Cambodia launches second post-war census

PHNOM PENH, March 3 (Xinhua) -- With a budget of over six million U.S. dollars and a staff of almost 40,000 officials, Cambodia's second post-war population census began on Monday, local media reported.

The 10-day census is a major undertaking, the Mekong Times newspaper said, citing San Sy Than, director general of the Planning Ministry's National Institute of Statistics (NIS).

Each interviewer will gather data on 120 families, he added.

Census officials have been trained and notified families that a census would be taking place, San Sy Than said, explaining that basic demographic, economic, cultural and social information will be gathered.

"We will also gather family-related information about residential situations and household equipment," he was quoted as saying.

This work will help identify the number and characteristics of the people and to estimate population growth from the village level to the Kingdom as a whole, he added.

The Planning Ministry will announce the preliminary results of the census in August and the complete data by 2009, San Sy Than said.

Cambodia held the first post-war census in 1998, which showed the kingdom had a population of 11.4 million people.