Singapore Government Press Release
Media Division, Ministry of Information and The Arts,
MITA Building, 140 Hill Street, 2^nd Storey, Singapore 179369
Tel: 837-9666

Chief Statistician,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This evening we celebrate the completion of the 2000 Population Census exercise. The Population Census is the largest statistical effort for any country. It is also one of the most important, as the information collected about individuals and households are vital inputs for policy planning and implementation. Every Christmas, we recall the census in the Roman Empire decreed by Augustus Caesar which required everyone to return to his own city to be registered. And so, Joseph and Mary had to return to Bethlehem where Jesus was born.

Two thousand years later, the census remain a laborious exercise. For Singapore, the 2000 Population Census is our 4^th since independence. The approach to this Population Census is qualitatively different from the 3 previous census held in 1970, 1980 and 1990. In the past, every household had to be visited. Indeed, in the old days, a census-taker would stick a label on a kampong house to certify that the house had been visited. In the 1990 Census, we employed about 4,000 fieldworkers to ask 39 questions about 3 million people. For the 2000 Census, if we had followed the traditional method, we would have had to employ some 6,000 fieldworkers. I don�t know how many the Romans employed. Imagine the effort in China today which started its census only a few months ago. Throughout Chinese history, registering households for tax purposes led to endless game-playing.

Life is easier for a compact city-state like Singapore. Taking advantage of new technology and better techniques, the Department of Statistics (DOS) re-engineered the entire survey process for the 2000 Census using a register-based census approach. As much data as possible was gathered from existing administrative records. In 1995, DOS developed the Household Registration Database which integrated information available in various public sector databases. Information about the population and household characteristics can be easily obtained from this Household Registration Database.

For additional information not available in public databases, and to confirm the accuracy of data already available, a census survey was conducted based on a 20% household sample. These households were required by law to provide information on key areas such as education, language, literacy, occupation, income, housing, transportation and fertility. For this 20% sample, we conducted the interviews face-to-face, by telephone and on the Internet. Singapore is the only country in the world to conduct the Census via the Internet with a database accessible by the respondents to verify and add information. Singaporeans responded positively. 15% of the households submitted their returns through the Internet.

The registered-based census approach not only yielded data of higher quality, it also sped up the whole process of data collection. For example, the total population count of 4.017 million on Census Day (30 June 2000) was captured, validated and released after 2 months. Other quick-count information such as age, sex and ethnicity was also released in August. This is a huge improvement over the 1990 Census, when the full count was available only after nine months. The register-based census approach has also enabled a series of nine Advance Data Releases to be made available to the public in a period of six months after the completion of field work between November 2000 and February 2001. In the past, such results would only be available after a year.

There were significant cost savings as well. Census 2000 was conducted at a cost of $24 million. Had we used the traditional approach, it would have easily cost $70 million. In terms of manpower, only 600 persons were employed to conduct the census, one-tenth of what would have been needed using the old method.

This is the first time that any country in Asia has adopted a register-based census. Singapore is now among the countries in the world at the forefront of international statistical best practices. The use of the Internet and artificial intelligence for our 2000 Census has broken a lot of new ground. Let me congratulate DOS for this outstanding achievement.

All this reflects the importance the government and the public place on gathering, analysing, and disseminating information that are of importance to us. We live in a globalized world, and we make our living as a commericial and industrial hub. To play this role successfully, we need a system to collect the latest information on our economy and society. We also need professionals to organize the information, analyse them and disseminate them to the public. DOS is at the heart of this government-wide information network.

In a quiet, low-profile way, DOS has built up its professionalism and capabilities over the years. It has made major improvements to the collection and release of statistical data in Singapore. DOS has introduced many new data series such as advance GDP estimates and international trade in services. It has also improved the timeliness and dissemination of the major data series. The DOS Homepage receives about 500,000 hits a month and is considered one of the best national statistical websites. These initiatives have raised the quality of statistics in Singapore which benefit both the public and private sectors. We are now running a much more sophisticated economy with complex international linkages. We need good data available in a timely way to operate such an economy and keep it moving forward.

The good work of DOS has been noticed in professional circles. In 1995, The Economist gave Singapore an �A� grade for the overall quality of statistics among emerging economies. More recently, in 1999, Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (PERC) reported that the quality of economic statistics and forecasting in Singapore was the best in Asia.

Our standing in the international statistical community is high. Singapore was among the first 34 countries that subscribed to the IMF�s Special Data Dissemination Standards (SDDS) in 1996. We have been meeting the very stringent prescriptions set in the SDDS for data coverage, timeliness, quality and integrity.

This evening, I would like to pay a special tribute to our Chief Statistician, Dr Paul Cheung. Under his leadership, DOS has been transformed into an internationally-recognised top-rate statistical agency. Paul has been elected the President of the International Association for Official Statistics (IAOS) for the term 2001-2003, the first Asian to be given this honour. He was conferred the Von Neumann-Spallart Medal by the International Statistical Institute (ISI) in August 1999 for DOS� contribution to global statistical development.

As we gear up for the New Economy, more data will have to be collected for all kinds of new activities. We will need an array of new indicators relating to e-commerce and the ICT sector. Measuring the characteristics of a knowledge-based economy presents a huge statistical challenge. We will have to work with others in the world to find new and innovative solutions. The 2000 Census is a good example of how a fresh approach can be much more productive.

Let me congratulate all those who have worked so hard and for so long to make the 2000 Census exercise a success. I would like to thank the Census Planning Committee for setting the direction and for guiding the Census team, and the Census Technical Advisory Committee for its technical advice. On behalf of all of us here, I would also like to thank the 20% of households surveyed for responding promptly and patiently to our questionnaires. Without their support and co-operation, the success of the Census would not have been possible. I believe we are the first country in the world to have completed the Millennium Census and released the detailed results.

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