Since the early hours of Thursday (05-02-2024), an estimated 15,000 people went to different parts of the country after the launch of the historic 2024 Population and Housing Census, promoted by the Government of President-elect Nayib Bukele, through of the Central Reserve Bank (BCR).
The head of the state financial institution, Douglas Rodríguez, stated yesterday that after months of preparation, this stage has been reached, which will result in the seventh official census recorded in the country.
The official called on the population to trust the process and open the doors to properly trained personnel identified with their blue shirt with the logo of the BCR and the Government of El Salvador Salvador, cap of the same color, backpack and badge with code. QR codes with which the data of official collaborators can be validated are reaching homes.
“I ask Salvadorans to open the doors of their homes to us, because with this census we will know how many there are and how we live,” Rodríguez requested.
He also detailed that during the process the census takers ask 75 questions stipulated in the completely digital census ballot in an estimated 30 to 45 minutes; Among these, the characteristics of the homes stand out, such as materials for floors, walls, ceilings, kitchen fuel, source of drinking water and electricity. In addition, questions are asked about age, sex, academic level, possession and use of technologies, economic characteristics and international emigration of Salvadorans.
“Our census takers are going to go house to house no matter where they are to be able to obtain the information of each of the Salvadoran families that reside in our El Salvador,” said the official.
In addition, to count the population, homeless people, people in hospitals, in penal centers, shelters and other locations are also counted.
In the territory, personnel have the support of 117 headquarters and 100 mini-offices that will allow them to carry out field work. Rodríguez also emphasized that the Central Government’s security achievements allow both census takers and the population to have the guarantee of reach a successful result.
«We could not reach this point without the gangs ceasing to have control of the territory. It was impossible for us to hire more than 15,000 people, because it was like sending them to death. The country is being built with security and freedom,” he added.
The head of the BCR highlighted that this census round began a cartographic update carried out in record time last year and with which the BCR became an award-winning Latin American reference in statistical processes.
In that sense, he pointed out that after the Population and Housing Census next year, the Economic Census will continue, which will allow us to know how businesses and economic activity in general have expanded and generated jobs.
That year the Agricultural Census will also be carried out, which will allow us to know the agricultural structure and the opportunities to promote the basic productive fabric for the country’s food security.
To continue, in 2026 the National Survey of Household Income and Expenses will be carried out, through which information will be generated for another series of studies related to living conditions, apparent food intake and health expenses that will serve to guide specific policies. for these areas, according to the BCR.
