Cook Island Population and Housing Census 2011

The Census provides a unique source of detailed demographic, social and economic data relating to the entire population at a single point in time. The most fundamental questions it will answer concern the size and distribution of the entire population, the extent to which men and women participate in the economy, and the nature of housing and household facilities.

Our country is constantly changing and information collected will allow policy planners to measure the developments of our society and to make decisions about future needs of our communities. Emphasis for the CPD is on renewable energy. Government has set itself policy goals that by 2015, 50 percent of Cook Islands electricity demand will be provided by renewable energy and 100 percent in 2020. Culture has also been identified as a priority of Government.

The topic content of the 2011 Census has been driven principally by the demands and requirements of users of census statistics, the evaluation of the 2006 Census, and the priorities of the Government as stated in its manifesto, and the advice and guidance of organisations with experience of similar operations. These have been determined by extensive consultations with various Ministries of government and non government organizations (NGO).

The topics proposed for the census are those most needed by the major users of census information and questions have been devised to produce reliable and accurate data. In each case, no other comparable and accessible source of the information is available in combination with other items in the census.

In assessing which topics should be included in the census, Statistics Office has had to consider a number of factors. The criteria for evaluating the strength of users' requirements for information were that:

· there should be a clearly demonstrated and significant need
· the information collected was of major national importance
· users' requirements could not adequately be met by information from other sources
· there should be a requirement for multivariate analysis (that is the ability to cross-analyze one variable against other), and
· there should be consideration of the ability for comparison with the 2006 Census wherever possible

Version 01: Cleaned, labelled and de-identified version of the Master file.

-HOUSEHOLD: Household characteristics, water supply, energy, toilet, tradition, communication & technology, waste management, involvment in agriculture, fishing, farming, equipment, transport.

-INDIVIDUAL: Individual characteristics, disability, literacy and language, information & technology, education, economic activity, income, narcotics, cultural activities and fertility.

* Collection start: 2011
* Collection end: 2011