Test population and housing census to be conducted in 11 settlements of Moldova

Chisinau, 25 August /MOLDPRES/ - A test population and housing census will be conducted in 11 settlements of Moldova on the period 28 August – 10 October 2023. Thus, starting from next Monday, census takers will go to census-taking sectors from the concerned settlements to collect data. The expenses for carrying out the exercise amount to five million lei (250,000 euros).   

Those 11 settlements were selected from the regions of north, centre and south of Moldova, Chisinau municipality and Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia. The data will be collected by 120 census takers. They will be on the spot between 8:00 and 21:00. If the census taker finds nobody at home, he/she will visit the concerned dwelling on another day, at another time. The data provided at the census by the questioned people are strictly confidential and protected under the law and the personal data will not be divulged to anybody. The data will be used only on statistic purposes, in order to work out and disseminate the findings in form of generalized statistics data, without possibility to identify the person.   

The director general of the National Statistics Bureau (BNS), Oleg Cara, today said that the test census was a stage of preparation for the population and housing census scheduled for the 2024 year. The goal of the census is to test the census questionnaires, the data collection instruments and diverse aspects as regards the way of organization of conducting the census. The test census will also help better understand the possible challenges and obstacles in the successful carrying out of the census next year, thus ensuring a high quality of the information collected.     

The government’s secretary general, Artur Mija, said the census due in 2024 would be the third one in Moldova’s history and was a complex and important exercise for the country. ‘’In 2014, unfortunately, we had a census, the data of which cannot be used and the government is set to develop public policies based on data and realities and less on the part of emotions. For this reason, the test census is an important test for us,’’ Mija said. The official urged citizens to be receptive and the local authorities – to provide the support needed for the carrying out of the exercise.     

Moldova will benefit from financial support worth 2.075 million euros on behalf of the European Union and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for the organization of the Census in 2024.  

European Union’s Ambassador to Moldova Jānis Mažeiks said EU would monitor the way the census would be conducted and the quality of the data collected. ‘’The EU’s support will not boil down to the technical assistance and monitoring, but we will also contribute to the purchasing of equipment and to the carrying out of a massive campaign of informing the citizens,’’ Jānis Mažeiks said.

UNFPA Resident Representative in Moldova Nigina Abaszada said the organization she represents would support the holding of this exercise through the procurement of equipment and technical assistance needed. ‘’Now, Moldova is on the European integration way and the progress achieved in the fulfillment of the commitments taken can be measured only based on qualitative statistics data. The reliable statistics data have a key role in planning the activities necessary in the long run,’’ Nigina Abaszada noted.    

The census is a statistics activity held once in ten years and is part of the world census rounds, carried out in accordance with the international recommendations. The last census was conducted in Moldova in 2014.