Count me in! Winner of 2020 Census Motto

Today, my slogan submission “Count me in!” for the 2020 Population & Housing Census was announced as part of the official education campaign.

The launch of this public education will bring awareness to Census Day, scheduled for May 12, 2020.

Censuses allows us to have a bird’s-eye view of our population and how it has changed overtime. However, the earliest data sets in Belize do exist not in a neatly scribed document. They exist in the fossils and artifacts that archaeologists use to estimate the population. Jaime Awe has estimated that our Maya population during its heyday may have reached close to one million.

For much of the colonial period, census data were usually based on head-counts as well as estimates. The earliest colonial census was carried out in 1816. And although terms and concepts were left undefined in many cases, the census from this period provides a valuable insight into our past.

Dr. Leopold Perriott, Director General at SIB, reminds us that one of the main functions of the census is to give an accurate picture of the reality of Belize. The accuracy of the census is heavily dependent on valid, reliable and consistent data sets.

In this light, SIB is now preparing to conduct one of its most expensive, innovative and comprehensive census. Two things are very different this time around. Electronic tablets and GIS data will now be used to provide a more efficient data collection and analysis. Preliminary results are expected to be released by the end of the 2020.

According to Dr. Cassandra T. Rogers, one of the greatest benefits of the census is that the data is available for all to use. For instance, an entrepreneur seeking to develop a business can access information on how many young people are located within a municipality to develop their business plan. Non-governmental organizations can use the census to develop programs to support unemployment in areas most needed. Government can use the data to address macro challenges in education, poverty alleviation and health.

The 2020 Census will allow us to analyze underlining trends, problems and opportunities. Therefore, when the data collector comes to your home, don’t be afraid to be counted. It’s more than numbers. It’s our collective contribution to assess where we are and where we want to be.

Count me in!