Sources and Methods: Labour Statistics
Volume 5: Population Censuses

Papua New Guinea

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

National Statistical Office, P.O. Box 337, Waigani, NCD, Papua New Guinea.

2.Population censuses conducted since 1945 (years):

1966, 1971, 1980 and 1990. The present description relates to the 1990 population census (held during the period 9-13 July).

3.Coverage of the census:

(a) Geographical scope

The North Solomon Province was completely omitted from census count because of a political crisis.

(b) Persons covered

All persons of all ages, except foreign diplomatics workers and their families.

4.Reference period:

The week and the 12 months preceding the census enumeration.

5.Main topics:

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

Economically active population by:

(b) Sex and age group: yes

(c) Industry: no

(d) Occupation: yes

(e) Status in employment: no

(f) Highest educational level: yes

(g) Hours of work: no

(h) Other characteristics: no

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

6.Concepts and definitions:

(a) Economically active population

It comprises all persons aged 10 years and over who, during the reference periods, were either employed or unemployed, according to the definitions given below. A short reference period (one week) was used to collect information on current activity in the urban sector, whereas a long reference period (12 months) was used to collect information on usual activity in the rural sector. The definition includes members of the armed forces. However, working students with a part time job and students seeking work are excluded from the definition.

(b) Employment

The question used to determine if a person is to be counted as employed was During the last seven days, what did you do most of the time? worked at a wage job; business with paid help; self employed including unpaid helper; farming and fishing for food and money; farming and fishing for subsistence only.

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. seasonal or occasional workers;
  5. conscripts for military/civilian service;
  6. apprentices and trainees.
Only persons belonging to category (ii) can be identified separately.

(c) Unemployment

Considered as unemployed are all persons who, during the reference periods (cf. para. 6 (a)), were without work and looking for work, or available for work. This includes a person who is staying at home doing nothing, not even seeking employment because he/she feels there is no hope of finding a job but may say that he/she could take any job if given the chance.

7.Classifications used:

Only employed persons in urban areas are classified by occupation.

(a) Industry

No classification was made.

(b) Occupation

Employed persons were asked to describe their principal activity, i.e. the economic activity which took most of the person's time: e.g. shop assistant, nurse, taxi driver, etc, in at least two words. For coding occupation, nine groups of the national classification were used. Links to the ISCO-88 have been established to the major group (1-digit) level.

(c) Status in employment

No classification was made.

8.Main differences compared with the previous census:

The definition of unemployment was relaxed in 1990 to include persons available for work.

In asking questions on economic activity in the rural areas, a long reference period (12 months) was used in 1990, whereas a short one (last week) was used in 1980.

9.Publication of the census results:

The final census data on the economically active population and its components were issued in August 1994 in a publication entitled Report on the 1990 National Population and Housing Census in Papua New Guinea.

The organization responsible for the publication is the National Statistics Office (NSO), P.O. Box 337, Waigani, NCD.

The census results are not available in other forms.