Population Census

United Arab Emirates20 November 1995Draft

Definition of the census: a census is a complete count of all people alive within the borders of a country at a given moment in time, together with a record of their demographic, social and economic characteristics. The general census of population, housing and establishments is one of the most important and largest statistical operations in developing and developed countries alike. Aims of the census: the census aims to give an accurate and comprehensive count of the country's human resources and to provide detailed data on the demographic, social and economic characteristics of the population and their housing conditions, to help planners and decision makers draw up economic and social policies and to help researchers in their studies. It also provides comprehensive data on buildings of all kinds by use and by type of unit, residential and non-residential, and on the establishments operating in the country by economic activity and number of employees. The data collected from individuals at the various stages of the census are confidential under Federal Statistics Law No. 9 of 1974, Article 7 of which states that personal data obtained through a survey or census are confidential and may not be used for any purpose other than statistics. Census procedure: everyone, citizen and non-citizen, who is within the political borders of the United Arab Emirates on the night of 16 to 17 December 1995 is counted, whether permanently resident in the country or present that night on a temporary basis.