Cuba Preparing 2012 Population Census

Havana, Apr 7. -Cuba will take its fourth population census in September 2012, said Rodrigo Malmierca, minister for Foreign Trade and Investment.

He made the announcement at the opening of the 10th Meeting of the Executive Committee of the Statistics Conference of the Americas of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (CEPAL), opened Wednesday in Havana.

The specialists expect the Cuban population will decrease an average 0.7 percent from 2015-2020, and the aftermath is calculated to be harmful, especially for the economy.

Minister Malmierca said the census will help calculate the population and its features, and demographic variables of interest like low maternity rate, infant mortality, population growth, the people's high education, female social projection, and the rural population.

The CEPAL meeting in Havana will review the implementation of the 2009-2011 regional cooperation program, of the agreement of the 5th Conference of Statistics of the Americas and those of the CEPAL Executive Committee 9th meeting.

Participants will also study the work of the working groups of the Conference of Statistics of the Americas (CEA). (Prensa Latina)