The relationship between settlement type and undercount in the South African census of 2011

Abstract

Holding a population and housing census is both a momentous undertaking and a costly challenge for any government. It requires vast planning and organising, but the results are vital for constructive planning. The aim of a census is to collect, process and disseminate detailed statistics on population size, composition and distribution at small-area level. As an undercount could affect the trust and use of census data, a major challenge in any census is dealing with the effects of an undercount. This article investigates some of  the causes of the undercount in the South African National census of 2011, and how these causes vary across different geographic areas. The aim of the investigation is to determine the relationship between settlement type and the undercount in the 2011-census with the intention of laying the groundwork for lower undercounts in future censuses and survey implementation strategies. The key objectives of this article are to determine whether geographic location affects the census undercount and to understand how results based on geographic location are distributed spatially across the country.