Lilongwe- Malawi launched the 2018 Population and Housing Census publicity campaign on Tuesday 6th June in Lilongwe with Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development, Goodall Gondwe emphasizing on the importance of census results in informing planning for the country’s development agenda. He also called upon Malawians to aim at having smaller and manageable families to slow down the current rapid population growth. “The last census for Malawi was in 2008, 10 years down the line Malawi has yet another opportunity to ensure that its development needs are accounted for through the census”, he said as he launched the countdown publicity campaign. 

The last census for Malawi was in 2008, 10 years down the line Malawi has yet another opportunity to ensure that its development needs are accounted for through the census

The UN Women Representative- Ms Clara Anyangwe, speaking on behalf of the UN Resident Coordinator, highlighted the value of census to the development of any country including Malawi. She also retaliated the UN’s commitment to support the census in Malawi alongside other development partners “Census is among the most complex and massive peacetime exercises a nation undertakes. It does not merely count people; it also measures fertility, mortality and movement, helping to predict demographic trends”, said Clara.

Census is among the most complex and massive peacetime exercises a nation undertakes

The 2018 Malawi Population and Housing Census exercise is expected to start in September and run for a period of 21 days. Different development partners including DFID, USAID, Royal Norwegian Government, Standard bank, Irish Aid and the UN among others have provided technical and financial support towards the 2018 census. This year’s census will collect data using tablets.

The launch was attended by various group of people including local leaders who committed their support towards the data collection period by allowing the enumerators to work in their communities and also help in sensitizing their subjects to be ready and provide all the information.

The 2018 census is guided by the theme Be counted-leave no one behind.

 -Leticia Nangwale-