Statistics Department Launches Nat’l Census; Slideshow gives insight

By Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer

#TurksandCaicos, April 18, 2023 – On April 13th, at the launch of TCI’s Green Census 2023, Cierra Garland, statistician with the Department of Statistics made a sideshow presentation of Census results from 1921 to 2012.

It was indicated that the last census was conducted in 2012, with a population of 47,720.  The presentation started out by defining ‘Population and Housing Census.’

Garland said it is a “count of every person and building in the country. In addition to knowing ‘how many persons live here,’ it is also vital to know ‘who lives here’ in terms of age, sex, religion, education, occupation and other important characteristics, as well as ‘where they live’ in terms of housing, access to water and other essential facilities.

A table was brought up which indicated statistics of Births, Deaths and Migration and it highlighted the population from every census from 1921 to 2012.

In 1921, the TCI population was 5,612. From that year to 1970, the TCI saw a decrease in population due to immigration to countries like The Bahamas and America in search of a “better way of life.”

Garland highlighted the immigration was highest between 1943 and 1960 which exceeded the volume of natural increase by 1/5th. During this time the population decreased from 6,138 to 5,668.

However, after 1970, this population decrease was reversed.  Since 1990, the driving force for population growth has been immigration, exceeding natural increase.  As populations grew through immigration, natural increase decreased.  Natural increase fell from 15.9 per 1000 in 1990 to 12.3 per 1000 by 2012.  Population growth and increase were also compared between the islands from 1960 to 2012.

As the presentation came to an end, Garland informed that the population to be quizzed by the Department of Statistics enumerators will be:

• Persons living in private dwellings throughout the eight inhabited islands of the TCI
• Persons living in non-private dwellings, group dwellings and institutions
• Persons studying abroad who are usual totals of TCI

It was also stated that people are counted at their usual place of residence which is defined as the general place people spend their nights for the week.

Garland left her audience with the most recent statistical information. Between 2012 and 2022, there were 5,369 Births in the TCI of which 26.7 percent were born to TCI mothers. Additionally, the TCI saw 1,193 deaths.

The TCI’s population in 2022, according to the Department, was 47,720.