Editing Census (section)

==Development==
According to the [[United Nations Population Fund]] (UNFPA), "The information generated by a population and housing census – numbers of people, their distribution, their living conditions and other key data – is critical for development."<ref name="unfpa.org">{{cite web |url=http://www.unfpa.org/census |title=Census &#124; UNFPA - United Nations Population Fund |website=UNFPA.org |access-date=2016-07-20 |archive-date=2016-02-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160224043936/http://www.unfpa.org/census |url-status=live }}</ref> This is because this type of data is essential for policymakers so that they know where to invest. Many countries have outdated or inaccurate data about their populations and thus have difficulty in addressing the needs of the population.

The UNFPA said:<ref name="unfpa.org"/>
<blockquote>"The unique advantage of the census is that it represents the entire statistical universe, down to the smallest geographical units, of a country or region. Planners need this information for all kinds of development work, including: assessing demographic trends; analysing socio-economic conditions;<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.11141/ia.45.3 | issue=45 | title=Excavations in 2014 at Wade Street, Bristol - a documentary and archaeological analysis | year=2017 | journal=Internet Archaeology | last1 = Corcos | first1 = Nick | doi-access=free }}</ref> designing evidence-based poverty-reduction strategies; monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of policies; and tracking progress toward national and internationally agreed development goals."</blockquote>

In addition to making policymakers aware of population issues, the census is also an important tool for identifying forms of social, demographic or economic exclusions, such as inequalities relating to race, ethics, and religion as well as disadvantaged groups such as those with disabilities and the poor.

An accurate census can empower local communities by providing them with the necessary information to participate in local decision-making and ensuring they are represented.

The importance of the census of agriculture for development is that it gives a snapshot of the structure of the agricultural sector in a country and, when compared with previous censuses, provides an opportunity to identify trends and structural transformations of the sector, and points towards areas for policy intervention. Census data are used as a benchmark for current statistics and their value is increased when they are employed together with other data sources.<ref name=":1" />