MAURITIUS

1. Name and address of the organization responsible for the census:

Central Statistics Office, LIC Centre, John Kennedy Street, Port Louis.

2. Population censuses conducted since 1945 (years):

1952, 1962, 1972, 1983, 1990 and 2000. The present description relates to the 2000 Census (held on 2 July).

3. Coverage of the census:

(a) Geographical scope: Whole country.

(b) Persons covered: All persons of all ages.

4. Reference period:

The week preceding the day of the census, for current activity.

5. Main topics:

(a) Total population, by sex and age: yes

Economically active population by:

(b) Sex and age group: yes

(d) Occupation: yes

(e) Status in employment: yes

(f) Highest educational level: yes

(g) Hours of work: yes

(h) Other characteristics: yes

Re (a): The age is defined in terms of age at last birthday.

Re (g): Currently employed persons, at work, were asked to specify their actual hours of work during the reference week.

Re (h): The census also collected information on: (i) type of establishment; (ii) place of work and (iii) length of service with present or most recent employer.

In addition, persons who stated that they were not available for work during the past week were asked to give the reason (household duties, studies, illness, injury or disability, full retirement, other).

6. Concepts and definitions:

(a) Economically active population: It comprises all persons aged 12 years and over who, during the reference period, were currently either employed or unemployed, according to the definitions given below. Questions on economic activity were not asked of Non-Mauritians usually residing outside Mauritius. There is no conscription in Mauritius.

(b) Employment: Considered as employed are all persons aged 12 years and over who, during the reference period, currently performed any work of an economic value, at home or out of home. The following questions were used to determine the current activity of a person: “How many hours in all did the person work for pay, profit or family gain during the past week from Monday, 26 June to Sunday, 2 July 2000?” and “Was there a job, business, family enterprise or agricultural holding or farm, at which the person did not work because of illness, injury, holiday, industrial dispute, off-season inactivity, temporary disorganisation, etc.?”. A person was considered currently employed if the answer to the first question was “one hour or more”, or if the answer to the same question was “0 hour” but the answer to the second question was “yes”.

It is reported that the following categories are included:

i) persons doing unpaid work in family firm or business;

ii) persons engaged in the production of primary products for own consumption;

iii) employed persons, temporarily absent from work;

iv) working students with a part time job;

v) seasonal or occasional workers;

vi) apprentices and trainees.

Only persons belonging to categories (i), (iii) and (vi) can be identified separately through questions on employment and status in employment.

(c) Unemployment: Considered as unemployed are all persons aged 12 years and over who, during the reference period, were without work, seeking work and available for work. A person was counted as ‘currently’ unemployed if the reply was “0 hour” and “no”, respectively, to the questions asked under 6 (b) above, and “yes” to the following two questions: “Did the person take any active steps to look for work or set up a business of his/her own, any time during the past four weeks?” and “Was the person available for work during the past week?”. (See also under ‘5. Main topics: Re. (h)’ above).

7. Classifications used:

Both employed persons and unemployed persons previously employed are classified by industry, by occupation and by status in employment.

(a) Industry: Based on the question: “Describe fully the kind of business, industry or service activities carried on at the person's place of work. Do not use vague terms (such as agriculture, repairs, factory, school, shop, etc.). Use precise terms (such as sugar cane cultivation, tea cultivation, car repairing, bicycle repairing, sugar factory, pullover knitting mill, manufacture of knitted gloves, cutting and sewing underwear, primary school, household furniture shop, household appliances shop, groceries retailer, victualler, etc.). If there was more than one activity, describe the industry, business or service in which the person's main occupation was performed”. A 5-digit national classification based on ISIC-rev.3 was used, the first four digits being in line with the international classification.

(b) Occupation: Based on the question: “Describe clearly the work which the person was doing. Do not use vague terms (such as clerk, driver, factory worker, supervisor, repair engineer, teacher, etc.). Use precise terms (such as accounts clerk, filing clerk, school clerk, taxi car driver, lorry driver, bus driver, bus conductor, cabinet maker, car mechanic, telephone operator, pre-primary school teacher, primary school teacher, secondary school teacher, etc.). In case of more than one occupation, describe the one at which the person worked most”. For coding occupation, ISCO-88 was used to the unit group (4-digit) level.

(c) Status in employment: For coding this variable, eight groups were used, namely: (i) self-employed, with employees; (ii) self-employed, without employees; (iii) working without pay for spouse or other relative in his/her farm or business; (iv) apprentice/trainee with or without pay; (v) employee paid monthly; (vi) employee paid by day, week, fortnight, or by job; (vii) member of producers' co-operatives; (viii) other.

(d) Level of education: Based on the questions: (i) “Primary and secondary education?” and (ii) “Qualifications other than those of the primary and secondary levels?”. For coding level of education, a 3-digit code was used, the first digit indicating the level and the last two the field of study. 99 groups of field of study based on ISCED-76 were used.

8. Main difference compared with the previous census:

- Only a short reference period, i.e. one week, was used in the 2000 Census.

- In the 2000 Census, the duration period for which a person was asked whether he took active steps to look for work or set up a business was four weeks, instead of eight weeks as in 1990 Census.

9. Publication of the census results:

The title of the publication containing the final census results is “2000 Housing and Population Census, Republic of Mauritius, Volume III - Economic Characteristics”, 2001.

The organization responsible for this publication is the Central Statistics Office, Port Louis.

In addition, tables are available on the CSO’s website at (http://statsmauritius.gov.mu); unpublished tables can be made available on request.