Sharjah announces biggest census project; results to be presented to Ruler

Sharjah on Monday launched a census under the theme “You Count” to help the government make better decisions in policy matters, and also to enhance the quality of life in the emirate.

The census, to be conducted by the Department of Statistics and Community Development (DSCD), will run for five months.

The department asked residents to participate in the survey and urged them to cooperate with census teams by giving them the correct data and information.

Once the data is collected, it will be processed and collated for official use by DSCD’s team of statistical analysts and experts. The preliminary results will be presented to the Ruler of Sharjah and key government entities in March next year. The findings will also be accessible to the public via the Sharjah Government website and open data platforms.

The department assured participants that their personal information and data will remain confidential and will not be shared or published.

According to the results of the 2015 Sharjah Census, the emirate’s total population was 1,405,843 people. Of these, 175,432 were Emirati nationals – 86,325 males and 89,098 females – constituting 12 per cent of the overall population. The number of non-national residents was 1,230,417 – 834,542 males and 395,875 females.

The comprehensive census covers all key components of society, including buildings, facilities, housing, families and individuals. The census seeks to make the most of government administrative records in determining key variables like the respondents' geographical locations according to administrative and statistical divisions.

For census forms filled on behalf of buildings, businesses and other infrastructure, the results seek to update critical details like legal forms and licensing, as well as the type and status of activity in them. The size of the buildings will also be determined, along with the number of workers and their nationalities.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Humaid Al Qasimi, Chairman, DSCD, pointed out that the generated data gives decision makers a clear understanding of the changes in demographics, allowing them to identify segments supported by the government – which would contribute to strategising and planning that will support all components of the community.

He said: “We assert in every census that the data collected is confidential and will not be shared with anyone or be published according to laws, which is evident in the slogan of this census.

We call on nationals and residents of the emirate to cooperate with the census teams to benefit from its outcomes.”

De jure census

The Department confirmed that they will be applying the ‘De facto’ census methodology, which allocates individuals to the place where they are enumerated — normally where they spend the night of the day they are enumerated.

The department added that the de jure census might be used, which tallies people according to their regular or legal residence.

The census will gather information on population demographics and collect comprehensive data on infrastructure, housing and establishments in Sharjah. The data collection journey will begin with a comprehensive inventory phase where DSCD’s field teams will visit all locations and communities pre-identified through aerial photography.

This will be followed by the self-counting phase, which targets all nationals and residents of the emirate. Finally, data collection teams will visit households and individuals who miss the self-counting.

A dedicated team will be available through a call centre to assist individuals with completing the self-count form.

Sheikh Sultan bin Abdullah bin Salem Al Qasimi, Director, DSCD, said Sharjah has a solid infrastructure to guarantee the accuracy of the census. This includes an advanced data collection, auditing and archiving platform supported by digital maps and device tracking systems for managing users and work teams, and for following up on their reports.

In the 2022 survey, senior government and business officials, media figures and influencers will highlight the importance of – and encourage individuals to participate in – the Sharjah Census 2022 and cooperate with census teams.

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