Census: The key source of population data for sustainable development

The population and housing census is one of the most complex and largest peacetime exercises a nation can undertake. It enumerates the entire population in a country, territory or area and requires careful planning, resourcing and implementation.

Data collected in the census constitute the sole data source on all persons in many countries and are a key component of all national data ecosystems. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) supports programming countries to conduct and modernize their censuses to ensure the availability of quality granular population data.

UNFPA promotes use of census data to generate demographic intelligence for evidence-based programming and humanitarian response, and to achieve zero unmet need for family planning, zero preventable maternal death, and zero gender-based violence and harmful practices.