The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) with the support of the European Union, and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) launched the nationwide activity - the Population and Housing Census 2024 (PHC). The event entitled: Opening the door to the Census: Community, Transparency, Participation, took place on Saturday, 6 April, in the Square of the Maria Biesu National Opera and Ballet Theatre and gathered dozens of citizens, representatives of central and local public authorities, development partners, enumerators - temporary staff employed by the NBS, civil society and media.
During 8 April to 7 July this year, more than 4,000 census enumerators will go from house to house to collect data on the population and its characteristics, such as age, gender, ethnicity, education level, occupation, etc., as well as housing and living conditions, such as facilities for sewerage and water supply, heating and so on.
For the first time in the history of the census in the Republic of Moldova, census enumerators will be equipped with tablets and modern information technology to collect census data. Collecting data in digital format will ensure a reduction of the data processing and dissemination period, a high protection of personal data and an efficient and secure data transmission.
Attending the launch event, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova, Dorin Recean, welcomed the audience and highlighted the importance of the census as a solid basis for the development and implementation of public policies in the country.
"The information collected will help us to better design infrastructure, modernize education, improve health and social services and plan our daily lives more effectively. The government is building more and more, and the census data will help us to build a more intelligent Europe at home. I urge you to answer the questions of the more than 4000 census takers who will be knocking on doors across the country during this period, and to encourage your family, friends, and neighbors to do the same. We cannot move forward until we all decide as a family what our priorities are." said the Prime Minister Dorin Recean.
Also the General Director of the NBS, Oleg Cara, explained the purpose of the Census, the census methodology and the confidentiality of the data.
"This decade's census will be different from similar exercises held previously. Census takers will, for the first time, collect census data on electronic devices, using tablets as well as digital maps to efficiently locate dwellings and census residents in villages and towns. These are just some of the innovations we will use to collect data more efficiently, reduce processing and dissemination time and ensure stronger data protection. I also want to address the census staff, the enumerators, who over the next 3 months will be going from house to house, visiting millions of homes and people. Dear colleagues, thank you for agreeing to contribute to this national activity. Every person and every home are important and matters to the success of the census. We urge you to carry out this exercise with the utmost openness, so that at the end of the census we can each say with pride - I have been censused, I care, I have made my country known." underlined the NBS General Director, Oleg Cara.
At the same time, the Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Moldova, Jānis Mažeiks said that this exercise is one of crucial importance for the Republic of Moldova and its citizens in the perspective of the EU accession process.
"The European Union understands the critical role that population and housing censuses play in shaping effective policies. Accurate data on how many citizens the country has and who they are will allow better planning, including of budgets and human resources. This will lead to a stronger and more prosperous society. This is especially applicable for Moldova, a country that is firmly committed to the path of European integration. I encourage all citizens to actively participate in the census, to devote time and a little effort to this extremely important statistical exercise. I also urge people to get information about the census from reliable sources, so as not to fall prey to misinformation." said the Head of the EU Delegation, Jānis Mažeiks.
Attending the event, Karina Nersesyan, UNFPA Moldova Representative reiterated the continued support for the National Bureau of Statistics and urged the population to open the door for the census.
"UNFPA is an agency that has traditionally supported the conduct of censuses in over 155 countries around the world. And I want to tell you that this census is the most innovative of all censuses in the world. In the Republic of Moldova, UNFPA, with the support of the European Union, is a reliable partner of the National Bureau of Statistics, providing essential support for this vital exercise. Through its demographic approach as mandated by UNFPA, this Census is an essential component in ensuring that development policies and programs are adapted to the realities and needs of the population, thus promoting sustainable and inclusive development. I want to congratulate once again every single person in the Republic of Moldova, and I want to encourage you to fulfil this civic duty with the utmost responsibility and to encourage others to do so. By opening the door of your homes and participating in the census - you are opening the door to a brighter future for the whole country." affirmed the Representative of UNFPA Moldova.
The Census of Population and Housing is conducted every 10 years and is a nationwide activity that provides a complete demographic picture of the country. The data collected from the census will provide essential and quality information for the development of national and local public policies necessary for the economic and social development of the country and for leaving no one behind. To this end, the active participation of the citizens of the Republic of Moldova in the PHC is of paramount importance.
The census is carried out with financial resources allocated from the state budget, as well as with important financial and technical support provided by the European Union, the United Nations Population Fund, other UN agencies, the Governments of Switzerland, India and Romania, which generously support the census.
This is the third census since the declaration of independence of the Republic of Moldova.
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The Population and Housing Census is financed from the state budget of the Republic of Moldova, but also with the support of development partners, in particular the European Union and UNFPA, which provide technical and financial support to the NBS in the framework of the project "Support to the National Bureau of Statistics in the conduct of the 2024 Population and Housing Census" during the preparation and conduct of the PHC. The total value of the project is EUR 2.75 million, of which EUR 2 million is provided by the EU and EUR 75 thousand by UNFPA
