Latest news with #census
Malay Mail
27 minutes ago
- Malay Mail
Too early to tell: Perak forensics narrow probe into Hutan Melintang fire that gutted 23 homes, shops, and house of worship
BAGAN DATUK, June 28 — The Perak Social Welfare Department (JKM) and the village chief's office have conducted an immediate census to provide aid to the victims of the Hutan Melintang fire. District Disaster Management Committee chairman Nazrul Fazami Mohamad said that relevant departments and agencies have been mobilised to conduct a quick census of the affected victims. 'JKM and the village chief's office have begun the census to complete the documentation procedures in a timely manner. 'We have also requested all victims to lodge police reports so that state-level disaster aid can be channelled through the Bagan Datuk District and Land Office,' he said when visiting the victims and the incident site today. In the 4.30 am incident, 23 properties in Bagan Pasir Laut near here were razed. This included 19 Class B and C houses, each approximately 92.9 square metres in size, a non-Muslim house of worship, two eateries, and a sundry shop. No casualties were reported. Nazrul Fazami said that no relief centre (PPS) has been opened, as all victims are reportedly staying with their relatives nearby. 'A meeting with representatives of the residents found that all victims currently have temporary shelter, so there is no need to open a PPS at this time. 'However, further discussions will be held from time to time to assess the need to open a PPS should the situation arise,' he said. Meanwhile, Perak Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) assistant director of operations Sabarodzi Nor Ahmad said it was still too early to determine the cause of the fire. He said JBPM's forensic team is still investigating to determine the actual cause of the incident. 'Based on initial information from witnesses at the scene, the fire is believed to have originated in one of the houses at the back row of the affected premises. 'As a result, the scope of the investigation has been narrowed, and focus will be placed on that house to identify the exact cause of the fire,' he said. — Bernama
The Independent
21 hours ago
- General
- The Independent
UK-wide 2021 census data published for first time
A full set of UK-wide data collected for the 2021 census has been made available for the first time. Many details from the census have already been released, revealing a wealth of population information about the country's nations, regions and local areas. But a complete picture for the whole of the UK has only now been published. The delay in producing a set of UK-wide statistics is due to the unusual circumstances in which the 2021 survey took place. A census of the population has been held regularly since 1801, typically every 10 years and on the same day across the UK. The 2021 survey was disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, however. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the census occurred as planned on March 21 2021. But in Scotland it was postponed for 12 months because of the impact of the pandemic, eventually taking place on March 20 2022. This meant that, unlike for previous censuses, data had not been collected on the same date across the whole of the UK – and therefore Scotland's data was not directly comparable with that for the other nations. To solve this problem, the UK's statistical agencies have come together to create a full set of census numbers with a shared point in time of March 21 2021. Scotland's 2022 census data has been adjusted to create notional estimates for 2021, which have then been combined with the actual 2021 totals for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The three agencies involved – the Office for National Statistics, National Records of Scotland and the Northern Ireland Statistics & Research Agency – describe it as 'a solution that is conceptually simple, pragmatic, and creates numbers for a consistent time point'. The new figures show for the first time how key population trends such as religion, ethnicity and marital status compare in the four parts of the UK. For example, while 80% of the population of Northern Ireland on census day identified as Christian, the equivalent figures for the rest of the country are much lower, at 46% in England, 44% in Wales and 40% in Scotland. Some 17% of people in Northern Ireland said they had no religion, rising to 37% in England, 47% in Wales and 50% in Scotland. The proportion of people identifying as white was highest in Northern Ireland (97%), followed by Wales (94%), Scotland (93%) and England (81%). England has the highest proportion of people identifying as Asian (10%), then Scotland (4%), Wales (3%) and Northern Ireland (2%), while the figures for people identifying as black were 4% for England and 1% for the other three countries. There is less variation in the proportion of people who were married or in a civil partnership on census day, with 44% for Scotland and Wales, 45% for England and 46% for Northern Ireland. The figures for people who are divorced or who have had a civil partnership dissolved range from 6% in Northern Ireland to 10% in Wales, with 8% for Scotland and 9% for England. Census results are used by a variety of organisations including governments, councils and businesses, and underpin everything from the calculation of economic growth and unemployment to helping plan schools, health services and transport links. Planning is already under way for the next UK census, which is due to take place in 2031.
CTV News
2 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Morning Rush: 2026 census will ask about sexual orientation
Ottawa Watch Bill Carroll from The Morning Rush shares his thoughts on a new question in the census asking respondents about their sexual orientation.
CTV News
5 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Canada's next national census set for May 2026
Statistics Canada's offices at Tunney's Pasture in Ottawa on March 8, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang OTTAWA — The next Canadian census will be held in May 2026. The federal cabinet has issued an order fixing the date for the census and the questions it will ask. The last census was held in 2021 and was the first to be held during a pandemic. It collected data on the population, including age, gender, marital status, family structure and types of dwelling. It also gathered statistics on military experience, income, immigration, ethnocultural and religious background, and education, among other factors. Statistics Canada says the results are used to plan government services involving employment, schools, public transportation and hospital services. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 23, 2025.
RNZ News
20-06-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Scrapping national census raises data sovereignty, surveillance fears for Māori
By Lara Greaves, Ella Pēpi Tarapa-Dewes, Kiri West, Larissa Renfrew of An administrative census will use information collected in day-to-day government activities. Photo: 2023 Census, Stats NZ Analysis - Wednesday's announcement that the five-yearly national census would be scrapped has raised difficult questions about the effectiveness, ethics and resourcing of the new 'administrative' system that will replace it. An administrative census will use information collected in day-to-day government activities, such as emergency-room admission forms, overseas travel declarations and marriage licences. The move is not necessarily bad in principle, especially given the rising cost of the census and declining participation rates, but to make it effective and robust, it must be properly resourced - and it must give effect to the principles of te Tiriti o Waitangi (Treaty of Waitangi), as set out in the Data and Statistics Act. The transformation process so far leaves considerable room for doubt that these things will happen. In particular, there are major ethical and Māori data sovereignty issues at stake. As Te Mana Raraunga (the Māori Data Sovereignty Network) advocates, data is a living taonga (treasure), is of strategic value to Māori and should be subject to Māori governance. Changes to census methods risk compromising these values and undermining public trust in the official statistics system in general. Because the new system takes census data gathering out of the hands of individual citizens and households, it also raises questions about state surveillance and social licence. Surveillance means more than police stakeouts or phone-tapping. The state constantly collects and uses many kinds of data about us and our movements. For more than a decade, the Integrated Data Infrastructure has been the government's tool to patch gaps in its own data ecosystems. This administrative data is collected without our direct and informed consent, and there is no real way to opt out. The safeguard is that information about individuals is 'de-identified', once it enters the Integrated Data Infrastructure - no names, just data points. Stats NZ, which administers the system, says it has the social licence to collect, cross-reference and use this administrative data, but genuine social licence requires that people understand and accept how their data is being used. Stats NZ's own research shows only about one in four people surveyed have enough knowledge about its activities to make an informed judgement. The risks associated with this form of surveillance are amplified for Māori, because of their particular historical experience with data and surveillance. The Crown used data collection and monitoring systems to dispossess land and suppress cultural practices, which continue to disproportionately affect Māori communities today. Meaningful work to address this has taken place under the Mana Ōrite agreement , a partnership between Stats NZ and the Data Iwi Leaders Group (part of the National Iwi Chairs Forum). The agreement aims to solidify iwi authority over their own data, and ensure Māori perspectives are heard in decision-making around data and statistics. On the face of it, repurposing administrative data seems like a realistic solution to the census budget blowout, but there are questions about whether the data and methods used in an administrative census will be robust and of high quality. This has implications for policy and for communities. Administrative data in its current form is limited in many ways. In particular, it misses what is actually important to Māori communities and what makes life meaningful to them. Administrative data often only measures problems. It is collected on Māori at their most vulnerable - when they're in crisis, sick or struggling - which creates a distorted picture. In contrast, Te Kupenga (a survey by Stats NZ last run in 2018) included information by Māori and from a Māori cultural perspective that reflected lived realities. Before increasing reliance on administrative data, greater engagement with Māori will be needed to ensure a data system that gathers and provides reliable, quality data. It is especially important for smaller hapori Māori (Māori communities), which need the data to make decisions for their members. Stats NZ plans to partly fill the data void left by removing the traditional census with regular surveys, but the small sample size of surveys often makes it impossible to obtain reliable information on smaller groups, such as takatāpui (Māori of diverse gender and sexualities), or specific hapū or iwi groups. Photo: RNZ /Dom Thomas It is not clear the implications of this have been fully been worked through in the census change process, nor is it clear whether the recommendations from Stats NZ's Future Census Independent External Review Panel - from Māori and a range of experts - have been fully considered. This included crucial recommendations around commissioning an independent analysis informed by te Tiriti principles, meaningful engagement with iwi-Māori and the continuing implementation of a Māori data governance model developed by Māori data experts. We are not opposed to updating the way in which census data is collected, but for the new approach to be just, ethical and legal will require it to adhere to te Tiriti o Waitangi and the relationship established in the Mana Ōrite agreement . Lara Greaves is an Associate Professor of Politics, Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington Ella Pēpi Tarapa-Dewes is Professional Teaching Fellow, Faculty of Arts and Education, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Kiri West is a lecturer in Indigenous Communication, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Larissa Renfrew, is a PhD Candidate, School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau. - This story originally appeared on [ the Conversation].
