SPC_TON_1996_PHC_v01_M
Population and Housing Census 1996
Name | Country code |
---|---|
Tonga | TON |
Population and Housing Census [hh/popcen]
The Kingdom of Tonga undertakes the National Census of Population and Housing every ten years. A national population census has been taken in Tonga on a regular basis since 1921, although there were counts much earlier than this, going back to as early as 1891. Since World War II censuses have been taken once every ten years beginning in1956, this was followed by Censuses in 1976, and 1986. While this was historically a deccenial activity, the most recent 2011 Census indicates that Tongan Censuses will now be held every 5 years.
A national population census may be thought of as a “stock-taking” of the whole country, particularly of its most precious resource, its people. It is not just a count of people. Information is needed on the structure of the population for instance, the number of males and females and their ages together with a variety of other characteristics related to their civil and economic status.
Information on education, migration, work and employment are needed also for measuring the progress made over the last ten years in educating the population, in using their skills and developing the economy so that the quality of life in Tonga is improved and the national development objectives achieved. Successful national planning for the future needs of children for schools and trained teachers, of young people for employment and of older people for a rewarding retirement, is related to the availability of accurate information about the numbers and characteristics of these groups now and in the projected future.
Census/enumeration data [cen]
Individuals and Households
V01: Edited and de-identified data, final version of the Master file for tabulation.
2012-07-03
CSPro was used for data entry.
The scope of the National Population and Housing Census 1996 includes:
Household: - basic household characteristics of the private dwellings, including tenure, sanitation, water and electricity, household wealth and household activities;
Individual: - basic demographic characteristics of individuals in a particular household dwelling, including age, sex, ethnicity, religion, internal migration, educational attainment, economic activity and fertility.
Topic | Vocabulary |
---|---|
Education | World Bank |
Health | World Bank |
National coverage. The Population Census covers the whole of the Kingdom of Tonga, which includes the 5 Divisions and both Urban and Rural Areas.
The 1996 census covered all households and individuals in the selected areas excluding institutions and diplomats and non residents
Name | Affiliation |
---|---|
Tonga Statistics Department | Government of Tonga |
Name | Affiliation | Role |
---|---|---|
Statistics and Demography Program | Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) | Technical Assistance provider |
Mr Laurie Lewis | United Nations Population Fund | Questionaire Design |
Name |
---|
Government of Tonga |
Name | Affiliation | Role |
---|---|---|
Mr Laurie Lewis | UNFPA | Questionaire Design |
The questionnaire was developed in English, but enumerators were specifically trained to be able to clearly translate these questions into Tongan.
The questionnaires were designed into 4 parts which are:
Start | End |
---|---|
1996-11-30 | 1996-12-14 |
Name | Affiliation |
---|---|
Teacher Training Institutions | Ministry of Education |
Teachers were used as both Supervisors and Enumerators in the 1996 Census. The supervisors were selected by trainers from the NSO towards the end of training and basically this is someone who displayed broad knowledge of the concepts and experiences covered during the training. After they are identified, they were briefed with their roles using the Supervisors manual. In this process, the supervisors were often those who have supervised in the past.
There were changes made in the types of questions asked in the Household Schedule of 1996 based on requests from users.
Information on the type of building was similar to that asked in the 1986 Census where only the main building was required. There was a change in the 1996 Census concerning source of water supply, type of latrine, source of energy for lighting and for cooking, where households were asked to indicate all sources and types available in each household; in the 1986 Census, households were asked to indicate only the main source and type available in each household. For household goods, a computer was added to the 1996 list, washing machine was not included, and motor vehicle was included instead of motor cycle, truck and car. New questions that were included in the 1996 Census and not in the 1986 Census were questions on livestock, whether crops or squash have been grown in 1996, and method of household waste disposal. These changes were made in order to incorporate user needs.
As in earlier censuses, school teachers were used as enumerators and supervisors. As far as possible teachers were used in their own villages or island where their intimate knowledge of the area and the community, especially children was of great benefit. A team of trained statistical clerks in the Statistics Department were on standby for assistance with enumeration in cases where enumerators could not complete enumeration of their assigned census blocks.
Census enumeration was conducted using a two visit system with the first visit during 29 and 30 November.
On arrival at the Statistics Department, census forms were checked and responses coded for entry to computers.
Data entry was performed by three staff members of the Statistics Department namely Mrs ‘Ana P. Fifita, Computer Operator Grade1, Miss Tupou Tausisi, Temporary Computer Assistant, and Mr ‘Olini Sapoi, Temporary Computer Assistant. Mrs ‘Ana P. Fifita also did the editing of the Census database before the final editing programme was run.
Data entry, editing and tabulation of Census results were done using IMPS, an Integrated Microcomputer Processing System developed by the US Bureau of the Census. The set of General Tables were produced using IMPS and imported to Excel for final formatting. The programme for final editing of the census database was written by Dr Michael Levin from the US Bureau of the Census during his two days visit to the Statistics Department.
Name | Affiliation | URL |
---|---|---|
Tonga Statistics Department | Government of Tonga | http://tonga.prism.spc.int/links |
Licensed datasets.
"National Statistics Office of Tonga, Population and Housing Census 1996 (PHC 1996), Version 01 of the licensed datasets (July 2012), provided by the Pacific Microdata Library. http://pdl.spc.int/index.php/home"
The user of the data acknowledges that the original collector of the data, the authorized distributor of the data, and the relevant funding agency bear no responsibility for use of the data or for interpretations or inferences based upon such uses.
Name | Affiliation | URL |
---|---|---|
Tonga Statistics Department | Government of Tonga | http://tonga.prism.spc.int/links |
DDI_SPC_TON_1996_PHC_v01_M
Name | Affiliation | Role |
---|---|---|
Scott PONTIFEX | Statistics for Development Programme | Database Specialist - Development Statistics |
Tonga National Statistics Office | Government | Data producer and documentation of the study |
Statistics for Development Division | Pacific Community | Documentation of the study |
2012-07-03
Version 02: Update of the existing DDI: Import of dataset and dataset documentation (done at Noumea, New Caledonia on January 2019)