Starting from the 13th of April, the St. Maarten Department of Statistics (STAT) will send a few interviewers into the field for a final check of the population. From the 13th of April to 31st of May, interviewers will pass by every house and note if they have been interviewed during last year’s Census. Anyone who has not been interviewed will be interviewed at that time.
As the first Census of the Country St. Maarten, STAT wants to make certain that everyone is counted. Missing a single person will have an effect as we rely on these numbers for the next 10 years. As a young country this is extremely important as all policies are built on the facts and figures we learn from the Census.
One of the major reasons for this extra round of interviews is to reconcile the differences between the Civil registry office and the population numbers as reported internationally by STAT. Because of the different methods of compiling these figures, there will always be differences yet this is now a bigger gap than usual.
A population and housing Census is a count of the population. Besides a simple count, we also learn some important facts such as the housing situation, the age of the population, the education level or the health situation of St. Maarten. All these facts help in determining future policies regarding social welfare and financial benefits.
Please call us at the Department of Statistics to arrange an appointment if you have not been interviewed during the initial Census interviews. The number to reach us is 542-9905 or visit us between 9:00 – 11:00 and 14:00 – 16:00 at the Juancho Yrausquin Boulevard 6 (units 7/8) across from Sang’s Supermarket.