Age and sex are cross-cutting variables in an economy. The quality of the age-sex distributions in a census is a general pointer to the overall quality of the census data. It is therefore important to provide an assessment of the quality of the age-sex distributions from the 2022 South Africa’s census. This study undertook such assessment using primarily, the unweighted 10% sample of the 2022 census that is available in the public domain. The results indicate that overall sex ratio of 91.5 nationally from Census 2022 10% sample is low and odd. The single-year age distributions were reasonably smooth nationally but less smooth provincially. The age-sex distributions nationally were of better quality than observed in some other African countries censuses.

The shape of the five-year population pyramid from the Census 2022 10% sample is, however, inconsistent with the shape of the five-year population pyramid derived from the 2011 census and more importantly, inconsistent with the five-year population pyramid derived from the 2021 General Household Survey undertaken approximately one year before the 2022 census. As in other censuses elsewhere in Africa and other regions, there is evidence of digit preference and age shifting in the five-year age distributions in the 2022 census. The weights in the 2022 10% sample imposed a different age structure on the original age structure in the 10% sample.

Users of the Census 2022 10% sample data therefore need to be sensitive to these issues and especially the weights since age-sex distributions are linked to all aspects of the life cycle and impact planning in all sectors of the economy.

Author: Emeritus Professor Eric O Udjo (PhD, London) 2024

Current discourse on “gender-based violence” is sometimes confusing and lopsided because it often seems to portray the idea that violence against women is driven by the culturally prescribed roles of women vis-à-vis men, and men as the perpetrators of domestic abuse and violence. Using a nationally representative sample of women who had ever been in a union aged 18 years and over in the 2016 South Africa Demographic and Health Survey, this study examined forms of domestic violence, prevalence as well as predisposing factors and health consequences in South Africa. The results indicate that about 43% of the women reported they had experienced one form of domestic violence or abuse as of 2016. The results further indicate that women are also perpetrators of domestic physical violence against their husband or partner but on a smaller scale. While legislation and penal sanctions may deter violence against women and against men, these may not be sufficient to curb domestic abuse and violence. Advocacy through the socialisation agents beginning from the home should emphasise the equality of men and women rather than the superiority of one sex.

Author: Emeritus Professor Eric O Udjo (PhD, London) 2023

Mortality indicators are sometimes used for comparing the health status of different populations. A vital registration system is one of the sources of data for computing such measures. However, the trend in the officially published absolute numbers of deaths in South Africa post 2006 is odd and raises doubt about the integrity of the officially published figures. This study, therefore evaluated the integrity of the officially published numbers of deaths from South Africa’s vital registration system. The results suggest that at least about 135,659 deaths that were probably reported by the deceased’s relatives in 2017 were not included in the officially published figures at national level for the year 2017.

Author: Eric O. Udjo 2022

This short video provides some tips to young academics to plan their research so that the research can make impact.

Author: E.O. Udjo 2021

The latest population and housing census of Lesotho was conducted on 10 – 24 Aprils 2016.  Apart from a few countries that undertake censuses every five years, Lesotho like most countries of the world carries out censuses every 10 years hence, there is need for population projections for effective planning and efficient allocation of scarce resources in the post-census period. In support of the Government of Lesotho, the United Nations Population Fund engaged the services of  Prof Eric O Udjo as a consultant to train and work together with the Bureau of Statistics staff to develop the projections for Lesotho.  The document titled “Population dynamics and population projections for Lesotho 2016-2036” was a power point presentation by Prof Udjo at a Population Projections Dissemination Meeting convened by the UNFPA in Maseru, Lesotho on 27 September 2019.

Author: E.O. Udjo 2019