Preliminary results from Malawi’s 2008 Population and Housing Census indicate that the country’s population has reached 13.1 million, representing an increase of 2.8% from the previous census conducted in 1998, APA learned Tuesday.
From the total number enumerated, 45 percent of the people are found in the southern region, 42 percent in the central region and 13 per cent in the northern region of the country.
Speaking during the presentation of the results, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) Representative to Malawi, Esperance Fundira, said census data plays a key role in many aspects of democracy and economy.
She said reliable data obtained through the census was vital for monitoring how the country was doing in its efforts to reduce poverty through sustained economic growth and development as enshrined in the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS) and in the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s).
“The information drawn from the 2008 census will not only help government but also national institutions and developing partners to better understand and evaluate the achievements of policies that are being implemented,” she said.
Minister of Economic Planning and Development, Ken Lipenga, said the census results would provide policymakers, program managers and other planners in the public and private sectors with an updated and solid denominator for their decisions.
“There shall be no excuse for using either outdated or own estimates that have no scientific basis when the required information which has been objectively obtained is now available,” he said.
The final detailed results will be available in early 2009, he added.
Source African Press Agency
