national

New census planned for 2010

On Sunday, May 16, 2010 the Dirección de Estadística y Censo (DEC) of the Contraloría General will take the eleventh national population census and the seventh housing census in Panama's 621 districts.The DEC estimates that Panama's population will reach 3,300,000 in 2008, but forecasts for 2010 are at best uncertain, considering the growing rate of immigration to the country for economic reasons.

The director of Estadística y Censo, Dimas Quiel, said that

one of the first tasks is to update cartographic information, which is now 47 percent complete.

It will take many hands to conduct the 2010 census: around 80,000 supervisors, counters, and auxiliary staff. Quiel does not foresee problems counting people or homes in potentially dangerous or remote areas because census-takers will be protected by the Policía Nacional and get input local teachers and students acting as counters and supervisors in hard-to-reach areas.

The 2010 population and housing census is estimated to cost around $10 million. That's $3 million more than the previous census of 2000.

A technical committee has been charged with analyzing the needs of various state agencies and departments in order to prepare the census questionnaire. Since the census will be conducted in one day, Quiel said the form will include only essential questions. Some 4 million census ballots will be distributed. The results will eventually be available on the Internet.