHC_v01_M. Dataset downloaded from http://statistics.sltidc.lk/index.php/catalog on [date].
Disclaimer and copyrights
Disclaimer
The Department of Census and Statistics bears no responsibility for any results or interpretations arising from the secondary use of the data.
Metadata production
DDI Document ID
DDI_LKA_2001_PHC_v01_M
Producers
| Name | Abbreviation | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data Processing Division | DPD | Department of Census and Statistics | Documentation of the study |
Date of Metadata Production
2008-02-08
DDI Document version
Version 1.0 - Department of Census and Statistics - Original documentation of the study.
Version 2.0 - Edited version by ADP based on Version 1.0 of DCS downloaded from http://statistics.sltidc.lk/index.php/catalog.
Version 2.0 - Edited version by ADP based on Version 1.0 of DCS downloaded from http://statistics.sltidc.lk/index.php/catalog.