Monrovia — The Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS), and its partners have deplored "the unsubstantiated information in the public space from some political actors as well as individuals regarding the just published Provisional Results of the 2022 National Population and Housing Census, and would like to state that these results are intended to provide an overview of the Census count."
The statement comes after the opposition Unity Party and a coalition of other opposition political parties rejected the provisional results of the 2022 Census results, saying it lacks verifiable data and is a recipe for vote rigging.
In February, LISGIS announced the provisional results of Liberia's 2022 census in which it stated that Liberia' population has hit 5.2 million, amassing 50 percent growth since 2008.
LISGIS said overall, the male population makes up 50.4 percent (2,644,450) of the people and the female population accounts for 49.6 (2,604,171), given a national sex ration of 101.5 males for every 100 females."
It also ranked southeastern Liberia as the region that experienced the highest population growth, though not densely populated as compared to counties in the central and northern regions of the country.
It clarified the data presented will be used as provisional figures until the final results are released by the end of May 2023; adding that the completeness of the 2022 LNPHC is ranked at 97 percent, which is an internationally acceptable achievement.
However, since the results were announced, major opposition parties including the Unity Party continue to express their disapproval. Without evidence, they claimed that the Census data is meant to give the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) leverage in the ensuing 2023 presidential and legislative elections.
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But in its latest release, LISGIS said while the provisional census results are a succinct summary of the census, it does not provide an in-depth analysis of the various thematic areas. The yet to be written analysis and thematic report on multi-sectorial areas will provide evidence-based indicators about the push and pull factors, it said.
It added that the pertinent data according to the push and pull factors associated with all elements of growth will be analyzed and presented in the final Census results that will be published in June 2023, noting all errors related to coverage and content will be determined later by the ongoing Post Enumeration Survey (PES) which draws on a stratified clustered sample survey across the country.
"Albeit, we welcome the interest of political parties and stakeholders in the published Provisional Results of the 2022 National Population and Housing. We, however, urge for non-polarization of the data," LISGIS said in the statement.
The 2022 Liberia National Population and Housing Census is Liberia's first complete digital census. It used state-of-the-art geo-spatial technology, census monitoring dashboard, and Computer Aided Personal Interview (CAPI) technology in all aspects of its implementation.
It has since been validated by the country's international partners including the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
As a comprehensive digital census, LISGIS said it leveraged the available technology to improve operational efficiency and enhance the quality of the data collected. The provisional census results match both regional and international standards.
