Sources and Methods: Labour Statistics
Volume 5: Population Censuses

Madagascar

1.Name and address of the organization responsible for the census:

Direction du Recensement Général de la Population et de l'Habitat, (DRGPH), B.P. 485, Antananarivo.

2.Population censuses conducted since 1945 (years):

1975 and 1993. The present description relates to the 1993 population census (held from 1 to 19 August).

3.Coverage of the census:

(a) Geographical scope

Whole territory.

(b) Persons covered

All persons of all ages, except nationals residing abroad.

4.Reference period:

The week preceding the day of the interview.

5.Main topics:

(a) Total population, by sex and age: yes

Economically active population by:

(b) Sex and age group: yes

(c) Industry: yes

(d) Occupation: yes

(e) Status in employment: yes

(f) Highest educational level: yes

(g) Hours of work: no

(h) Other characteristics: no

Re (a): The age is defined in terms of year of birth, or estimated in years when the date of birth is not known.

6.Concepts and definitions:

(a) Economically active population

It comprises all persons aged 10 years and over who, at the time of the census, were either employed or unemployed, according to the definitions given below. Members of the armed forces are included in the definition. Working students with a part-time job and students seeking work are excluded from the definition.

(b) Employment

Considered as employed are all persons who stated that they were employed during the reference week, meaning that they had received, would receive or hoped to receive remuneration in cash or in kind for a regular activity to which they had devoted most of their time. The question used to determine if a person should be counted as employed was Employment situation: employed; unemployed; first-time jobseeker; homemaker; student; retired; unable to work owing to disability; other.

It is reported that the following categories are included:

  1. persons doing unpaid work in family firm or business;
  2. persons engaged in the production of primary products for own consumption;
  3. employed persons, temporarily absent from work;
  4. seasonal or occasional workers;
  5. conscripts for military/civilian service;
  6. apprentices and trainees.
Except for category (ii), all other categories can be identified separately by means of the responses to questions concerning economic activity, occupation and status in employment.

(c) Unemployment

Considered as unemployed are all persons who have been perviously employed but who have been without work for a given period of time and whose primary activity during the reference week was the search for a new job. First-time jobseekers are not covered by this definition, but are identified separately. The question used is the same one as that mentioned in paragraph 6 (b) above.

7.Classifications used:

Both employed persons and unemployed persons previously employed are classified by industry, by occupation and by status in employment.

(a) Industry

Based on the question: What is (was) the main activity of your firm or employer? for example: cultivation of rice, transport of goods, oil-works, teaching.... For coding industry, the ISIC-rev.3 was used to the group (3-digit) level.

(b) Occupation

Based on the question: During the week preceding ... 1993, what was the employed person's primary occupation? For unemployed persons, record the most recent occupation. For example: retailer or wholesaler, chauffeur, rice farmer, tailor, shepherd. For persons with several occupations, the primary occupation is the one from which he/she derives the largest income. For coding occupation, the ISCO-88 was used to the major group (1-digit) level.

(c) Status in employment

Based on the question: What is or was your situation in your occupation?. For coding status in employment seven groups were used: self-employed; employer; permanent employee; temporary employee; apprentice; family worker; other.

8.Main differences compared with the previous census:

The 1975 census was divided in three parts (26-27 January: the major urban centres (excluding the capital); 6-7 April: the capital and other urban centres; 17-18 August: rural areas), while the 1993 census was carried out simultaneously throughout the national territory.

The 1975 census had used a long reference period (one month).

Lastly, nationals residing abroad had been surveyed in 1975, but were excluded in 1993.

9.Publication of the census results:

The final census results are to be published in two stages: publication of statistical tables (one volume per province) in April 1966, and publication of the volume containing the analysis of the 1993 census data in June 1996.

The organization responsible for the publication is Institut National de la Statistique, B.P. 485, Antananarivo.

The census data will also be available in the form of diskettes.