Measuring the mortality and gender
statistics through household
surveys and population census in
Nepal
Prepared By
Nava Raj Lamsal
Statistics Officer
Central Bureau of Statistics
Branch Statistics Office, Nuwakot
Nepal
ESA/STAT/AC.219/13
Introduction
• Situated in the northern hemisphere, known as
land of Mt. Everest and the birth place of Lord
Buddha, Nepal is a tiny country. Though Nepal
occupies only 0.03% and 0.3% of total land area
of the world and Asia respectively, the country
has an extreme topography and climate. The
altitude ranges from 70 meters to 8848 meters
and the climate varies from tundra to polar. The
country stretches from east to west with mean
length of 885 Km. and widens from north to
south with mean breadth of 193 Km.
Contd.
• Geographically, the country is divided into three eastwest ecological zones: the Northern Range –Mountain,
the Mid Range-Hill and the Southern Range-Terai In the
northern range, Himalayas from and unbroken mountain
range which contains eight peaks higher than 8,000
meters, including Mt. Everest on the border with China.
The middle range is captured by gorgeous mountains,
high peaks, hills valleys and lakes. The southern range
with almost 16Km. to 32 Km. north south consist of
dense forest areas, national parks, wildlife reserves and
conservation areas.
Contd.
• According to the population Census
2001,the annual growth rate of population
is 2.25 percent and the total population of
the country in 2008 has reached about
26.9 million of which the proportion of
male and female are almost equal. About
one third of the populations (30.8%) live
below poverty line and Ginni Coefficient
41.4.
Contd.
• The population Census in Nepal is the primary source of
information on the size and composition of the
population, household, and housing was first conducted
in 1911.Nepal has taken a Population Census every 10
years since 1911.The latest census of Nepal was 2001
Population and Household Census. Even though the
population Census of Nepal had provided data on the
size and composition of population since 1911, a gender
perspective on the statistics has not been appeared as
an important until 2000.After declaration MDGs from UN,
Government of Nepal has incorporated gender issues in
the 2001 census.
Contd.
• As regards the national statistical system
of Nepal, the present system is de facto
decentralized. Central Bureau of Statistics
(CBS) is the pivotal statistical agency
within the national statistical system and it
has 33 branch statistics office throughout
the country. CBS was created in 1959 by
virtue of Statistics Act, 1958 as the sole
agency for the collection, consolidation,
publication and analysis of statistics.
Features of the census 2001
• Population census being a regular decennial event with
standard international practice for comparability, there
can not be major departure from one census to another.
However, compared to the earlier censuses conducted in
the country, there were noticeable differences in the
questionnaire as well as the methodology of data
collection in the 2001 census. In the 2001 census,
special attention was given to the issues related to
gender, women, children and the disabled. Similarly, on
economic aspects, the household work and the extended
economic activity were redefined and emphasized to
overcome the under reporting and under coverage of
especially female participation in the national economy.
In addition to this, mass media campaign had been
extensively used for census publicity.
The main features of the census
2001 are
• Mainstreaming and sensitization of gender
issues
• Complete and sample enumeration
• Census publicity with multi-media approach
• For providing the users with wide range of
demographic, socio-economic and other
statistics, information on household facilities, on
female ownership of house and, on disability,
and on status of living arrangement of children
were included.
• Wider Dissemination of Census Results
Levels and Patterns of Mortality
• Mortality is one of the factors, which affect
the structure, size and growth of a
population. It is base on death statistics,
which usually come from vital registration
data. Vital registration system normally
follows the definition of death as "the
permanent disappearance of evidence of
life at any time after birth has take place
Contd.
• Information on mortality rates contributes
to a better understanding of a country's
socioeconomic situation and sheds light
on the quality of life of population.
Preparation, implementation and
monitoring and evaluation of population,
health, and other socioeconomic programs
and policies depend to a large extend on
target population identification.
Contd.
• In Nepal, though vital registration system
has been universally implemented since
1990, the recordings of events are so poor
that we can't use them to estimate vital
rates. Under such situation, mortality
indices have to be continually derived
either from frequently conducted surveys
or decennial censuses.
Mortality indicators
• Crude Death Rate (CDR): Different estimates of CDR
for Nepal available since 1954. Direct estimation of CDR
is not possible because of data dearth. Despite of poor
reporting in the vital registration system, the census also
showed under reporting of deaths. For example the rate
was found to be 4.7 per thousand in 2001. Health
services available, prevailing living standard of
population and high poverty level should led high death
rate. The rate doesn't reflect crude death rate of
Nepalese Population in 2001.Therefore, this asks for
indirect estimates of death rate in the country.
Contd.
• Infant Mortality Rate (IMR): There are several
factors affect the IMR of a country which are
Nutrition of mothers, Births intervals ,Parity, Age
of mother at child's birth, basic health services
such as Immunization, ARI etc. Therefore, IMR
has been considered as an indicator of socioeconomic development and general health
condition of a society. In Nepal, since 1991
survey direct techniques of estimation have
been applied because the quality of pregnancy
history data has improved.
Contd.
• Child and under 5 Mortality Rate (CMR):
In Nepal, Demographic Health Survey has
been done in every five years in interval
since 1996. Improved technique for the
estimation of CMR has been introduced
since 2001.The same factors, which were
important in the differentials of infant
mortality, are also important for the child
and under age-5 mortality.
Contd.
• Maternal Mortality Ratio: Maternal mortality rate (MMR) is one of
the most important factors to measure wellbeing and empowerment
of women. MMR rate in Nepal is one of the highest in the world;
however, recently it has dropped to 229 deaths per 100,000 live
births as compared to 281 in few years ago indicting that still a large
number of mothers are dying due to causes related to childbirths. In
the 1990's the maternal mortality was measure from the hospital
records. The appropriate method was not adopted. If it is necessary
then small survey was done in few districts or other desired area.
Nepal Family Health Survey (NFHS), 1991 and 1996 had collected
data on maternal mortality through sisterhood and direct method
respectively. Estimation of maternal mortality ratio utilizing the
methods above yielded a ratio of 519 and 539 deaths per 100,000
live births respectively
Contd.
• Life expectancy: Life expectancy like TFR is also synthetic cohort
pattern. This measure of mortality like MMR is free from distortion of
age composition thus international comparisons are made. To
calculate life expectancy we need the age specific mortality rates,
which are difficult to obtain as it requires a survey of large sample
size. Because the birth registration data is not available, life
expectancy in Nepal is usually estimated based on the census data,
employing indirect techniques. Due to low coverage of vital
registration system, we have to relay on the censuses or surveys
conducted in the country. Sample surveys so far conducted in the
country, focus only on childhood mortality rather than adolescent
and adult mortality. Therefore the censuses were the only sources
that would provide mortality pattern by age. The census included
question on mortality pattern on the basis of census data prior to the
census.
Mortality rates in Nepal
•
Mortality
indicators
2001
Crude death rate
Average life
expectancy
Infant mortality
rate
Maternal
Mortality rate
Mortality rate
under 5
9.6
60.1(M),60.7(F),60.4(T)
64
539 per 100.000 live
birth
91
2008
8.3
63.6(M),64.5(F),64.5(T)
48
281 per 100.000 live
birth,229 as in 2009
61
Change in Gender status
• Decennial censuses are the most comprehensive
information on a country's population characteristics.
They provide a comprehensive data base for evaluating
the end-impact of various government /non-government
policies, programs and activities. With a shift in
development objectives and strategies to focus on
people's lives and options, poverty alleviation and
equitable development, collection and supply of a
meaningful census data, amenable to disaggregated
analysis for various groups of population, has acquired
specific importance.
Contd.
• Specifically, the Ninth Plan (1997-2002) had switched
from women in development or women and development
(WID/WAD) perspective to gender perspective to
women's promotion and adopted mainstreaming,
elimination gender inequality and empowerment as its
major policies on women. With transformation from
WID/WAD to gender approach in development, the data
requirements have also expended. It is not adequate to
have a sex disaggregated data but they must be
meaningful for gender analysis, that they must reflect not
only the male but also capture the female realities.
Contd.
Particularly gender approach to development and its
statistical implications are:
• While women as physical beings are universally the
same with the exclusive responsibility of physical
reproduction of human beings" female" are context –
specific, changing with time and context.
• Patriarchy is an overwhelming ideology which pervades
all aspects of social existence.
The Nepal censuses 2001, was specially importance in
this aspect, because specific efforts were made to
improve the definition of economic /non –economic
activities as per ILO standards.
Overall indictors of gender status
Indicators\Years
1991
2001
HDI Index
0.416
0.499
GDI
0.312
0.479
Life Expectancy at Birth
Male
Female
55.0
53.5
60.1
60.7
Adult Literacy(15 Years+)
Male
Female
38
13
62.2
34.6
Economically Active (15 Years+
Male
79.8
48.7
81.7
60.4
The data of Marriage and fertility
• Variables on marital status, proportion of
widowed, divorced and separated women
is declining. But still there were women
widowed already by 19 years of age.
Young widows, particularly, in the IndoAryan community, are subject to covert
and overt violence and face both
psychological and physical violence, often
share the property
Figure 1: Marital Status of 10 years and above
female population
Figure 1:
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Male 1991
Female
Male 2001
female
Never married
Ever married
Currently married
Divorced/separated
widowed
Not stated
Women's property
• From the gender perspective in 2001
census certain items such as land, house,
and livestock had included to measure the
status of women. It is found that about 11
percent households reported some land in
female legal ownership and 5.5
percentage households had some house
in women's name
The women headed household
• In Nepal, female headed household were perceived to
be under reported by the women activities. Therefore,
specific efforts were made in 2001 census to explain
more fully the concept of the household headship as that
person who usually managed the household affairs.
About 15 percent households have been reported to be
women headed in the country in 2001 census. In Nepal
cross classification of household by household headship
and selected characteristics shows difference in
education, living arrangement, operational land holdings
and dependency ratio of the male headed and female
headed households.
Employment status
• According to the results of employment
status of workers by gender, 62
percentage of men and 84 percent of
women are in self-employment
• and family labor. This shows low
proportion of commercialization of the
labor market and low employment
opportunities in the organized sector.
Figure 2: Employment status of
Nepal 1991-2001
90
80
Employer
70
Employee
60
50
Self employment
40
30
Unpaid family labour
20
10
Not stated
0
Contd.
• A substantial proportion of women are confined to
household work due to social and reproductive reasons.
Even if home-making activities, such as household
maintenance and child-care, don't fall within the
production boundary defined by the system of national
account (SNA) .Currently, such activities nevertheless
are necessary for human reproduction and no economy
can survive without them. Therefore, a comparison of
working and not-working population is also useful for an
analysis of livelihood pattern which was included to
collect disaggregated data in the 2001 census
Use and Impact of mortality and
gender statistics
• After 2001 census and household surveys, gender disaggregated
data was produced and it has helped to analyze the gap between
men and women. Gender Responsive Budgeting (GRB) has been
introduced in Nepal from fiscal year 2007/2008 to ensure the needs
and interest of women and men. The government of Nepal has
sought to integrate a gender perspective in the development policy
framework through important initiatives including gender audit of the
line ministries, gender assessments, awareness raising, gender
training programmes as all levels of government and the
establishment of gender focal point system.GRB has therefore
became one of the most effective tools to mainstream gender in
policies and plans, to redress inequalities and to promote
women, economic, social and political rights.
Review of Gender Responsive Budget Allocations
from 2007 to 2010
•
No
.
Fiscal Year in
billions Rs.
Direct
Supportive in
billions Rs.
Indirect
Supportive in
billions Rs
Neutral in
billions Rs.
1.
2007/08
19.09(11.30%)
56.03(33.16%)
93.87(55.54%)
2.
2008/09
32.91(13.94%)
83.58(35.41%)
119.53(50.64%)
3.
2009/10
49.46(17.30%)
104.16(36.43% 132.32(46.27%)
)
Contd.
• Mortalities are often used as broad
indicators of social development or as
specific indicators of health status. The
analyses of mortalities are thus useful for
identifying promising direction for health
programmes and for advancing child
survivor efforts and useful for population
projections.
Conclusion
• Measuring the mortality and gender
statistics through household survey and
population census is a challenging task.
Since 2001 census, gender issues were
incorporated and gender statistics were
produced. It has made easier to evaluate
the status of women in education, health,
and employment.
Contd.
• According to the census 2001, the country had
4.25 million households with 23.14 million
populations. The number of males was 11.56
and that of females was 11.59 millions.
Predominantly the households were headed by
men. To achieve gender equity and women
empowerment, measurement of mortality as well
as gender statistics are important and system
approaches such as laws, plans which
guarantee and encourage the production of
gender statistics, are needed.
Contd.
• Various efforts has made to measure mortality and
gender statistics through household survey and
population census. The latest census 2001 and NDHS,
2006 were one of the exemplary surveys to collect
gender statistics in South Asia for the empowerment of
women. It has helped to measure and analysis
international instruments such as CEDAW, BPFA, MDGs
etc which has already committed by the Government of
Nepal. Therefore, the government of Nepal, Central
Bureau of Statistics (CBS) has given more emphasis on
a gender perspective way to complete the upcoming
population census, 2011 .
THANK YOU.