Interpreting the 2022 buildings census findings

The information gathered often includes demographic characteristics (age, sex, household size, etc.), as well as economic and social factors like education, employment, income, disability and housing.

The ultimate goal of the census operation is to provide the government and other stakeholders with essential statistics on the socio-economic conditions of a population to aid in the preparation of economic and social programmes.

The first Census in Tanzania (M) is said to have been carried out in 1910, during the German era. However, the first scientific census took place in 1958. Censuses were subsequently carried out in 1967, 1978, 1988, 2002, 2012 and, 2022.

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The earlier censuses were concerned with just population numbers and characteristics, but, the from 1967 census included data on housing.

The Tanzania census for the 2022 census round was carried out August 22-23, 2022. A lot of information was collected including (in alphabetical order): Aged adults, Agriculture, Assets, Birth certificates, Cognitive impairment, Cooking fuels, Disability, Domestic migration, Education, Electricity, Employment, Family composition, Family size, and Fertility

The other information was on Health status, Hearing loss, Household air pollution, Household deaths, Housing conditions, Housing materials, Injuries, International migration, Internet access, Land ownership, Lighting, Limited mobility, Literacy, Live births, Livestock, and Living conditions.

Yet, other information was collected on: Manufacturing, Marital status, Mass media, Maternal mortality, Medical equipment, Mental and behavioral disorders, Mining, Mortality, Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), Parental survival, Population, Refrigeration, Road traffic injuries, Sanitation, School enrollment, Sense organ diseases, Summary birth history, Telephones, Transportation, Violence, Vision loss, Waste disposal, and Water supply.

As can be gauged from the above list the information that is relevant to housing includes: housing conditions, housing materials, land ownership, electricity, sanitation, connection to water and waste disposal.

The information contained in the Buildings Census includes that on: total number, types, and use of buildings; plus number of units in a building; and building with an address.
The second set of information in on type of building and status of completion, occupation and use of the various types of buildings. Building materials used is reported upon as is the number of sleeping rooms and building condition.

The third set of information is on services to the buildings, including connection to electricity, water and sanitation; building accessibility and facilities for people living with disability (PWD).

The fourth set of information is building ownership and status of land use planning.

While the Report prides itself that Census data is the only reliable data on buildings in the country, some statistics need to be looked at carefully.

According to the data there are 14,348,372 buildings in Tanzania, 10,038,201 (70 percent) of which are in rural areas. That this coincides with the fact that 30 percent of the population in Tanzania is urban, creates room for interpretation. Buildings in rural areas are generally small compared to those in urban areas. Besides, many rural centres are semi-urban and fast becoming urban. So there is need to take this data with caution.

That 74.9 percent of all the buildings in the country have addresses is a reflection of the street-naming and building numbering campaign that was undertaken before the August 22-23 PHC, but, given that there has not been continuous updating, this proportion has possibly gone down by now.

The data shows that 94.4 percent of all buildings in the country are single storeyed; and that 5.1 percent of the buildings are at various stages of construction. This means that 94.9 percent of the buildings are complete.

This is doubtful. The majority of the population in Tanzania lives in incomplete buildings (houses). The Census Reports does not offer a definition of a building that is completed. This is a shortcoming. Without that definition the amount of work remaining to complete the buildings as well as the need for maintenance, or whether a building is fit for human habitation, remains unclear.

The Report shows that 91.4 percent of the buildings are used as residences (houses); and that those which are used for commercial, industrial and religious purposes are 5.2 percent.

If the use of the building was gathered from the people enumerated, who were in most cases found in their residences, the proportion of non-residential buildings could be under-counted.

That 72.6 percent of all buildings are accessible by road is doubtful unless the definition of a road includes footpaths. Otherwise this data does not reflect the fact that most buildings in urban areas are in high density unplanned areas, lacking roads and that rural buildings in most cases do not abut a road.

Another set of information that raises eyebrows is the observation that 83.3 percent of all buildings are occupied by owners, and that only 9.2 percent are occupied by tenants. We know that over 60 percent of urban residents are tenants. Where do they live? Even owner-occupiers many times live with tenants. How is this reflected in the data?

The data offers useful insights into the status of buildings in the country but needs careful analysis and interpretation. One general recommendation made is that land in Tanzania is used expansively, and that is time to use it more intensively, by building upwards.

This is also an appeal to the newly-appointed Government Statistician that once collected, Census data should be released as soon as possible otherwise it gets overtaken by events.