KABUL(SW); October 20 is the “World Statistics Day”, and Afghanistan is perhaps one of the few countries in the world that is still unable to have a population census and other censuses.
A number of research institutions in Afghanistan say that the lack of accurate statistics is one of the biggest challenges facing research projects in the country.
The Central Statistics Bureau is the only official census center in Afghanistan, which also has no accurate census of the population of Afghanistan yet. All statistics on exports and imports, agricultural lands, gardens and livestock are based on estimates.
This issue has become a major challenge in Afghanistan, which has been criticized by economic intuitions, economic policymakers, and research foundations alike.
Abdul Majid Khalwatgar, the executive director of Nai – Support Free Media in Afghanistan, told Salamwatandar, that the census data in Afghanistan concludes within the power of the government, which has turned into a major dilemma in research institutions. He said; “our population statistic are unknown, the number of vehicles are unknown, how many literates we have? How many teachers and how many government officials we have? Until now nothing is known. Some are true but most of it are estimates.
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According to Mr. Khalwatgar, the Afghan population is still estimatedly counted. He adds that the clarification of accurate statistics in all sectors will affect the personal interests of some.
Ikram Afzali, the Executive Director of the Integrity Watch Afghanistan also told Salamwatandar that providing the accurate figures are the basic responsibilities of the governments. According to him, access to statistics in Afghanistan is facing a lot of problems. Now Afghanistan is not a small village in its own boundaries, to provide report of the commitments made to international community, it must be based on statistics.
The Afghanistan Central Statistics Bureau has only been able to complete the socio-economic census of 8 provinces out of 34 provinces.
Sher Mohammad Jamizada, director of Afghanistan’s Central Statistics Bureau said that infrastructure is ready in the central bureau and he is hopeful about the future. According to Mr. Jamizada, based on the Afghan Central Statistics Act, the publication of official statistics is the authority of this department.
The first nationwide population survey began in 1976 and in 1978 the results were announced, and since then the population of the country is estimated based on that.
Some experts considered the statistics of the year 1978 incomplete, saying that only 60 percent of the population of the country was surveyed and the total population was estimated based on that survey.
ENDS
