In just four decades the systems of statistics in Africa went through three seismic waves. The first these occurred immediately aftermath decolonisation. During this time experienced a decade dramatic rise development its national statistics, particularly implementation population censuses and household surveys. However, two later, by 90's, was dogged declines diminished levels competence statistics. Consequently, proportion countries that undertook census 1980, 1990 2000 Rounds Housing...

Background: Commitment to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2000 resulted political momentum, new investments and mobilisation implement practical steps needed meet framework of eight MDG goals. 5 (improve maternal health) 4 (reduce child mortality) focused on improving women’s children’s health, with newborn health not added until mid-2000s. The era saw vast improvements survival, global under-five mortality rates declining by more than half, from 90 43 deaths per 1000 live births...

Abstract What is objectivity in SDG measurement? This commentary explores the complexity of measurement when problems are ‘global’ yet manifest themselves with local specificities. special issue helps elicit gaps knowledge, tools and contexts measurement. But doing so through lens political economy, ‘sets cat among pigeons’. The key question they raise sanitization its sanctification to status without realizing that process fraught make self‐ interest conflict an endemic risk.

Under its new management, the Central Statistical Service (CSS) in South Africa has, like many other government institutions, been undergoing rapid and far-reaching transformation towards meeting development needs of democratic order. The 1996 population census serves as a case study relationship between CSS prime producer official statistics users such statistics, context fundamental social change. ranges over three periods: firstly, period apartheid era, concluding with short phase...

Pali Lehohla, Statistician-General of Statistics South Africa, was recently at UN headquarters in New York attending the annual conference Commission on Status Women. Africa Renewal’s Masimba Tafirenyika caught up with him to talk about challenges statistics and progress continent has made improving quality its statistics.

Increasingly complex societies necessitate the collection of more information, or sophisticated ways estimation. This places upward pressure on cost collecting such as family structures are complex, mobility frequent, and willingness to provide information declines. As a result, rising census costs have become an issue in many countries. South Africa's 2001 Census was arguably most expensive country's history. However, assessing requires closer scrutiny census-taking well procedures that...

During the constitutional talks that preceded democratic election of South Africa in 1994, final agreement could not be reached on position all new provincial boundaries. This resulted so-called 'hard' and 'soft' boundaries, former referring to sections boundaries which there was general agreement, latter those where were still differences opinion about their between negotiating parties. Yet, as building blocks provinces regional units most often used for planning administrative purposes, it...

Pali Lehohla tells Fiona Fleck why more tools are in place to measure progress towards the next set of health and development goals.

During the 1990s, National Statistical Agencies (NSAs) experienced significant and rapid evolution in collection, coordination dissemination of statistics. In this regard, field crime statistics is considered as one statistical areas where NSAs have to increasingly play a leading role coordinating scope quality collection dissemination. South Africa, safety security has been identified strategic priorities Government. Consequently increases importance need for more comprehensive on patterns...

The 1990s introduced significant changes in the world of statistics. In particular, changing political landscape, together with rapid technological advances, placed demands on statistical systems ways that had not been witnessed before. These have continued, and will continue to influence development well beyond current decade. key challenge facing official statistics involve a change focus, from national (currently occupying leaders) introduction (the future). success or failure this focus...

Coronavirus is a health pandemic that threatens to spawn an economic depression. The paper explores how the official statistics constituency has been affected inter alia in its readiness of, responses and requirements for addressing coronavirus by statistical agencies. First, production of second measuring impact society. sheds light on virus attacked very lens observation – as content institution. In particular we explore disrupted 2020 Round Population Censuses what country are. this...