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Non-Belongers account for 57.5 per cent of adult population - Population growth in sync with TCI’s development, Forbes
THE completion of the 2012 Census put assumptions on the make-up of the Turks and Caicos Islands population to rest with the release of the preliminary results from the first factual assessment since 2001.
The TCI Government Population and Housing Census put the total population of the Islands at 31,458.
The initial assessment of data collected during the 2012 census undertaken by the Government’s Strategic Policy and Planning Unit (SPPU) found that the population of the TCI grew from 19,886 in 2001 to 31,458 persons in 2012.
Head of the census team, Mr. Shirlen Forbes, at a press conference on Thursday, said,
"The population is growing fast, but in line with the development being seen in the TCI.”
According to him, the growth has been an approximate average of five per cent per year.
"If we continue this way, by 2027 we will have more than doubled the population…but there is nothing to say that we will grow at that rate,” Forbes said.
He maintained that the data from the 2012 census is a fair representation of the population of the TCI.
NON-BELONGERS
Forbes noted that non-Belongers account for 57.5 per cent of the adult population, that is people over the age of 18.
The number of people aged 18 and over accounts for 73.7 per cent of the current population.
According to the head of the census team, there has been a shift in the last few decades.
Forbes noted that in 1970, Belongers accounted for 96.4 per cent, while non-Belongers accounted for only 3.6 per cent.
In 1980 that move to 83.8 Belongers and 16.2 per cent non-Belongers, while in 1990 it was 68.9 per cent Belongers and 31.1 non-Belongers.
At the last census in 2001 the breakdown was 52 per cent Belongers and 48 per cent non-Belongers.
Forbes noted that currently in Providenciales, which is the most populated island, the percentage translates to a total of 6,667 Belongers and 10,763 non-Belongers.
The census team head pointed out that the results to date are only preliminary figures and additional details on the further breakdown of other specifics, such as nationalities, household income, health and education will be forthcoming in the next few months.
Turning his attention to the breakdown of the male to female ratio, Forbes noted that the TCI population has a larger male population, compared to females.
He noted that in 2001 the male population totalled 49.8 per cent, while the females accounted for 50.2 per cent.
In 2012, however, Forbes said 51 per cent of the population is male and 49 per cent are female.
Currently there are 16,037 males and 15,421 females living in the TCI.
POPULATION SHIFT
Mr. Amin McCartney, from the census team, in his analysis, noted that from the 1990s there has been major population shifts, with majority of the people now based in Provo.
According to the census, the population of each of the islands is:
* Providenciales: 23,769 (82.5 per cent increase from the 2001 census)
* Grand Turk: 4,831 (21.5 per cent increase from the 2001 census)
* South Caicos: 1,139 (7.1 per cent increase from the 2001 census)
* North Caicos: 1,312 (2.6 per cent decrease from the 2001 census)
* Middle Caicos: 168 (44.2 per cent decrease from the 2001 census)
* Parrot Cay: 131 (125.9 per cent increase from the 2001 census)
* Salt Cay: 108 (10 per cent decrease from the 2001 census)
He added that statistics show that in the census period since 1960, Providenciales and Grand Turk are the only two islands never to experience a net loss of people.
TCI has a population density of 214 persons per square mile with:
* Grand Turk being the most densely populated island at 700 people per square mile, up from 576 in 2001;
* Middle Caicos being the least densely populated island at four persons per square mile; and
* Providenciales being the most populated island, has a density of 634 persons per square mile.
Asked if persons here illegally were captured in the census, McCartney stated that once persons were in a household they were accounted for and agreed that interagency cooperation will see the data from the census cross-referenced.
EMPIRICAL DATA
Another major point underscored with the release of the preliminary results, was the importance of having empirical data.
The Finance Ministry Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Anya Williams, from a planning point of view, said, "For our social programmes, in terms of dealing with education and healthcare, this data is very important to us.
"We have an idea of the population and the breakdown and with the further analysis of the data, it will be interesting, especially with an incoming government, to plan the way forward.
"This is all very important information for us going forward.”
Governor Ric Todd, in commenting on the release of the results, stated that the TCI stands to significantly benefit from this kind of research.
He said, "It provides empirical data, both now and historically, that allows government to make better informed decisions about every area of its operations.
"Its factual assessment improves the ability to make policy; informs where future spending is directed across the board, for example in education, health and social policy; gives evidence to shape the government’s approach on long term issues such as immigration, pensions, capital investment and transport policy; and facilitates action to address the challenges of changing populations across the islands.”
The 2012 Population and Housing Census was undertaken as part of the 2010 Round of Population and Housing Census in the region.
The Turks and Caicos Islands is a member of the Regional Census Coordinating Committee.
Through this mechanism, participating countries have agreed to collaborate with regard to census methodology, procedures, and the type of tables and statistics to be disseminated.
Census Enumeration commenced on January 25, 2012, and continued throughout all of the islands for a period of three months.
The editing and verification of all the information in the questionnaires for tabulation is on-going and the final report is expected to be submitted to the Governor by November. (VANESSA NARINE)
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