2004 census results:Taiz: largest, fastest growing city [Archives:2005/832/Business & Economy]
Hassan Al-Zaidi
The Central Organization for Statistics (COS) in the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, announced the primary results of the General Census of Population, Housing, and Establishments in a great celebration attended by the President on March 13.
The president revealed that the cost of this process exceeded YR4.5 billion. In his speech, the president pointed out the importance of family planning to developmental progress, and the importance of accurate information and statistics so that projects can be executed fairly and efficiently.
The number of Yemen's population revealed by P.M. Bajamal surprised the audience. He announced that the number of the resident population at the initiation night, Dec. 16-17 2004, was 19,721,643 of which 10,016,137 are male and 9,705,506 are female.
Despite audience expectations, the growth rate had decreased when to 3.2 % at the end of 2004. The 1994 census that indicated the population was 14,587,807, which means that the population increased by 5,123,836 over the last decade.
The population in the southern provinces in 1973 was 1,590,275 and was 6,492,530 in the northern provinces in 1975.
The results show that there are 2,882,759 families, and 2,761,281 houses. The average family size average is 6.84 persons.
The results showed that Taiz is still first in terms of the number of population, with 2,402,965 residents (1,155,132 males and 1,247,437 females). The growth rate in Taiz is 2.29 percent. That means that there 92.6 males for every 100 females – the lowest rate in the republic.
Hodeida's population is the second largest with 2,161,379 people (11 percent) and 3.27 percent growth rate. The population of Ibb is 2,137,546 with 2.5 percent growth rate, and indicates that 95.5 males per 100 females. Sana'a, is the next largest city, followed by Haja, Dhamar, and Hadramout. Shabwa has the lowest population, with only 89,093 residents, although it stands second in terms of the growth rate in Yemen, exceeding 4.57 percent.
Concerning gender, there are 103.2 males for every 100 females, but the number of females is higher than males in Taiz, Aden, Haja, and Shabwa.
The average family size in Amran and Shabwa occupied the top of the list, reaching 8.74 persons. Theyweare followed with Marib with 8.47, Saada with 8.36, and Baydha. All of these regions have strong tribal social structures.
Al-Jawf was highest in terms of the number of families living in the same house exceeding 1.16. Hadramout came next with 1.15, followed by Lahj and Aden with 1.09. The lowest rate was in Raymah, with 0.93 families in each house.
Those were the primary indicators of populations in all provinces of Yemen whose land size is 555,000 square kilometer except for the Ruba Al-Khali (the desert). There are 20 governorates, and 333 districts, each of which is subdivided into sub-districts including a number of villages.
Although the results of the census have not been yet published, there is also another step that depends on work that will be carried out until July 2006. The primary results indicate that people are gathering more in cities and the average of immigration from rural to urban areas is increasing, which has caused the unfair distribution of some development projects.
Unlike the previous periods that witnessed some casual, disorganized counterfeit data, this census is considered the most reliable ever conducted in Yemen. Most people doubted the results of the 1994 census, doubt that has been vindicated by the results showing an increase in the population by five million people. However, the present data is not without any inaccurate data due to difficulties associated with gathering accurate information in small isolated villages.
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