Counting a world of 8 billion: How censuses help ensure everybody counts with the support of international financial institutions

26 October 2023

UNITED NATIONS, New York – Access to health and rights and other basic services – and the legal protections that enable them – are only possible when governments can account for the women and girls they are meant to serve.

This information can be provided through censuses. But censuses are highly complex exercises, requiring careful planning, resourcing, and implementation – from mapping an entire country, mobilizing and training large numbers of enumerators, and conducting public awareness campaigns to analyzing, disseminating and using the resulting data – and as such require timely funding.

UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, plays a critical role in supporting the quality execution of censuses with the financial support of International Financial Institutions (IFIs). These partnerships are essential. Below, see how partnering with IFIs can help ensure everyone is counted, so that governments can bridge the gaps in essential services. 

Republic of Congo

The Republic of Congo, located in Central Africa, hadn’t counted its population in more than 16 years, mostly because of the resources needed to carry out such a difficult exercise. This year, the World Bank partnered with UNFPA and the Congolese Government to undertake this important task. One of the key challenges was the hesitation by some parts of the population to share household information. To build trust, UNFPA supported campaigns and education initiatives that engaged with people through community leaders.

Today, the Government of Congo has successfully completed the enumeration process. Now, the delicate task of processing, analyzing and communicating the results is under way.The results will help the Government and UNFPA address complex needs, such as ensuring that even those in the hardest-to-reach areas are able to access sexual and reproductive health services.

The World Bank is also continuing its partnership with UNFPA throughout West and Central Africa. UNFPA has just recently signed an agreement to provide technical assistance to the fourth census of Guinea Bissau, for example.

Paraguay

In Paraguay, the census is not only important for the allocation of resources and provision of services. It is also a tool for the democratic process, influencing the allocation of seats in the Chamber of Deputies in the country’s congress. In Paraguay, UNFPA partnered with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the National Statistics Institute (NSI) to lend a hand with the 2022 census. UNFPA provided technical assistance in the strategic planning and advocacy for the census. UNFPA also helped to ensure the inclusion and participation of indigenous peoples, who historically often suffered exclusion in the country. This successful partnership with IDB has been replicated in the census processes in Bolivia and El Salvador.

Côte d’Ivoire

UNFPA also joined forces with the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Government of Côte d'Ivoire during the country’s fifth national census. This collaborative effort aimed to enhance the government’s ability to successfully execute its National Development Plan. 

With almost $7 million in funding from the African Development Bank’s African Development Fund, UNFPA supported the census through data collection and analysis. Once finalized, the census will provide reliable statistics to help monitor the progress of the SDGs and African Union’s Agenda 2063.