NEPAL

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

Central Bureau of Statistics, National Planning Commission Secretariat, Ramshah Path, Thapathali, Kathmandu.

2. Population censuses conducted since 1945 (years):

1952/54, 1961, 1971, 1981, 1991 and 2001. The present description relates to the 2001 population census (held on 22 June).

3. Coverage of the census:

(a) Geographical scope:  Whole country.

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

4. Reference period:

The 12 months preceding the day of the census.

5. Main topics:

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

Economically active population by:

(b) Sex and age group: yes

(c) Industry: 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):  Employed persons are asked to specify the total number of months worked during the last 12 months.

Re (h):  The main reason for usually not working during the last 12 months.

6. Concepts and definitions:

(a) Economically active population:  The census only measured employment. 

(b) Employment:  It comprises all persons aged 10 years and over who, during the reference period, performed any work of an economic value, at home or out of home. The question asked to determine whether a person was employed was: “What work were you usually doing during the last 12 months?”.  The following eight groups were used to code the responses to this question: Agriculture; Salary/wage; Own economic enterprises; Extended economy; Job seeker; Household work; Student; No work.  Those who had performed work of economic value were then asked questions on their industry, occupation and status in employment.  Those who had not performed any work of economic value were asked the main reason for being economically inactive.  No question concerning job seeking was asked.  

It is reported that the following categories are included:

  1. persons doing unpaid work in family firm or business;
  2. persons engaged in the production of primary products for own consumption;
  3. employed persons, temporarily absent from work;
  4. working students with a part time job;
  5. seasonal or occasional workers;
  6. apprentices and trainees.

 (c) Unemployment:  Not applicable.

7. Classifications used:

All employed persons were classified by industry, by occupation, by status in employment and by age group.

(a) Industry:  Based on the question: “Where did you work during the last 12 months?  Name the establishment or the organization where you worked”.  For coding industry, seventeen groups of the ISIC-rev.3 have been used.

(b) Occupation:  Based on the question: “What work do you usually do?  Describe the usual work done”.  For coding occupation, nine major groups consistent with ISCO-88 have been used.

(c) Status in employment:  Based on the question: “What was your employment status?”. Responses were registered in one of four groups, namely: employer, employee, own-account worker; and unpaid family worker.

(d) Level of education:  Based on the question (for literates only): “What is the highest level of education passed?”.     

8. Main differences compared with the previous census:

The concept of the “extended economic activity” as described in SNA 93 (including all activities involved in the production of goods consumed within the household, such as collecting fuel and fletching water) was incorporated in processing the data.

9. Publication of the census results:

The final data of the 2001 Population were published in the publications entitled “Provisional Population Report”, “National report”, Population of Nepal and Selected Indicators at VDC/Municipality” (11 volumes), “Special Tabulation in Gender Perspectives” (3 volumes) and “Selected Economic Activity Tables”. 

The organization responsible for the publication is the Central Bureau of Statistics, Thapathali, Kathmandu.

Data, together with the full description of the 2001 Census are available at http://www.cbs.gov.np/Population/National%20Report%202001/default.htm

The publication “Population Census 2001, National Report” is also available on a CD-ROM.