CSO announces the release of the 2022 Population and Housing Census provisional report
Thursday, August 15, 2024
by Glen Simon, NCPC
THE PRELIMINARY REPORT CAN BE DOWNLOADED FROM THE WEBSITE OF THE CENTRAL STATISTICAL OFFICE.

The Central Statistical Office (CSO) of Saint Lucia has announced the publication of the first comprehensive report from the 2022 Population and Housing Census (PHC). The 2022 census marks a historic transition for the CSO, as it is the first in the region to utilize the Computer Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI) approach, replacing the traditional Paper Assisted Personal Interview (PAPI) method. This shift has enabled more efficient and accurate data collection, leveraging advanced technologies and methodologies as outlined in the UN ECLAC User Guide for Population and Housing Censuses—Rev 3. 

Sean Mathurin, Director of Statistics at the Central Statistical Office (CSO), said: “The provisional report marks a milestone in our ongoing efforts to understand and analyze the social and economic and demographic dynamics of our nation. ‘Provisional’ means that the department will continue to analyze the data with the hope to finalize data publication by the end of the year.”

Mathurin highlighted several significant enhancements in this census report, including the addition of an infographics section, improved disaggregation of tables, enhanced analytical analysis of key findings, and the inclusion of several CARICOM-recommended tables. He emphasized that the goal is to make the report available to the public as soon as possible, and shared key findings from the 2022 National Population and Housing Census. These include a decrease in average household size from 2.8 individuals in 2010 to 2.6 in 2022. Additionally, the report cites a high prevalence of diabetes and hypertension in the Castries and Gros Islet regions. The age dependency ratio has declined from 48.6 in 2010 to 44.5 in 2022, indicating reduced pressure on the working-age population. Notably, while Saint Lucia's population increased from 166,526 in 2010 to 172,948 in 2022, the growth rate has declined from 5 percent to 3.9 percent. Mathurin explained that while Saint Lucia’s population is increasing, it is happening at a slower rate.

The Director of Statistics encourages the public and stakeholders to utilize the information contained in the census.

“The Statistics Department would like to urge not just the policymakers but the general public to make use of that wealth of information considering the time and resources that went into the production and generation of that information,” he said.

This census report is the first release, with subsequent thematic publications to offer more detailed analyses and tables. The preliminary census report can be downloaded from the website of the Central Statistical Office of Saint Lucia.