After a 12-year absence from the census, the Dominican Republic is preparing for the formal start of the X National Population and Housing Census, where 35,000 enumerators will visit all homes in the national territory from today until November 23, 2022, from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
SANTO DOMINGO- From today, Thursday the 10th, until the 23rd of this month of November, the National Statistics Office (ONE) will carry out the X National Population and Housing Census throughout the national territory, a survey that is carried out to determine the number of inhabitants, among other information that is crucial for developing the nation's public policies.
El Inmobiliario shares the questions that the ONE offers to clear up doubts and concerns about the development of this important research, in which the Dominican Government will invest around $3.6 billion pesos.
1. What is the X National Population and Housing Census?
It is a set of operations consisting of collecting, processing, evaluating, analyzing and publishing or disseminating demographic, economic and social data relating to all inhabitants of the country at the time of the information collection.
2. What is the objective of the X National Population and Housing Census?
To provide the country with information relating to the characteristics of housing, households and the people who make them up, for each of the political-administrative areas and populated centers or localities of the Dominican Republic.
3. How will the registration process be carried out?
Each of the country's homes will be visited and the people who reside there will be interviewed, according to the number of households in the home, using the census form through a technological application installed on a mobile capture device (tablet).
4. When will the census be conducted?
The survey will be conducted from November 10 to 23, 2022.
5. How many days will the census data collection last?
The data collection, also called registration, will take place over fourteen days.
6. What will be the schedule for the census taking?
The survey work schedule will be from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
7. Where will the registration take place?
The registration will be carried out simultaneously throughout the national territory.
8. How many questions are on the census form?
The census form consists of 67 questions.
9. What questions are asked on the census form?
The census form collects information about:
The spatial location of individuals within their dwellings, a unique identifier that includes everything from the province to the block number where the dwelling is located. The types of dwellings, whether private or collective, occupancy status, and structural characteristics of walls, roofs, and floors are also recorded. The availability of a kitchen and the number of rooms in the dwelling are also addressed, as well as the number of households within the same dwelling.
Services and items in the home, housing tenure status, number of bedrooms, access to health and environmental services, presence of agricultural and livestock producers, international emigration, general mortality and mortality due to COVID-19.
List of the people who make up the household, sex, age, relationship of kinship, presence of parents in the home of children under 15 years of age and a survey to ensure coverage of all members of the household, as well as the summary of total population and by sex.
Specific information on each person who usually resides in the home, date of birth, place of birth, disability, educational characteristics, use of ICT, migration, employment characteristics, marital status, ethnoracial research, fertility and mortality.
10. How many homes will be surveyed in the census?
All existing homes and dwellings throughout the national territory.
11. What technology will be used for the census survey?
An application will be used to collect the information via a tablet.
12. Who will visit the homes during the registration or census survey?
The census takers will visit all homes to collect information about the households and the people who live in them.
13. How will the census takers be identified?
The enumerators will be identified with vests, caps and badges with the information of each enumerator and the institution that has the legal responsibility to carry out this statistical operation, which is the National Statistics Office (ONE).
14. Where can I verify the identity of the census takers?
You can verify the identity on the ONE and censosrd website, where you will find a query window in which you can enter the enumerator's ID number to identify them in the database. Additionally, the enumerator will have a badge with a QR code containing information that you can scan to verify from your cell phone.
If the citizen responds that they do not have internet access, OGTIC will validate with the enumerator's ID number in the database of the institution that has the legal responsibility to carry out this statistical operation, which is the National Statistics Office.
15. Is it necessary to give the census taker my name and ID number?
It is a civic duty to answer all census questions. Some questions on the census form require this information.
16. Is it necessary for the census takers to enter the house?
No, it doesn't have to be inside the house if the informant doesn't agree. It could be outside the house or at the door; the important thing is that the informant provides the required information.
17. How can I be sure that the information I give to the census taker will not be known by other people?
The legal framework governing the collaboration and participation of citizens and public agencies in various data collection activities is established in Law 5096 on Statistics and Censuses. This law grants the National Statistics Office (ONE) the authority to conduct national censuses and stipulates that data and reports from private individuals must be considered confidential and may only be used for the preparation of national statistics.
18. How will I be counted in the census if I am not at home during the census? How will they know my information?
The information will be collected through a suitable informant who may be the head of the household and may also be a household member aged 15 and over who is authorized to give the information and who knows the information of all household members.
19. Are there plans to register immigrants in the census?
The census is being conducted nationwide in the Dominican Republic, without discrimination based on immigration status. The only requirement is that individuals be habitual residents of the country. A habitual resident is defined as someone who has lived in the dwelling for six months or more. This also includes those who, even if they have lived in the dwelling for less than six months, intend to remain.
20. Will the census survey include data on deceased persons?
Yes, section IV, household characteristics, has a module on general mortality that collects information on people who died in the years 2020, 2021 and 2022. It inquires about the name of the deceased person, sex, date of death, age and also whether they died from COVID-19.
21. Are undocumented people required to answer the census ballot questions?
The census makes no exceptions for people, regardless of immigration status; this is not a matter for the census. It only requires that the person be a regular resident of the dwelling.
22. Will the information resulting from the census data collection be passed on to other institutions?
The National Statistics Office (ONE) and its staff are obligated not to disclose information obtained from any of the target populations individually; information may only be provided in aggregate form, that is, as statistics. Census results are made available to the general public through the established channels.
23. Why are questions asked about ethnic-racial perception and skin color?
This is a topic that was included in some previous censuses. However, it hasn't been investigated in several censuses. Its inclusion in the 10th Census aligns the Dominican Republic with the work already being done in other countries in the region to gather information on this issue when making public policy decisions, as well as to identify specific needs of certain ethnic and racial groups.
24. What is done with the data from the census data collection?
To produce high-quality statistical information for the design and management of public policies and social development programs implemented in the country, since the census is a uniquely valuable source of information for the development of social and economic programs, and is also the only source of information that produces data for the smallest geographic units. Furthermore, it provides the necessary sampling frames for conducting household surveys, designed to carry out in-depth studies of social, demographic, and economic interest, among others.
25. When will the results of the census survey be released?
Preliminary data is expected to be published in the first quarter of 2023, while final results will be published at the end of 2023.
26. If I want more census information, where can I get it?
At the National Statistics Office. You can access the ONE website where you will find important statistics from different sources of information.
27. What happens if I am traveling during the Census and there is no one else in the house?
a) If no one is home and they return after the initial survey, it is established that after a certain number of visits, the dwelling will be surveyed, noting the characteristics of the walls and roof. It would then be recorded as an occupied dwelling with absent persons.
b) If there is at least one person aged 15 or over in the household who knows all the information about the household members, this person can give the interview, because it is only one household member who answers all the questions contained in the census form.
28. Will there be a platform to notify that you have not been counted in the census…?
No, there will not be a platform to notify that you have not been counted in the census, but it is important to know that the census taker will make a minimum of three visits on different days and times, as established in the survey strategy to obtain the direct interview, and obviously can call the ONEto notify.
They can also inform a trusted person in the neighborhood what day and time the person will be available to receive the census taker. If the area is difficult to access, has restricted access, or the person arrives home very late from work or leaves very early, the census taker could then leave a printed form for them to fill out, scheduling its return no more than three days after leaving the census form.
29. Can the data be placed on a platform?
No, we don't have a digital platform where you can submit your information. You must wait for a visit to your home from the census taker, who will make a minimum of three visits on different days and times, as established in the data collection strategy to obtain the direct interview.
30. If the census taker comes and I'm not home, where can I make an appointment for them to visit me at a specific time?
The census taker will make a minimum of three visits on different days and times, as established in the survey strategy to obtain the direct interview. Therefore, you can let them know through a neighbor the times you can be contacted. They will also leave your telephone number so they can reach you. You can also call the ONE (Nationalto notify them.
31. Are they going to ask me about my income?
The census form does not include a question on this topic; that is, it does not ask about the income of any household member. The census form is the data collection instrument that will be used in the direct interview that the enumerator will conduct in each of the households they visit during the data collection process.
32. Are they going to ask me if I own property?
The census form does not include a question on this topic; that is, it does not ask about the property of any household member. The census form is the data collection instrument that will be used in the direct interview that the enumerator will conduct in each of the households they visit during the data collection process.
33. What would happen if, due to any eventuality, I were not counted in the census?
There is a protocol for visits during the 14-day registration period, where the census taker will make a minimum of three visits on different days and times, as established in the data collection strategy to obtain a direct interview. Therefore, you can let the census taker know, through a trusted neighbor, the times you can be contacted. In addition, the census taker will leave their telephone number so you can reach them.
There will also be a coverage restoration period of two additional days. You can also call ONE to report your situation.
