Abstract

A Census of Population and Housing is the single most extensive statistical undertaking of a country. In order to plan and implement programmes and activities, statistics are needed by the Government administrators of various levels, private users, research organizations and the general public.

The 2001 Census was conducted under the Census Ordinance, which was amended by the Census Act No 55 of 2000. Census Ordinance places the legal obligation upon the public to give accurate information to the Census officers. The ordinance also guarantees the confidentiality of the information collected at individual level. The CPH 2001 has been designed to collect various information about the characteristics of the population, housing units and the households in Sri Lanka.

The CHP2001 provides:

a. Reliable and detailed benchmark statistics on the size, distribution and composition of population. b. Information pertaining to the characteristics of the housing units. c. Information on the characteristics of the households d. Information pertaining to the characteristics of the disable persons.

Geographic coverage

National coverage The 2001 census enumeration was able to be carried out completely in 18 districts. These include all the 17 districts in Western, Central, Southern, North Western, North Central, Uva and Sabaragamuwa Provinces and Amparai district in the Eastern Province. Due to the disturbed conditions in Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka, however, certain areas could not be enumerated completely.

Analysis unit

(1) Individual (2) Household

Universe

CPH 2001 covered all residents in each household and all units in each census block. The census did not cover diplomats.

Kind of data

Census/enumeration data [cen]

Mode of data collection

Computer Assisted Personal Interview [capi]

Research instrument

I) Population and Housing Schedule (F3): This schedule was used to collect 24 items from individuals pertaining to demographic and economic characteristics such as General information, Migration patterns, Educational characteristics, Economic characteristics, Nuptiality and Fertility and additional 9 items on Housing unit characteristics such as Occupancy status, Number of households in the unit, Number of occupants in the unit, Construction material of wall, floor, roof, Type of structure, Year of construction, Unit usage, Availability of rooms and Number of rooms and 7 items on Household such as Number of occupants in the household, Availability of toilet, Type of toilet, Source of drinking water, Type of lighting, Type of cooking fuel and Tenure

II) Schedule for Disabled Persons (F4): This schedule was used to collect information pertaining to 6 types of disabilities such as Vision, Hearing / Speaking, Manual/walking, Mental and Other Physical disabilities. [This is dealt with as a special census project and archived separately].

Data Collection Forms:

F1 - List of all the building units located in a Census block F2 - Administrative/Technical form (Summary of F1) F3 - Population and Housing Schedule (all information of the population, housing and household information). F4 - Schedule for disabled persons F5 - Special schedule for Tourists and Foreign visitors Schedule for post enumeration survey

Cleaning operations

Data processing consisted of two major phases: (1) Manual editing and coding, (2) Computer processing such as fixes while data entry, structure checking and completeness and secondary editing

Manual editing was confined in the field to simple checks such as verification of area identification codes and the codes for certain questions (e.g. district of birth). Coding was required only in respect of three questions, namely educational attainment, occupation and industry.

Data were entered for the second time to verify the original keyed data which is called the verification process. When the administrators fell that the overall error rate is diminishing, the verification process was mitigated step by step assuming that the operators are progressively improving in entering the questionnaires correctly.

A series of computer edit checks were carried out and records containing errors were printed for visual verification. These edit checks included both range and consistency checks. Finally limited number of imputations was done before the tabulation of data.

Processing was done on IBM S390 integrated server 3006 model B01 and several personal computers. Keyboard to disk type data entry was adopted for data capture.

The software Integrated Micro Computer Processing System (IMPS) developed by U.S. Bureau of Census was used to data processing activities including data entry.

Data appraisal

The Districtwise data files were analysed. the breakups of the analysis such as

1. Male/female totals
2. Frequencies
3. Housing unit types

were filed as standard benchmarks for each district to be used to compare various District Table figures.

Abstract

A Census of Population and Housing is the single most extensive statistical undertaking of a country. In order to plan and implement programmes and activities, statistics are needed by the Government administrators of various levels, private users, research organizations and the general public.

The 2001 Census was conducted under the Census Ordinance, which was ammended by the Census Act No 55 of 2000. Census Ordinance places the legal obligation upon the public to give accurate information to the Census officers. The ordinance also gurantee the confidentiality of the information collected at individual level. The CPH 2001 has been designed to collect various information about the characteristics of the population, housing units and the households in Sri Lanka.

The CHP2001 provides

a. Reliable and detailed benchmark statistics on the size, distribution and composition of population.

b. Information pertaining to the characteristics of the housing units.

c. Information on the characteristics of the households

d. Information pertaining to the characteristics of the disable persons.

Geographic coverage

National coverage

Note : The 2001 census enumeration was able to be carried out completely in 18 districts. These include all the 17 districts in Western, Central, Southern, North Western, North Central, Uva and Sabaragamuwa Provinces and Amparai district in the Eastern Province.

Due to the disturbed conditions in Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka, certain areas could not be enumerated completely.

Analysis unit

(1) Individuals (2) Households

Universe

CPH 2001 covered all residents in each household and all units in each census block.

Population census did not cover diplomats.

Kind of data

Census/enumeration data [cen]

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

I) Population and Housing Schedule (F3): This schedule was used to collect 24 items from individuals pertaining to demographic and economic characteristics such as General information, Migration patterns, Educational characteristics, Economic characteristics, Nuptiality and Fertility and additional 9 items on Housing unit characteristics such as Occupancy status, Number of households in the unit, Number of occupants in the unit, Construction material of wall, floor, roof, Type of structure, Year of construction, Unit usage, Availability of rooms and Number of rooms and 7 items on Household such as Number of occupants in the household, Availability of toilet, Type of toilet, Source of drinking water, Type of lighting, Type of cooking fuel and Tenure

II) Schedule for Disabled Persons(F4): This schedule was used to collect information pertaining to 6 types of disabilities such as Vision, Hearing / Speaking, Manual/walking, Mental and Other Physical disabilities. [This is dealt with as a special census project and archived seperately].

Data Collection Forms:

F1 - List of all the building units located in a Census block F2 - Administrative/Technical form (Summary of F1) F3 - Population and Housing Schedule (all information of the population, housing and household information). F4 - Schedule for disabled persons F5 - Special schedule for Tourists and Foreign visitors. - Schedule for post enumeration survey.

Cleaning operations

Data processing consisted of two major phases. (1) Manual editing and coding, (2) Computer processing such as fixes while data entry, structure checking and completeness and secondary editing..

Manual editing was confined in the field to simple checks such as verification of area identification codes and the codes for certain questions (eg. district of birth). Coding was required only in respect of three questions, namely educational attainment, occupation and industry.

Data were entered for the second time to verify the original keyed data which is called the verification process. When the administrators fell that the overall error rate is diminishing, the verification process was mitigated step by step assuming that the operators are progressively improving in entering the questionnaires correctly.

A series of computer edit checks were carried out and records containing errors were printed for visual verification. These edit checks included both range and consistency checks. Finally limited number of imputations was done before the tabulation of data.

Processing was done on IBM S390 integrated server 3006 model B01 and several personal computers. Keyboard to disk type data entry was adopted for data capture.

The software Integrated Micro Computer Processing System (IMPS) developed by U.S. Bureau of Census was used to data processing activities including data entry

Data appraisal

The Districtwise data files were analysed. the breakups of the analysis such as

1. Male/female totals
2. Frequencies
3. Housing unit types

were filed as standard benchmarks for each district to be used to compare various District Table figures.

Abstract

A Census of Population and Housing is the single most extensive statistical undertaking of a country. In order to plan and implement programmes and activities, statistics are needed by the Government administrators of various levels, private users, research organizations and the general public.

The 1971 Census was conducted under the Census Ordinance N0. 9 of 1900. (Chapter 143) According to that it shall be lawful for the Minister from time to time by order published in the Gazette, to direct that a census be taken of the population, agriculture (including animal husbandry ) trade, labour, industry or commerce or such other matters as he may deem necessary for ascertaining the social, civil or economic conditions of the inhabitants of Ceylon. The CPH 1971 has been designed to collect various information about the characteristics of the population and the households in Sri Lanka.

The CHP1971 provides

a. Reliable and detailed benchmark statistics on the size, distribution and composition of population.

b. Information pertaining to the characteristics of the housing units.

c. Information on the characteristics of the households

Geographic coverage

National coverage

Analysis unit

(1) Individuals (2) Households

Universe

CPH 1971 covered all residents in each household and all units in each census block.

Population census did not cover diplomats.

Kind of data

Census/enumeration data [cen]

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

A main area for the advance preparations for the 1971 Census was the redesigning of Population and Housing schedules in order to minimize the time required for coding the data. One of the reasons for the delay in tabulation of information from the earlier censuses particularly the 1953 and 1963 censuses was the inordinately long time taken at the Head Office to code the information before punching the information on cards. With a view to avoiding such delays it was decided to have as much of the coding as possible done in the field itself by the enumerators. Topics such as Sex, Marital Status, Religion, Ethnic Group etc; which consist of a few well defined categories could be easily entered on the schedules in the form of codes. A schedule designed for the purpose of was tested at the first Pilot Census. In this schedule, however, the codes for each category were shown at the bottom of the schedule and hence the enumerator had to frequently shift his eyes up and down between the cage in which the entry was to be made and the section at the bottom of the schedule showing the codes. This proved to be the somewhat strenuous and time consuming. Some of the codes were easily remembered by the enumerator e.g. Male 1, Female 2. But in the case of other items like Ethnic Group & Marital Status which contain more than 4 or 5 categories, the possibility of some mixing up of codes existed, leading to inaccuracy. On the basis of experience of the first Pilot Census, the schedule was redesigned and the codes were shown against the question in respect of which answers were sought from the respondents and the enumerators required to indicate the answers by circling the appropriate code. This layout of the schedule eliminated errors resulting from marking of a wrong code which was possible in the case of schedules used at the first Pilot Census.

A similar procedure, however, could not be adopted in respect of such topic as educational attainment, occupation and industry, in respect of which the number of possible entries were quite large. In these cases the enumerator wrote down the answers and the coding was done later, in the office, by specially trained coding staff. The Housing schedule was also designed on the same basis.

The schedule which contained the item in respect of which information was collected from all persons in the country was called the Population Schedule (General) and was printed on white paper to distinguish it from the Population Schedule (Special) printed on pink paper. The Population Schedule (Special) contained in addition to those on the Population Schedule (General) items which were to be collected from a sample only. The Housing Schedule was printed on blue paper.

Cleaning operations

The Census Schedules, on receipt in the Head Office, were checked for any possible shortages and then edited and coded where necessary by specially trained staff, prior to being passed on to the Data Processing Division, for punching and tabulation.

Computer Editing Before the punched cards were transferred to the computer room for processing, certain manual checks for control figures and sight checks were carried out administrative regions. A comprehensive editing procedure was done on the computer. The computer program which checked the records comprised of five basic edits. They were : 1. Checking to ensure that all data was numeric 2. Checking the validity of numerical codes entered for descriptive data 3. Checking the range of codes 4. Checking the consistency of related data 5. Checking and imputation of a limited amount of data for omissions.

Editing to ensure that all data was numeric enabled the detection of errors occurring due to punching and verifying machine faults. All the other edits provided a complete check for validity and consistency of the records. Only records which satisfied all edit checks were written on tape while the error records were appropriately printed by districts. These error lists were referred to the appropriate division for correction. The corrected records were re-punched and passed through the edit program again. This procedure was adopted for each district until no errors were printed. At the commencement of processing 4 error lists for each district were referred back, but with experience gained in the correction of error lists, the reference was cut down to two lists