What is Census?

The population and housing census, also referred to as “census” is conducted at intervals of 10 years. Botswana conducted the last population and housing census in 2011. A population census is a total count of the country’s population, where demographic, social and economic information, as well as information about the housing conditions of the people who live in Botswana is gathered. This information is used for planning and decision making by government ministries, departments and agencies, as well as by other stakeholders. For example, it can be applied by the agricultural industry for business planning purposes – if you know the number and spread of your consumers, you will know how to plan for the distribution of your product.  An entrepreneur can also use census information to make critical decisions for his/her business-if you know the population of various localities, you can select the best location for your business.