THE Isle of Man will have its 5-yearly census in March this year and it will be the source of vital information, according to the Government.
Treasury Minister Anne Craine said that the information gathered at the census - on March 27 - is important in terms of planning for the Island’s future health and prosperity.
The last census - in 2006 - showed that the population of the Island had grown to 80,058. By comparison, Jersey (half the size of the Isle of Man) has much higher density of population at 88,000 and Guernsey (one eleventh the size of the Isle of Man) has the highest density population of the three with 65,726 (2008).
“Government, local authorities and private enterprise use the information gathered for a variety of purposes, such as assessing the need for new facilities, analysing the provision of public services, and assisting efforts to maximise business opportunities.”
All households and institutions in the Island are required to complete the census on the designated evening and submit the form via their district enumerator.
Mrs Craine added, “The information captured by the census has a crucial part to play in shaping the Isle of Man’s short-term and long-term planning. For instance, the figures may help government to determine whether there are sufficient schools and medical facilities to meet local demand, or assist businesses that are looking to establish a presence in the Island.
“Similarly, local authorities need to know how many people live in their particular area in order to optimise the services they provide.
“A common misconception is that government already has all this information. However, we rely on holding a regular census to build up an accurate statistical view of the community and keep us informed of any significant changes in areas such as the age, sex, nationality and employment status of the resident population.
“As an example, people do not have to inform the Government when they move house and without a Census we would not know how many individuals are living in each area. Consequently, I would urge everybody to give the Census their full attention on the evening of March 27 as their input is vital.’
A census is taken every five years in the Isle of Man and it is envisaged that the completed results for 2011 will be published early in 2012. All answers are treated in the strictest confidence and the information obtained is used solely for the preparation of the census report.
The Economic Affairs Division of Treasury is responsible for gathering, collating and publishing the data. One of its initial tasks is to recruit enumerators for each of the towns, villages and parishes that make up the 24 census districts. Enumerators distribute and collect the census forms and also provide assistance on a range of issues, such as who to include and exclude when providing details of each household.
Census manager Gemma Mylchreest said, “The enumerators are the key to the success of the Census. The supervising officers for each district need reliable people with a good knowledge of their particular area.”
• Anyone wishing to apply to become a census enumerator should send a letter of application to: The Census Manager, Census Office, 5th Floor, Victory House, Prospect Hill, Douglas, IM1 1EQ. The deadline is Friday, February 4, and applications should clearly state the area for which the individual wishes to be considered.
