Login
Login
  • Home
  • Microdata Library
  • Collections
  • Citations
  • Data Deposit
  • Terms of Use
  • Policy and Procedures
  • Acknowledgements
    Home / Central Data Catalog / MHL / SPC_MHL_2021_PHC_V01_M
MHL

Population and Housing Census 2021

Marshall Isld., 2021 - 2022
Reference ID
SPC_MHL_2021_PHC_v01_M
Producer(s)
Economic Policy, Planning and Statistics Office
Collections
Marshall Islands
Metadata
Documentation in PDF DDI/XML JSON
Created on
May 19, 2022
Last modified
May 19, 2022
Page views
37070
Downloads
180
  • Study Description
  • Data Dictionary
  • Downloads
  • Get Microdata
  • Identification
  • Version
  • Scope
  • Coverage
  • Producers and sponsors
  • Survey instrument
  • Data collection
  • Data processing
  • Data appraisal
  • Data Access
  • Disclaimer and copyrights
  • Contacts
  • Metadata production
  • Identification

    Survey ID number

    SPC_MHL_2021_PHC_v01_M

    Title

    Population and Housing Census 2021

    Country
    Name Country code
    Marshall Islands MHL
    Study type

    Population and Housing Census [hh/popcen]

    Series Information

    The 2021 Population and Housing Census (PHC) of the Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI) was the 12th census conducted since 1920 and the fourth since RMI gained independence. The first population census in Marshall Islands was conducted in 1920, after which censuses were conducted every five years up to 1935,
    when World War II disrupted this pattern. The first census after World War II was in 1958, followed by censuses in 1967, 1973, 1980, 1988, 1999 and 2011.

    Abstract

    Population and housing census (PHC) refers to the entire process of collecting, compiling, evaluating, analyzing, and publishing data about the population and the living quarters in a country. It entails the listing and recording of the characteristics of each individual person and each living quarter as of a specified time and within a specified territory. It is the source of information on the size and distribution of the population as well as its demographic, social, economic, and cultural characteristics. These information are vital for making rational plans and programs for national and local development.

    In 2021, a national PHC was conducted in the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). It is the 12th census of population to be undertaken in this century since the first census was undertaken in 1920.

    The 2021 PHC is designed to take an inventory of the total population and housing units in the RMI and to collect information about their characteristics. The census of population is the source of information on the size and distribution of the population as well as information about the demographic, social, economic and cultural characteristics. The census of housing, on the other hand, provides information on the supply of housing units, their structural characteristics and facilities which have bearing on the maintenance of privacy, health and the development of normal family living conditions. These information are vital for making rational plans and programs for social and economic development.

    Kind of Data

    Census/enumeration data [cen]

    Unit of Analysis

    Household and Individual.

    Version

    Version Description

    Version 01: Cleaned, labelled and de-identified version of the Master file.

    Version Date

    2023-03-07

    Scope

    Notes

    -HOUSEHOLD: Dwelling characteristics; Water access; Sanitation; Energy; Waste disposal; Assets; Vehicles; Household income; Climate change and environment; Agriculture; Fishing; Aquaculture; Handicraft; Hunting; Food insecurity experience scale.
    -INDIVIDUAL: Person characteristics; Disability; Communication; Education; Languages; Literacy; Economic activities; Fertility; Mortality.

    Topics
    Topic
    pacific-skills, education, training pacific-skills, education, training
    pacific-skills, industry, training
    pacific-skills, occupation
    pacific-skills, gender
    pacific-skills, disability
    Keywords
    Population Marshall Islands Household Water Sanitation Energy Assets Income Climate change Agriculture FIES Disability Education Communication Literacy Economic activities Fertility Mortality

    Coverage

    Geographic Coverage

    National coverage.

    Universe

    The census covered all de facto household members.

    Producers and sponsors

    Primary investigators
    Name Affiliation
    Economic Policy, Planning and Statistics Office Government of Republic of the Marshall Islands
    Producers
    Name Affiliation Role
    Statistics for Development Division Pacific Community (SPC) Technical assistance
    United Nations Population Fund United Nations Technical assistance
    Funding Agency/Sponsor
    Name Role
    Government of Republic of the Marshall Islands Funding
    United States Department of Interior Funding

    Survey instrument

    Questionnaires

    The questionnaires for Marshall Islands Population and Housing Census were structured questionnaires based on the Pacific Model Census Questionnaire developed by the Pacific Community (SPC). The FAO Food Insecurity Experience module was incorporated. The questionnaire was translated into Marshallese. The questionnaire for this Census is composed of 9 sections. The English questionnaire can be found in the External Resources.

    1. GEOGRAPHICAL ID

    2. PERSON ROSTER: All individuals

    3. MODULE C: Population Characteristics, Disability & Internet

    4. MODULE E: Education, Languages and Literacy

    5. MODULE F: Economic activities last week

    6. MODULE G: Fertility and Mortality

    7. MODULE I : Housing

    8. MODULE J: Agriculture and Fishing

    9. MODULE K: FIES (Food Insecurity Experience Scale)

    10. GPS + Photo.

    11. Cover
      The Cover section describes the administrative geography including Atoll/Island name, Enumerator Area (EA) number and type of household and its occupancy status and the name of the household head.

    12. HOUSEHOLD ROSTER: All individuals
      The Household Roster section includes the date and time of the interview and all the names of each person that was sleeping at midnight of 23rd August 2021, their age, sex, date of birth and relationship to the household head.

    13. MODULE C: Population Characteristics, Disability & Internet
      The Population Characteristics module questionnaire includes ethnicity, place of birth, citizenship, name of clan, marital_status, religion, usual residence, residence 1 year ago and 5 years ago, disability. The module also includes a section on Communication and Internet access.

    14. MODULE E: Education, Languages and Literacy
      The Education, Languages and Literacy module includes questions on school attendance and educational attainment (highest grade completed). Each Household member is asked if they can read and write in any language and whether they speak Marshallese or another language at home.

    15. MODULE F: Economic activities last week
      The economic activities last week questionnaire module includes work activity, looking for work, type of work, occupation, industry, main economic activity, working on farming, fishing or animal products, place of work, employer social security payments and questions on insurance include whether the business is registered in the Marshall Islands Social Security Administration (MISSA) / Municipal Government, hours worked, activities mainly for consumption by the household

    16. MODULE G: Fertility and Mortality
      The Fertility and Mortality module of the questionnaire asks females aged 12 and over a series of questions about fertility and ever giving birth, and information about their last child, those still alive and those that have died.

    17. MODULE I : Housing
      The Housing module includes information on building construction and facilities including the type of living quarters, year of construction, main material of the floor roof and walls. It also includes the main sources of household drinking water, toilet facilities, household cooking fuel, main sources of lighting, waste disposal, household goods, household income sources, climate change and environment questions and a section on those household members that no longer live in the household.

    18. MODULE J: Agriculture and Fishing
      Includes questions on Agricultrual and Fishing such as growing crops, fishing, raising livestock, freshwater aquaculture, marine aquaculture, collection of forestry products, production of handicrafts and hunting

    19. MODULE K: FIES (Food Insecurity Experience Scale)
      Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) module is experience-based measures of household or individual food security. The FIES questions refer to the experiences of the individual respondent or of the respondent's household as a whole.

    20. Manual Household location + Photo

    The English questionnaire is provided as an external resource as part of this documentation.

    Data collection

    Dates of Data Collection
    Start End Cycle
    2021-08-23 2022-07-27 Data collection
    Data Collectors
    Name Affiliation
    Economic Policy, Planning and Statistics Office Government of Republic of the Marshall Islands
    Supervision

    A total of 21 teams were in charge of iinterviewing households in Marshall Islandsi in 2021. The actual enumeration for the 2021 Census was undertaken by a pool of 21 supervisors and 157 interviewers/enumerators that were disseminated throughout RMI. In Majuro there were 15 Supervisors and 6 in Ebeye. 13 of the 15 supervisors from Majuro were assigned to go to the outer islands while 2 teams remained in Majuro. These supervisors directly supervised the interviewers work in the field. Each of them were assigned to supervise between 3 to 5 interviewers.

    For the outer islands supervisors were assigned to a particular Island/Atoll but for larger atolls like Ailinglaplap, Jaluit, Arno, Kwajalein and Majuro several supervisors were assigned to locations and responsible for fieldwork operations (enumeration areas) in the specified part of the atoll.

    Data Collection Notes

    There was a pilot census undertaken in RMI prior to the census in May 2021 but a complete Household Listing exercise was not fully implemented. The census took place on the 23rd of August 2021. Data was collected for roughly 12 weeks on tablets using Survey Solutions. Data was collected between August 24th 2021 to the 15th of November 2022 however an extensive callback operation was undertaken by Economic Policy, Planning and Statistics Office (EPSSO) in 2022 to improve the quality of responses over a period of several months.

    The interviews were conducted both in English and Marshallese language to obtain precise answers. The average length of an interview was between 45 minutes and 1 hour depending on the size of the household (number of individuals in the household).

    Data processing

    Data Editing

    Data was edited and cleaned using the software Stata version 15. Particular attention was made to follow techniques specified in the Pacific Islands Editing Handbook.

    Data appraisal

    Data Appraisal

    The provisional population estimates for the 2021 census were approximately 42,000 persons, which is a decline from the 2011 census population of some 53,000 persons and below the Pacific Community's (SPC) population projections for 2021 of 55,000 persons and other projections upwards of 60,000 persons. The provisional 2021 population estimates therefore came as a surprise and Economic Policy, Planning and Statistics Office (EPPSO) has been working on a data validation exercise using the Marshall Islands (RMI) administrative data to investigate potential error in the 2021 census and to identify how and why a population reversal of such a magnitude has occurred, which is extremely important for social and economic planning in RMI. Given that a Post Enumertion Survey and complete Household Listing were not undertaken a recomendation was to undertake a full, complete household listing exercises in Marshall Islands is recomended to be undertaken in 2022. A data validation exercise was undertaken comparing Census data results with Administrative Data from the RMI.

    Data Access

    Access authority
    Name Affiliation URL Email
    Economic Policy Planning and Statistics Office Government of Marshall Islands https://www.rmieppso.org/contact info@rmieppso
    Confidentiality
    Is signing of a confidentiality declaration required? Confidentiality declaration text
    yes The 2021 Population and Census data is protected under the National Statistics Act and cannot be disclosed to any individual without authorisation from the Government Statistician.
    Access conditions

    Licensed datasets.

    Users and Depositors should note that the data and documentation in the Pacific Data Hub Microdata Library do not belong to the archive but to the individual depositors (data owners of the data) to the archive.

    Note: Prior to distributing certain licensed data and documentation, the Pacific Community (SPC) has to contact the data owner in order to obtain permission and that may cause some delays with microdata release.

    Citation requirements

    "Economic Policy Planning and Statistics Office of the Republic of Marshall Islands, Population and Housing Census 2021 (PHC 2021), version 01 of the licensed datasets (March 2023), provided by the Pacific Data Hub - Microdata Library. https://microdata.pacificdata.org/index.php/home"

    Disclaimer and copyrights

    Disclaimer

    The user of the data acknowledges that the original collector of the data, the authorised 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.

    Contacts

    Contacts
    Name Affiliation Email URL
    Economic Policy Planning and Statistics Office Government of Marshall Islands info@rmieppso https://www.rmieppso.org/contact

    Metadata production

    DDI Document ID

    DDI_SPC_MHL_2021_PHC_v01_M

    Producers
    Name Affiliation Role
    Statistics for Development Division Pacific Community Documentation of study
    Date of Metadata Production

    2023-03-07

    Metadata version

    DDI Document version

    -Version 01 (March 2023): This is the first attempt at documenting the 2021 Population and Housing Census of the Republic of Marshall Islands.

    Back to Catalog
    Pacific Data Hub Microdata Library

    © Pacific Data Hub Microdata Library, All Rights Reserved.