KEY CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS

Private Household

Usually consist of a person or a group of persons, related or unrelated, who live together in the same homestead/compound but not necessarily in the same dwelling unit. They have common Catering arrangements, and are answerable to the same household head. It is important to remember that members of a household need not necessarily be related, either by blood or marriage.

Head of household

The head of household is the person of either sex who is looked upon by the rest of the members of the household as their leader or main decision-maker. 

Institutional/Special Populations

These consist of persons who do not live in private households.  They include persons who were in hospitals, old age homes, hostels, prisons, military barracks, hotels, lodges, a camp sites, etc.  The homeless and overnight travelers are also included in this group.

Enumeration Area

The smallest geographical area demarcated for purposes of interview is the enumeration area (EA). Ideally, an EA should contain more or less 100 households. The EA may comprise part of a locality, a whole locality or a group of localities. However, owing to other factors, mainly population destiny and geographic terrain, EAs have been conveniently demarcated to facilitate effective canvassing by an interviewer.

Locality/Village

For the purpose of this Census a locality is defined as a distinct population cluster, irrespective of size, in which people live and which has a name or locally recognised status. Thus a locality may be a big town like Windhoek, Swakopmund or small towns like Opuwo, Kalkrand or villages like Coblenz, Oniipa or farms like Kub, Renosterkloof, etc.

Census Reference Night

All interviews must relate to the Census Reference Night. This was The Night of 27 to the morning of 28 August 2001.  Note that only persons who were in Namibia during this night were enumerated.

De facto Census

A de facto census covers all persons found within the borders of a particular country at a particular point in time (the Census Reference Night). Such persons were enumerated at the places where they were during the census reference night. That means people who usually live in Namibia but were not in the country on the census reference night were not enumerated.

Dwelling Unit

This is a place of residence occupied by one or more households with a “private entrance”. There can be many dwelling units within a structure.

Homestead      

Is an isolated compound with one or more structures, and usually inhabited by one or more households. In most cases, homesteads are surrounded by fences, hedges, walls, etc. A homestead may contain a traditional dwelling or a group of traditional dwellings.

Structure/Building

A structure is a building used for the purposes of dwelling or business or any other activity. For census purposes, a structure constitutes a building used for dwelling purposes. A structure can contain one or more dwelling unit. In rural areas, a homestead with several dwelling units will be considered as one structure. In urban areas a structure may also contain several dwelling units e.g. storeyed buildings, detached houses with outbuildings (or shacks) in the backyard, etc. A structure will only get one Census Building Number (even if it has more than one dwelling unit).