HARARE, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe has begun preparations for its fifth population census slated for 2022, which is expected to cost 85.5 million U.S. dollars.
The Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTATS) said Monday the census will for the first time attempt to measure the number of Zimbabweans in the Diaspora to meet data needs of policy-makers.
Zimbabwe has witnessed a growing number of its citizens migrating to other countries over the years to seek for greener pastures.
Zimbabwe conducts a population census every 10 years and the 2022 survey will be the fifth since the country's independence from Britain in 1980.
Preparations for the 2022 census have started, with the government having recently approved the census project which will run from Oct. 1, 2019 to Dec. 31, 2024, ZIMSTATS said in a statement.
"About 85.5 million dollars is required for the census, a key survey that is done every 10 years to provide the country with essential data on demographic and related socio-economic characteristics of the population," it said.
Latest data shows that the country's population is estimated to have grown to 15. 8 million in 2019 from 13.4 million in 2012, and is projected to be around 17 million by the next census in 2022.
