Census 2001

Introduction

The United Nations define a census as: "the complete process of collecting, composing, evaluating, analyzing and publishing demographic, economic and social data of all the people in a country at specific point in time". This same definition also applies to a house count. Just as in other parts of the world, both counts have been conducted simultaneously in the Netherlands Antilles since 1972. As the verification moment, the situation as at 0:00 hour on January 29, 2001 was chosen.

Not all the inhabitants of the Netherlands Antilles could be reached in the week from January 29 through February 4, 2001. Therefore, an effort was made to complete the count in the period from February 5 through March 15, 2001 by means of a so-called 'recount'.

This census is, as mentioned earlier, the fourth General Population and Housing Census. In 1972, 1981 and 1992, the counts were also general. The 1930 count was meant to organize the population registers. The 1960 census was not conducted in Aruba and in that year, the LAGO oil refinery conducted its own census.

The general character of a census is characterized by the target groups at which the publications of the results are directed. Every citizen has the right to be informed on the state of affairs in his/her community. That is why the results of the census are placed at the disposal of everybody at the Central Bureau of Statistics.

A census gives an insight into the living conditions of the population at a certain moment in time. A comparison with the results from previous censuses enables us to form a picture of the past developments and the possibility to anticipate future developments in time. For this reason, the United Nations advises its members to conduct a census every ten years.

The census has also an additional goal, and that is to enable the Population Departments to check their population registers for completeness and to update them. For this reason, an occupants' list was also filled out, in addition to a living accommodations form and one or more personal forms for each household. This occupants' list was filled out for the Population Departments.

The census legislation

In the Act of December 9, 1971, providing for rules concerning conducting general population counts, it is stipulated what persons are obliged to participate in the census. Included are all the persons who, at the moment that the census is conducted, have lived longer than one year in the Netherlands Antilles or who intend to stay at least one year in the Netherlands Antilles. The Act prescribes furthermore what the data are that may be collected, the obligation of the citizens to participate in the census, the cooperation that the Lieutenant-Governors and the Executive Councils have to give, the conducting of a sample count and making data available to the Executive Councils in order to clear the Population Registers. The Act also provides for the rules concerning the pledge of secrecy. Anyone who, somehow or other, participates in the process of collecting, processing and publishing census data is obliged to observe secrecy with respect to all that has come to his/her notice when executing these activities. The person who violates this obligation of secrecy, shall be liable for imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months or a fine of six hundred guilders.