Why do an Economic
Census:
the case of Uganda
The Second International Workshop on Economic Census
6th – 9th July 2009
By Peter Opio
Principal Statistician,
Uganda Bureau of Statistics, UGANDA
Outline presentation
 General information on Uganda
 What do we mean by this term “Census”?
 Recent history of economic surveys in
Uganda
 Why do the surveys?
 Conclusions
General information on Uganda
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A land-locked country in East Africa
Capital City: Kampala
Population (mid-2009): 31 million
Percentage rural: 85%
GDP (2008) $440 per capita
Staple food: Matoke, Millet flour, Cassava,
beans
A View of Kampala City
Map of Uganda within East Africa
What do we mean by a “Census”?
 Different countries could be having different
meanings for the terminology.
 In the past, a “census” meant complete coverage of
all units in the entire country
 Today, it seems that an economic census may just be
a large sample survey.
 Or perhaps it is limited to formal businesses
 It is not very clear what we are talking about
 In this presentation we talk about surveys
Economic Surveys in Uganda
The 2001 listing
 In 2001, every establishment with fixed premises in the country
was listed.
 The main data items collected were location, activity (ISIC) and
employment
 Over 160,000 businesses were listed, the great majority of
which had less than 5 employees (87%).
 At the time, this exercise was seen as the compilation of a
comprehensive Business Register, although there was never
any possibility of keeping it updated.
 It was in fact a “Census”.
Economic Surveys in Uganda Con’d
The Uganda Business Inquiry (UBI) 2002
 The follow-up UBI took place in 2002/03 and consisted
of a sample of 4,300 businesses
 The main data items were accounting data for the year
2000/01.
 A total of 12 separate questionnaires were designed for
the different sectors to take into account the
peculiarities in each sector.
10 were meant for large businesses with final accounts,
while the other two were for informal businesses
without final accounts.
Economic Survey, collecting
production data from Fish Company
Economic Surveys in Uganda Con’d
The Annual Business Inquiry (ABI) 2008
 No further surveys were undertaken until 2008 when the ABI
began. It is being processed now.
 A comprehensive listing was not possible, so the scope of the
survey was limited to 3.000 (formal) businesses registered and
paying Value Added Tax.
 The target sample size was 1,500 businesses
 The main data items were accounting data for the year 2006/07.
 The same questionnaires were used as for the UBI, with some
minor changes.
 “Annual” does not mean it will be conducted every year. This is
because of resource constraints.
Why do the surveys?
The results of the UBI were grossed up and used for the following purposes:
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To update estimates of Total Output, Intermediate Costs and Value Added by
activity, among other variables
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To help benchmark and re-base the GDP
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To compile a Supply and Use Table (SUT) and a Social Accounting Matrix
(SAM)
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To provide data for macro-economic modeling by the Ministry of Finance and
Economic Development
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To provide weights for Producer Price Indices and the Index of Production
(now being extended to services)
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As a sampling frame for other economic surveys such as “Private Sector
Investment Surveys” and “Innovation Surveys”
Conclusions from our experience
 The coverage of the word “census” needs clarification so that we
know what we are talking about.
 A repeat of the full 2001 listing is unlikely – it is very expensive.
However tax data (Value Added Tax) can be used as a survey frame
covering the “formal” sector.
 Information on informal activity is being captured in the Uganda
National Household Survey.
 Large-scale economic surveys cannot be undertaken every year due
to resource constraints.
 However in Uganda we are trying to exploit VAT data on sales to
provide trends in between surveys.
Thank you for your
attention
PLOT 9
COLVILLE STREET
P.O BOX 7186
KAMPALA
TEL.
041-706000
FAX
041-237553
E-MAIL
ubos@ubos.org
Website
www.ubos.org
WELCOME TO THE STATISTICS HOUSE