National Census Department, Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, P.O. box 6139, Kigali.
1978, 1991 and 2002. The following description refers to the 2002 census (carried out from 16 to 31 August).
a) Geographical scope: The whole country.
b) Persons covered: The entire population.
The month preceding the economic activity census.
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: Yes
h) Other characteristics: Yes
Ref. a): Age is determined in terms of date of birth, year of birth or age at last birthday (these three pieces of information were collected to determine the date of birth and consequently the exact age).
Ref. h): The census also collected information on housing, languages spoken, literacy, religious affiliation and disabilities (types and causes of disabilities).
a) Economically active population: This includes all persons of six years of age and over who, during the reference period, were either employed or unemployed according to the definitions given below.
b) Employment: All persons of six years of age and over who, during the month prior to the census, came under the following categories were considered to be employed: persons in wage employment who are at work; persons in wage employment but not at work; persons in non-wage employment who are at work; persons in non-wage employment who have an enterprise but are not at work; apprentices who are paid in cash.
The following categories were included:
i) persons engaged in production for own consumption;
ii) seasonal or casual workers;
iii) members of the armed forces.
Persons belonging to the abovementioned categories could be identified separately.
c) Unemployment: All persons of six years of age and over who, during the reference month, did not have a job and were available for wage or non-wage employment were considered to be unemployed.
Persons with a job as well as unemployed persons who had previously worked were classified by industry, occupation and status in employment.
a) Industry: Based on the questions: “During the reference period, in which industry did the person in question work?” and: “Did this person work in the public sector or the private sector?” Seventeen major groups from the national classification were used to code industry data. At the group level, links were established to the International Standard Industrial Classification of all economic activities (ISIC Revision 3).
b) Occupation: BBased on the question: “What was the main occupation of the person in question during this period?” To code occupation data, 113 groups categorized in 12 major groups from the national classification were used. At the subgroup level, links were established to the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO-88).
c) Status in employment: Based on the question: “What was the status in employment of the person in question?” The following groups were used to code this variable: self-employed; employer; regular employee; temporary employee; apprentice; unpaid family worker; other.
d) Level of education: Based on the question: “What is the highest level of education achieved by the person in question?” The following groups were used to code data on the level of education: none; primary education; post-primary education; vocational secondary education; technical secondary education; general secondary education; higher education. No links have been established to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED-97).
During the 2002 census the reference period for economic activities was one month, whereas it was one week for the 1991 census.
The preliminary results of the census were published in December 2002 and are available on the web site of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (www.minecofin.gov.rw). The final results were made public in November 2003 and will soon be posted on the web site. Publication of the final results in statistical tables and an outreach document is in preparation in order to disseminate the information among a wider audience. In-depth analyses of 17 topics (including economic activity) are already under way. Regional monograph results and a demographic map are also planned for October 2004.
The organization responsible for publishing the final results of the census is the National Census Department, Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, P.O. box 6139, Kigali.