Government
TCI Census to launch April 13
By Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, April 11, 2023 – A verifiable population figure will soon be provided to Turks and Caicos islanders as the long-awaited countrywide Census will launch on April 13th, after being delayed because of technology issues and the 2022 outbreak of violence.
Shirlen Forbes, Director of Statistics in the Ministry of Finance, told our news team that 13 islands will participate in the census; Grand Turk, Salt Cay, South Caicos, Middle Caicos, North Caicos, Providenciales, Parrot Cay, Pine Cay, Ambergris Cay, Dellis Cay, East Caicos, Water Cay, and finally West Caicos.
He also detailed for us what kind of questions would be posed. 
The questionnaire will be divided into a household and an individual section. In the household section, residents can anticipate answering questions regarding the characteristics of their homes, household equipment of plants and other facilities, the environment, crime, COVID-19, and more.
On the individual section of the questionnaire, residents will answer questions geared towards themselves, including personal characteristics, disability, health, education, access to Internet, income, and more.
The Census is highly anticipated by residents as it will answer dozens of questions which have plagued the country over the decade, since the previous census, including just how many people live here. It will also provide a breakdown of the demographic information, showing how strong each of the major nationalities in the country are, numerically.
It is especially necessary, considering the incomplete statistics provided to the public in the last census, the rapid population growth experienced by the Turks and Caicos in the last decade, as well as the Government’s plans to not only give citizenship to third generation islanders, but to create a path to regularization for long time migrants.