The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) says the 2021 Population and Housing Census (PHC) will begin across the country from Sunday, June 27.

The exercise, which will run till July 11, 2021, is meant to generate data that will be used for decision-making and planning for the development of the nation and its citizens.

Government Statistician, Professor Samuel Kakraba Annim says preparations are far advanced to ensure the exercise commences next month.

“All our strategies have been finalised. With few days to the exercise, all that’s left is to hand over the census undertaking to the production units, which are the enumeration areas,” he said.

“In the past three weeks we have visited 13 of the 16 Regional Coordinating Councils and have engaged with the Regional Ministers. We only have three more to go. Hopefully, we will take care of that in the course of the week.”

The census was initially set to begin on March 15, 2020, with the first two weeks expected to be used for listing, a process that comprises the zoning and coding of the number of houses and structures to be covered in the census.

However, it was rescheduled to June 28, 2020, before being finally postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The slogan for the 2021 PHC is “you count, get counted”, with the GSS aiming for comprehensive coverage to ensure that no one is left behind.