South Africa’s 2022 census holds world record for worst undercounting – United Nations

Lester Kiewit interviews Tom Moultrie, Professor of Demography at the University of Cape Town.

Listen below.

The 2022 South African census set the world record for the highest undercount among censuses with reported undercounts, as tracked by the United Nations Population Division.

The reported undercount of 31% exceeds the previous record high by approximately 10 percentage points.

Although the results were adjusted for this undercount, they remain more estimates than precise counts, leading to several anomalies.

According to Moultrie, several factors contributed to these issues:

• Conducting the census during the Covid-19 pandemic complicated both planning and execution.
• Delays occurred in recruiting and training field staff for in-person data collection.
• The data collection period was extended multiple times.

RELATED: '2022 Census flaws mean data might not be accurate enough for official use'

"As of two days ago, we found that a whole lot of really important data is not going to be released, and this adds to our concerns about the validity and the reliability of the census numbers."

- Tom Moultrie, Professor of Demography – University of Cape Town

Moultrie highlights that, without reliable information, there is a high risk of misallocating resources.

This misallocation could result in funds being directed to areas that don't require them while leaving those in need underserved.

He also points out that although the census is legally recognised as official statistics, it is currently not fit for purpose, a reality that contrasts with StatsSA's declarations.

"We have extreme concerns about the reliability of those numbers."

- Tom Moultrie, Professor of Demography – University of Cape Town

Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.