The government is going to conduct the sixth Population and Housing Census (PHC) in 2021, starting on January 2, 2021 to find out demographic and socio-economic facts to be used for the next course of development planning.
The PHC 2021 will be different from the previous censuses as it will include for the first time expatriate Bangladeshis as well as foreigners staying in Bangladesh.
Planning Minister MA Mannan disclosed these at a briefing following a meeting of the Executive Committee of National Economic Council at NEC Bhaban of Agargaon in the capital on Tuesday.
The Ecnec meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also approved a project worth Tk1761.79 crore for implementing the census.
The PHC 2021 will portray detailed demographic and socio-economic scenario in different segments of sex ratio, youths, adolescents, children, annual growth in population, general fertility rates, birth and death rates, literacy, income or economic participation, working and unemployed population and healthcare and nutrition statuses.
The project implementing agency, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), will prepare a national report and separate district reports of the PHC 2021, which will be made public in sometime 2024, according to the ECNEC documents.
The BBS conducts the census every 10 years, the last one being in 2011.
According to BBS, the total cost of the last PHC was Tk231 crore while the upcoming one is going to cost more than sevenfold.
"The increase is due to the current market prices," Mannan told reporters.
Saurendra Nath Chakrabhartty, secretary of the statistics and informatics division, said the cost included purchase of 413 vehicles, training, consultancy, printing and publications, advertisements, computers and digital equipment procurement and remuneration of enumerators.
He said the remuneration per head was Tk2,000 in 2011, which was increased to Tk8,000 for 2021.
The weeklong PHC 2021 would continue till January 8, 2021.
