Test run will help make a better census

Liz McPherson

By Liz McPherson

I'M responsible for Stats NZ, the government agency that supplies some of New Zealand's most important statistics, data and insights to people all over the country who use that information to help them make informed decisions.

The data we collect and produce helps people make decisions about our social, economic and environmental growth, but we're more than just numbers.

We know that behind every data set is a human face, a community, and nowhere is that more apparent than in our census -- our official count of the people and dwellings in New Zealand.

Every five years we take a snapshot of who is living in -- and visiting -- New Zealand, by asking everyone to complete a set of questions about themselves and their household on census day.

In 2018 we're aiming to make it as easy as possible for you to complete your census information online. We're introducing specially designed forms and we've asked the Whanganui community to work with us to help us test our new processes.

By now, many of you will have received your access codes, and I hope you'll visit our website -- census.govt.nz -- on or before April 4 to take part in the census test.

Collecting the information online in 2018 is one of the ways that we can speed up the time it takes to process and package up all the information so it can be used safely, without identifying people.

We recognise and value the contribution you are making by providing data to Stats NZ. In return, we apply ethical, statistical, and security best practice standards to ensure privacy, confidentiality, and security for your data.

Nothing is more important to us than maintaining our independence and security in dealing with data and statistics, so rest assured that if you take part in the test, your data will be used to help us plan for next year, and will then be destroyed.

Census test day is April 4 -- I hope you'll participate and help us prepare for next year's count of everyone across the country.

*If you'd prefer to complete the census test by paper forms, call 0800 CENSUS (236 787) and we'll do the rest.

Did you know?

117 new dwellings were consented in the Whanganui region in the year ended January 2017.

Whanganui's population is changing. Half the population is now aged over 43 years; in 1996, the median age was 34.

Life expectancy continues to increase -- reaching nearly 80 years at birth in 2014-16, compared with 76 in the mid-1990s.

Visitors to the region stayed a total of 188,000 nights in 2016.

3100 people worked in healthcare and social assistance in the Whanganui district for the year ended February 2016.

Find out more at stats.govt.nz.

�Liz McPherson is the Government Statistician. The legislation under which Stats NZ operates ensures that they deliver independent statistics and maintain confidentiality of the data supplied to them.