This statistic shows the age structure in Ghana from 2013 to 2023. In 2023, about 36.18 percent of Ghana's total population were aged 0 to 14 years.

Abstract

The 2010 Census was undertaken to update current information on the size, sex, age, composition and other characteristics of Ghana's population and to ascertain the specific changes in these characteristics which had taken place since the last census was conducted in 2000. The Census was expected to ensure the continuation of a time series of demographic and socio-economic benchmark data at the national and sub-national levels and enhance the capability-building programme of the Statistical Service. The main objective of the 2010 Population and Housing Census was to update the statistical information on the characteristics of the population of Ghana.

Analysis unit

Households and individuals

Universe

The 2010 census covered a de-facto population count of Ghana on Census Night (26th September 2010). These were all usual residents, infants sick as well as the mentally challenged, inmates of institutions. out-door sleepers and all persons who spend census night within the boarders of Ghana, semi-stable floating population enumeration was done immediately after midnight of Census Night. Enumeration was done on Census Night of fishermen, other persons at sea and other persons in Field Camps. All types of housing structures were listed a week before the census night. All enumeration of institutional population was done a week before the Census Night

Kind of data

Census/enumeration data

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

PHC-1A: Household questionnaire - admistered to household population. This questionnaire includes modules on Household roster, Usual household members absent, Emigration, Population, Mortality, ICT, Agriculture and Housing

PHC-1A Usual Members Absent Continuation Sheet

PHC-1A Emigration Continuation Sheet

PHC-1B: Group quarter questionnaire - administered to homeless households and group quarter population. This excludes usual members absent, emigration, mortality, ICT at household level, agricultural and housing modules.

PHC-1C: Group quarter questionnaire which was administered to individual members and later transferred to PHC-1B questionnaire

PHC-3: EA Result Sheet - Captured summary information on population by sex and the number of localities in each Enumeration Area (EA).

PHC-4: Final Summary Sheet - Captured summary information on the number of residential structures, number of households, population by sex and household and non-household population and the availability of telecommunication, education, health and toilet facilities in the locality.

Abstract

The population and housing census (PHC) is the unique source of reliable and comprehensive data about the size of population and also on major socio-economic & socio-demographic characteristics of the country. It provides data on geographic and administrative distribution of population and household in addition to the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of all the people in the country. Generally, it provides for comparing and projecting demographic data, social and economic characteristics, as well as household and housing conditions at all levels of the country’s administrative units and dimensions: national, regional, districts and localities. The data from the census is classified, tabulated and disseminated so that researchers, administrators, policy makers and development partners can use the information in formulating and implementing various multi-sectorial development programs at the national and community levels. Data on all key variables namely area, household, population, economic activity, literacy and education, fertility and child survival, housing conditions and sanitation are collected and available in the census data. The 2021 PHC in Ghana had an overarching goal of generating updated demographic, social and economic data, housing characteristics and dwelling conditions to support national development planning activities.

Geographic coverage

National Coverage , Region , District

Analysis unit

• Individuals
• Households
• Emigrants
• Absentee population
• Mortality
• Type of residence (households and non household)

Universe

All persons who spent census night (midnight of 27th June 2021) in Ghana

Kind of data

Census/enumeration data [cen]

Sampling procedure

This 10% sample data for the 2021 PHC is representative at the district/subdistrict level and also by the urban rural classification.

Mode of data collection

Computer Assisted Personal Interview [capi]

Research instrument

GSS developed two categories of instruments for the 2021 PHC: the listing form and the enumeration instruments. The listing form was only one, while the enumeration instruments comprised six questionnaires, designated as PHC 1A, PHC 1B, PHC 1C, PHC 1D, PHC 1E and PHC 1F. The PHC 1A was the most comprehensive with the others being its subsets.

1. Listing Form: The listing form was developed to collect data on type of structures, level of completion, whether occupied or vacant and use(s) of the structures. It was also used to collect information about the availability, number and types of toilet facilities in the structures. It was also used to capture the number of households in a structure, number of persons in households and the sex of the persons residing in the households if occupied. Finally, the listing form was used to capture data on non-household populations such as the population in institutions, floating population and sex of the non-household populations.

2. PHC 1A: The PHC 1A questionnaire was used to collect data from all households in the country. Primarily, it was used to capture household members and visitors who spent the Census Night in the dwelling of the household, and their relationship with the head of the household. It was also used to collect data on homeless households. Members of the households who were absent were enumerated at the place where they had spent the Census Night. The questionnaire was also used to collect the following household information: emigration; socio-demographic characteristics (sex, age, place of birth and enumeration, survival status of parents, literacy and education; economic activities; difficulty in performing activities; ownership and usage of information, technology and communication facilities; fertility; mortality; housing characteristics and conditions and sanitation.

3. PHC 1B: The PHC 1B questionnaire was used to collect data from persons in stable institutions comprising boarding houses, hostels and prisons who were present on Census Night. Other information that was captured with this instrument are socio-demographic characteristics, literacy and education, economic activities, difficulty in performing activities; ownership and usage of information, technology and communication facilities; fertility; mortality; housing characteristics and conditions and sanitation.

4. PHC 1C: The PHC 1C questionnaire was used to collect data from persons in “unstable” institutions such as hospitals and prayer camps who were present at these places on Census Night. The instrument was used to capture only the socio-demographic characteristics of individuals.

5. PHC 1D: The PHC 1D questionnaire was used to collect data from the floating population. This constitutes persons who were found at airports, seaports, lorry stations and similar locations waiting for or embarking on long-distance travel, as well as outdoor sleepers on Census Night. The instrument captured the socio-demographic information of individuals.

6. PHC 1E: All persons who spent the Census Night at hotels, motels and guest houses were enumerated using the PHC 1E. The content of the questionnaire was similar to that of the PHC 1D.

7. PHC 1F: The PHC 1F questionnaire was administered to diplomats in the country.

Cleaning operations

The Census data editing was implemented at three levels: 1. data editing by enumerators and supervisors during data collection 2. data editing was done at the regional level by the regional data quality monitors during data collection 3. Final data editing was done at the national level using the batch edits in CSPro and STATA Data editing and cleaning was mainly digital.

Response rate

100 percent

Data appraisal

A post Enumeration Survey (PES) was conducted to assess the extent of coverage and content error.

This statistic shows the total population of Ghana from 2013 to 2023 by gender. In 2023, Ghana's female population amounted to approximately 16.91 million, while the male population amounted to approximately 16.88 million inhabitants.

As of 2021, the Ashanti and Greater Accra regions were the most populous in Ghana, each accounting for around six million inhabitants. Following these were the Central and Eastern regions, each registering 2.9 million people. Since 2010, the total population of Ghana has grown to reach almost 31 million people in 2021. In 2018, Ghana created six new regions in a referendum, bringing the total number of regions to 16.

Abstract

Population censuses have been conducted in Ghana at approximately ten-year intervals since 1891 except in 1941, when the series was interrupted as a result of World War II but was resumed in 1948. The first post-independence census was conducted in 1960 and the next in 1970, with the expectation that a decennial census programme would be maintained. Due to circumstances beyond the control of the statistical organization, however, the third post-independence census could not be conducted until 1984. Similarly, the next census which was expected to have been conducted in 1994 was delayed. Only in 1995 was it possible to have the needed commitment to ensure the conduct of the fourth post-independence census which was scheduled for the year 2000.

The 2000 Population and Housing Census was undertaken to update current information on the size, sex, age, composition and other characteristics of Ghana's population and to ascertain the specific changes in these characteristics which had taken place since the last census was conducted in 1984. The Census was expected to ensure the continuation of a time series of demographic and socio-economic benchmark data at the national and sub-national levels and enhance the capability-building programme of the Statistical Service.

The main objective of the 2000 Population and Housing Census was to update the statistical information on the characteristics of the population of Ghana. The 2000 Population and Housing Census was the first time a full-scale housing census was conducted with a population census in one single operation.

Geographic coverage

National

Analysis unit

• Households
• Individuals
• Dwellings

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

Consultation with Users Work on the census questionnaire started in 1998 bearing in mind the data needs of the country. A simple questionnaire was sent to the ministries, relevant government departments, research institutions, relevant departments in the universities, private business associations and other users seeking information on the following: · whether the organization had used any previous census data · the specific census data used · what use the census data were put · any data that were needed but had not been provided in previous censuses · general comments on population censuses. Response to the questionnaire was encouraging; some respondents sent in the completed forms while others came over to discuss their data needs.

Selection of Topics Selecting topics for inclusion in the questionnaire involved the review and consideration of the following: · topics covered in the 1984 population census, · recommended topics from the United Nations Principles and Recommendations for the 2000 round of Population and Housing Censuses, · data requests and suggestions from users based on the answers to the questionnaire sent to them, · list of users' requests compiled by the Statistical Service over a period of time.

A number of meetings were held at both the Census Secretariat and the Technical Advisory Committee levels to discuss the topics and requests. Decisions on topics for inclusion were based on the relevance of topics and the data needs of the country as well as practical considerations of application of concepts.

The final questionnaire consisted of 15 questions on housing characteristics and 20 questions on population covering the following areas: · household characteristics · geographical location and internal migration · demographic and social characteristics · economic characteristics · literacy and education · fertility and mortality.

All the population topics investigated in 1970 and 1984 censuses were maintained, because they were considered as still relevant to the country's data needs, especially in terms of maintaining a time series of socio-economic data.

The questionaires were published in English.

Cleaning operations

The Census data editing was implemented at three levels:

1. Field editing by interviewers and supervisors
2. Office editing and coding
3. Data cleaning and imputation

Data editing was partly manual and partly automatic.

Editing of the census data involved correcting errors from the field and those introduced during the capturing process. Both Structural Edits and Within Record Edits were used to clean the census data.

a) Structural Edits

• Structure edits check coverage and relationships between different units: persons, households, housing units, enumeration areas, etc. Specifically, they checked that: · all households and collective quarters records within an enumeration area were present and were in the proper order; · all occupied housing units have person records, but vacant units have no person records; · households have neither duplicate person records, nor missing person records; · enumeration areas have neither duplicate nor missing housing records.

• Each EA have the right geographic codes (region, district, locality, EA number, etc.)

• Every housing unit in an EA is entered and every record has a valid EA code

The Structural edit looked at the following situations:

· Geography edits · Hierarchy of records · Correspondence between housing and population records · Editing relationships in a household · Family nuclei

b) Within Record Edits: This consisted of validity checks and consistency edits.

· Validity checks: were performed to see if the values of individual variables are plausible or lie with a reasonable range.

· Consistency edits were performed to ensure that there is coherence between two or more variables.

The Top-down editing approach, which starts by editing top priority variables, (such as age, sex, etc.) and moves sequentially through all variables in decreasing priority was used to edit the census data.

The Hot Deck or Dynamic Imputation was also used for both missing data and inconsistent/invalid items.

The Census Secretariat carefully developed Editing and Imputation rules with written sets of consistency rules and corrections. These rules were translated into three CONCOR editing applications (Pop-Edit.exe, Hse-Edit.exe and Fertility.exe), which were used to 'clean' the data. This was done at the Regional level.

Data appraisal

A post Enumeration Survey (PES) was conducted to assess the extent of coverage and content error.

DATASET: Alpha version 2014 estimates of number of people in each 5-year age group per grid square, with national totals adjusted to match UN population division estimates (http://esa.un.org/wpp/). REGION: Africa SPATIAL RESOLUTION: 0.00833333 decimal degrees (approx 100m at the equator) PROJECTION: Geographic, WGS84 UNITS: Estimated number of people in each 5-year age group per grid square MAPPING APPROACH: Land cover based, as described in: Linard, C., Gilbert, M., Snow, R.W., Noor, A.M. and Tatem, A.J., 2012, Population distribution, settlement patterns and accessibility across Africa in 2010, PLoS ONE, 7(2): e31743. 5-YEAR AGE PROPORTIONS: Tatem, Andrew J., Garcia, Andres J., Snow, Robert W., Noor, Abdisalan M., Gaughan, Andrea E.,Gilbert, Marius and Linard, Catherine, 2013, Millennium development health metrics: where do Africa's children and women of childbearing age live? Population Health Metrics, 11, (1), 11. FORMAT: Geotiff (zipped using 7-zip (open access tool): www.7-zip.org) FILENAMES: Example - BEN14_A0005_adjv1 = Benin (BEN) population count between 0 and 5 years old map (A0005) for 2014 (14) adjusted to match UN national estimates (adj), version 1 (v1). DATE OF PRODUCTION: August 2014

As of 2021, Western North was the region in Ghana with the highest male population share, reaching 51.3 percent. On the other hand, female inhabitants were most populous in the Volta region, as they occupied a share of 52.3 percent of the region's total inhabitants. Overall, majority of the regions in Ghana had a lower male population in comparison to female ones.

Abstract

The 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (2022 GDHS) is the seventh in the series of DHS surveys conducted by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health/Ghana Health Service (MoH/GHS) and other stakeholders, with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and other partners.

The primary objective of the 2022 GDHS is to provide up-to-date estimates of basic demographic and health indicators. Specifically, the GDHS collected information on: - Fertility levels and preferences, contraceptive use, antenatal and delivery care, maternal and child health, childhood mortality, childhood immunisation, breastfeeding and young child feeding practices, women’s dietary diversity, violence against women, gender, nutritional status of adults and children, awareness regarding HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections, tobacco use, and other indicators relevant for the Sustainable Development Goals - Haemoglobin levels of women and children - Prevalence of malaria parasitaemia (rapid diagnostic testing and thick slides for malaria parasitaemia in the field and microscopy in the lab) among children age 6–59 months - Use of treated mosquito nets - Use of antimalarial drugs for treatment of fever among children under age 5

The information collected through the 2022 GDHS is intended to assist policymakers and programme managers in designing and evaluating programmes and strategies for improving the health of the country’s population.

Geographic coverage

National coverage

Analysis unit

• Household
• Individual
• Children age 0-5
• Woman age 15-49
• Man age 15-59

Universe

The survey covered all de jure household members (usual residents), all women aged 15-49, men aged 15-59, and all children aged 0-4 resident in the household.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

To achieve the objectives of the 2022 GDHS, a stratified representative sample of 18,450 households was selected in 618 clusters, which resulted in 15,014 interviewed women age 15–49 and 7,044 interviewed men age 15–59 (in one of every two households selected).

The sampling frame used for the 2022 GDHS is the updated frame prepared by the GSS based on the 2021 Population and Housing Census.1 The sampling procedure used in the 2022 GDHS was stratified two-stage cluster sampling, designed to yield representative results at the national level, for urban and rural areas, and for each of the country’s 16 regions for most DHS indicators. In the first stage, 618 target clusters were selected from the sampling frame using a probability proportional to size strategy for urban and rural areas in each region. Then the number of targeted clusters were selected with equal probability systematic random sampling of the clusters selected in the first phase for urban and rural areas. In the second stage, after selection of the clusters, a household listing and map updating operation was carried out in all of the selected clusters to develop a list of households for each cluster. This list served as a sampling frame for selection of the household sample. The GSS organized a 5-day training course on listing procedures for listers and mappers with support from ICF. The listers and mappers were organized into 25 teams consisting of one lister and one mapper per team. The teams spent 2 months completing the listing operation. In addition to listing the households, the listers collected the geographical coordinates of each household using GPS dongles provided by ICF and in accordance with the instructions in the DHS listing manual. The household listing was carried out using tablet computers, with software provided by The DHS Program. A fixed number of 30 households in each cluster were randomly selected from the list for interviews.

For further details on sample design, see APPENDIX A of the final report.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face computer-assisted interviews [capi]

Research instrument

Four questionnaires were used in the 2022 GDHS: the Household Questionnaire, the Woman’s Questionnaire, the Man’s Questionnaire, and the Biomarker Questionnaire. The questionnaires, based on The DHS Program’s model questionnaires, were adapted to reflect the population and health issues relevant to Ghana. In addition, a self-administered Fieldworker Questionnaire collected information about the survey’s fieldworkers.

The GSS organized a questionnaire design workshop with support from ICF and obtained input from government and development partners expected to use the resulting data. The DHS Program optional modules on domestic violence, malaria, and social and behavior change communication were incorporated into the Woman’s Questionnaire. ICF provided technical assistance in adapting the modules to the questionnaires.

Cleaning operations

DHS staff installed all central office programmes, data structure checks, secondary editing, and field check tables from 17–20 October 2022. Central office training was implemented using the practice data to test the central office system and field check tables. Seven GSS staff members (four male and three female) were trained on the functionality of the central office menu, including accepting clusters from the field, data editing procedures, and producing reports to monitor fieldwork.

From 27 February to 17 March, DHS staff visited the Ghana Statistical Service office in Accra to work with the GSS central office staff on finishing the secondary editing and to clean and finalize all data received from the 618 clusters.

Response rate

A total of 18,540 households were selected for the GDHS sample, of which 18,065 were found to be occupied. Of the occupied households, 17,933 were successfully interviewed, yielding a response rate of 99%. In the interviewed households, 15,317 women age 15–49 were identified as eligible for individual interviews. Interviews were completed with 15,014 women, yielding a response rate of 98%. In the subsample of households selected for the male survey, 7,263 men age 15–59 were identified as eligible for individual interviews and 7,044 were successfully interviewed.

Sampling error estimates

The estimates from a sample survey are affected by two types of errors: (1) nonsampling errors and (2) sampling errors. Nonsampling errors are the results of mistakes made in implementing data collection and data processing, such as failure to locate and interview the correct household, misunderstanding of the questions on the part of either the interviewer or the respondent, and data entry errors. Although numerous efforts were made during the implementation of the 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (2022 GDHS) to minimize this type of error, nonsampling errors are impossible to avoid and difficult to evaluate statistically.

Sampling errors, on the other hand, can be evaluated statistically. The sample of respondents selected in the 2022 GDHS is only one of many samples that could have been selected from the same population, using the same design and identical size. Each of these samples would yield results that differ somewhat from the results of the actual sample selected. Sampling errors are a measure of the variability between all possible samples. Although the degree of variability is not known exactly, it can be estimated from the survey results. A sampling error is usually measured in terms of the standard error for a particular statistic (mean, percentage, etc.), which is the square root of the variance. The standard error can be used to calculate confidence intervals within which the true value for the population can reasonably be assumed to fall. For example, for any given statistic calculated from a sample survey, the value of that statistic will fall within a range of plus or minus two times the standard error of that statistic in 95% of all possible samples of identical size and design.

If the sample of respondents had been selected as a simple random sample, it would have been possible to use straightforward formulas for calculating sampling errors. However, the 2022 GDHS sample was the result of a multistage stratified design, and, consequently, it was necessary to use more complex formulas. The computer software used to calculate sampling errors for the GDHS 2022 is an SAS program. This program used the Taylor linearization method to estimate variances for survey estimates that are means, proportions, or ratios. The Jackknife repeated replication method is used for variance estimation of more complex statistics such as fertility and mortality rates.

A more detailed description of estimates of sampling errors are presented in APPENDIX B of the survey report.

Data appraisal

Data Quality Tables

• Age distribution of eligible and interviewed women
• Age distribution of eligible and interviewed men
• Age displacement at age 14/15
• Age displacement at age 49/50
• Pregnancy outcomes by years preceding the survey
• Completeness of reporting
• Standardisation exercise results from anthropometry training
• Height and weight data completeness and quality for children
• Height measurements from random subsample of measured children
• Interference in height and weight measurements of children
• Interference in height and weight measurements of women and men
• Heaping in anthropometric measurements for children (digit preference)
• Observation of mosquito nets
• Observation of handwashing facility
• School attendance by single year of age
• Vaccination cards photographed
• Number of

As of 2018, 79 percent of households in Ghana was composed of at least one child below the age of 18 years. Moreover, 70 percent had at least one child aged between five and 17 years. In 76 percent of households, there was at least one woman between the ages of 15 and 49 years. The smallest share of household composition was that with at least one child of less than five years.

As of 2023, children aged 0-14 years in Ghana added up to around 12.4 million, registering an increment of 130 thousand people compared to 2022. Furthermore, the number of children belonging to this age group has increased progressively over the years. Compared to the elderly people, children at the age of 14 and younger represented a greater percentage of the population in Ghana in the period examined.

Constrained estimates of total number of people per grid square broken down by gender and age groupings (including 0-1 and by 5-year up to 90+) for Ghana, version v1. The dataset is available to download in Geotiff format at a resolution of 3 arc (approximately 100m at the equator). The projection is Geographic Coordinate System, WGS84. The units are estimated number of male, female or both in each age group per grid square.

More information can be found in the Release Statement

The difference between constrained and unconstrained is explained on this page: https://www.worldpop.org/methods/top_down_constrained_vs_unconstrained

File Descriptions:

{iso} {gender} {age group} {year} {type} {resolution}.tif

iso

Three-letter country code

gender

m = male, f= female, t = both genders

age group

• 00 = age group 0 to 12 months
• 01 = age group 1 to 4 years
• 05 = age group 5 to 9 years
• 90 = age 90 years and over

year

Year that the population represents

type

CN = Constrained , UC= Unconstrained

resolution

Resolution of the data e.q. 100m = 3 arc (approximately 100m at the equator)

Abstract

The Ghana Living Standards Survey (GLSS) is a nationwide survey carried out by the Government of Ghana (Ghana Statistical Service) with the support of the World Bank (Social Dimensions of Adjustment Project Unit). The objective of the survey is to provide data to the government for measuring the living standards of the population and the progress made in raising them. The survey data will permit a more effective formulation and implementation of policies designed to improve the welfare of the population.

The GLSS was launched in September 1987 and is currently planned to be undertaken over a five-year period. The five interval ensures that a steady stream of data becomes available to monitor the impact of the Government's Economic Recovery Program, including the Program of Actions to Mitigate the Social Costs of Adjustment (PAMSCAD). GLSS provides data on various aspects of the Ghanaian household economic and social activities and the interactions between these activities. Data are collected at three levels: the individual level, the household level and community level. The household questionnaire was administered to 1525 households over a six month period from september 1987 to march 1988.

Geographic coverage

National

Analysis unit

• Household
• Individual
• Community
• Commodity

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

The methodology that was used reflects the purpose of the survey. To balance the desire for a large, representative sample with the expense of a long, detailed survey instrument, a sample size of 3,200 households was selected. The households were to be chosen in such a manner that each household had an equal probability of being selected. At the same time, the logistics of locating the households and conducting all interviews within a specific time frame required that the households be grouped into "workloads" of 16 households each. A final concern was that all three of the country's ecological zones (coastal, forest and savannah), and each of urban, semi-urban and rural areas (population greater than 5000, 1500 to 5000, and less than 1500, respectively) form the same proportion in the sample as they do in the national population.

To achieve the three objectives simultaneously, a stratified selection process was used. For the 1984 Census, all of Ghana was divided into approximately 13,000 enumeration areas (EAs). From this list it was determined what proportion of the 200 GLSS workloads should be selected from each of the nine zone/urban categories. Two hundred sampling areas were then selected from the enumeration areas in the sub-divided list. For each enumeration area, the probability of being selected was proportional to the number of households contained in that area.

After the 200 sampling areas were selected, households in those areas were enumerated in 1987. Therefore it was possible to take into account changes in the number of households and preserve the self-weighting nature of the sample. The 200 workloads were assigned among the 200 sampling areas with probability equal to the number of households in that area in 1987 divided by the number of households in that area in 1984 and multiplied by the total number of households in 1984 divided by the total number of households in 1987. That is, sampling areas that had greater than average increases in size had a greater than one chance of being selected. Thus, each sampling area was assigned zero, one, two, or even three workloads of sixteen households. The households (sixteen selected and four replacement for each workload) were then chosen randomly from the household list for each sampling area. The resulting list is 3200 households and 800 replacement households in something less than 200 sampling areas (specifically 178 in 1987-88 and 170 in 1988-89). Each group of 16, 32 or 48 households within a sampling area is referred to as a cluster in the GLSS data sets and in this document.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

• The household survey contains modules (sections) to collect data on household demographic structure, housing conditions, schooling, health, employment, migration, expenditure and income, household non-agricultural businesses, agricultural activities, fertility and contraceptive use, savings and credit, and anthropometric (height and weight) measures.

• The community questionnaire collected data on the population of the community, a list of principal ethnic groups and religions, the length of time the community has existed and whether or not it has grown, principal economic activities, access to a motorable road, electricity, pipe-borne water, restaurant or food stall, post office, bank, daily market and public transport, employment, migration for jobs, existence of community development projects, schools and how far from the community, information is obtained on whether it is public or private, data on distance and travel time to the nearest of each of several types of health post, dispensary, pharmacy, maternity home, family planning clinic, type of crops grown in the community, how often and when they are planted and harvested, and how the harvest is generally sold.

• Price questionnaire collected information on prices from up to three vendors i.e. food, pharmaceutical and other non-food items.

Cleaning operations

The quality control of the data collection occured at three instances. First, on the field, the supervisor randormly visited 25% of the households already surveyed to verify the answers to some key questions. In addition the supervisor periodically attended interviews conducted by each interviewer. Second, in the regional office, the data entry computer package used performed consistency checks, so that inconsistencies and errors in data collected during the first round were immediately reported to the interviewers for verification during the second round. Finally, daily supervisory checks of the data entry process were performed.