News

With Census 2021 past six weeks, and 80 percent, of fieldwork, the Economics and Statistics Office’s Census Team is busy continuing with the Cayman Islands’ population and households count on all three islands.

Census staff will carry on visiting the remaining households to collect census information for the questionnaire, which can take between 15 and 30 minutes for an enumerator to fill.

“We seek the public’s continued cooperation in conducting the census so that we meet the mandates of the Statistics Law,” ESO Director and Head of the Census Team, Mr. Adolphus Laidlow said.

Members of the public are reminded that participation in the census exercise is mandatory under the Statistics Law and Regulations and consequently should be aware that non-compliance with requirements under the Law makes them liable for possible prosecution. For instance, not cooperating with the enumerators or their requests in their data gathering is a punishable offence.

If proven to be in breach of the mandatory requirement to answer the census questions under the Statistics Act, a person will be deemed to have committed a criminal offence, and upon summary conviction is liable to a fine of up to $5,000.

“So, we are urging all those who have not yet participated to provide the information required so that the Islands can obtain the most accurate data possible,” the Director advised.

To reiterate, personal information provided is confidential under the Law, making it a punishable offence attracting equally stiff penalties for authorities to reveal an individual’s information.

“In short, people can be reassured that the information they provide will be treated with the utmost confidence. Only generic and aggregated information will be released in the Census report when it comes out next year,” Director Laidlow explained.

He noted that it is incumbent on all residents to contact one of the census offices or call the census hotline 516-3329 or ESO Office 244-4602 to make sure they are counted as all non-compliant households will be referred to the Legal Department for enforcement of the Statistics Act in due course.

The Director elaborated, “This census data provides important statistics about the Cayman Islands that will be used in every walk of life for the next 10 years but notably for the development of these Islands by both the public and private sectors. Additionally, the census data will inform policy on a slew of areas including Disability and the Elderly Person Services, Education and Curriculum Development, Domestic Migration, Eradication of Poverty, Land Use Zoning for Residential and Business Development.”

He continued “It will also inform about Planning and Infrastructure Development, Women Health and Fertility, Agriculture, Fishing and Food Security, Security and Crime Prevention, Life Expectancy and Quality of Life Indicators, Environmental usage and protection, Economic Development and Jobs Creation, Traffic Models Development for the Road Infrastructure, and Hazard Management and Disaster Mitigation.”

“All residents of these islands benefit from this data. So make sure that you participate and are counted,” the Director urged.