Rapidly growing Ethiopia plans third ever census

ADDIS ABABA, May 7 (Reuters) Ethiopia this month plans to carry out its third census to see whether its population will reach 77 million in 2007 as projected by the government, a senior Central Statistic Agency (CSA) official said today.

Last year, the government said a rapidly expanding population threatened to jeopardise the fight against poverty in the Horn of Africa country, ranked one of the world's poorest.

CSA Director General Samia Zekaria said the first census in 1984 put Ethiopia's population at 42.6 million, while the second in 1994 put it at 53.5 million.

Current estimates expect Ethiopia's population to show a growth of more than 20 million this year, making it the second most populous nation in sub-Saharan Africa after Nigeria, which has a population of 140 million.

''The census which will be launched on May 29 will determine if the projected figure of 77 million is correct,'' Samia told Reuters in an interview.

''The primary objective of the census is also to provide current and reliable data for policy makers and allow guidance to planners (in charge of) population, education and health programmes.'' The United Nations says Ethiopia's economic growth stands at 5 per cent in 2007, but the government forecasts growth of 9 per cent.

Samia said all schools, except for those in the remote Somali and Afar regions, will be closed for one month to allow some 100,000 teachers to conduct the national census.

The census is expected to be carried out in those two regions when the rainy season abates, she added.

REUTERS RS RK2045