Statistics Office sets new census deadline for June 2025

The Director of the Central Statistics Office (CSO), Raymond Phillip, has announced a new deadline of June 2025 for completing the territory’s long-overdue census.

Speaking with our news center, Phillip acknowledged that while a recently enacted law imposing penalties for withholding census information has been somewhat effective, progress remains slower than desired.

“We’re just about halfway there, but we still have a long way to go,” Phillip said. “We’re not moving at the pace that I would prefer. We still have some resistance out there, but the main problem now is the pace at which we’re going.”

Phillip emphasized the urgent need for additional enumerators to accelerate data collection. He expressed concerns about the productivity of the current team. “They’re not completing as many households as they should on a weekly basis,” he stated.

Despite efforts to recruit new enumerators, Phillip noted ongoing challenges. While the CSO has actively advertised the need for more personnel, many applications have not materialized into hires for various reasons. However, Phillip dismissed salary as a factor in the shortage.

“We’ve already paid many of the enumerators, and they have been very satisfied with the pay,” he said. “The salary we are paying is not a deterrent at all.”

The director explained that past resistance from the public had led to some enumerators leaving the job. Although resistance has lessened, the shortage persists. In October 2024, the CSO was prepared to mobilize all applicants due to the dire need for workers, but the effort yielded limited results.

Phillip also reiterated the consequences for residents who refuse to cooperate with the census. Legislation approved by the Governor on April 9, 2024, and gazetted by Cabinet on April 16, 2024, empowers authorities to ticket individuals who withhold information.

Non-compliant residents are issued a seven-day notice to provide census data. Failure to comply within that period can result in a $5,000 fine.

The last complete census was conducted in 2010, leaving the BVI overdue for updated data. Phillip stressed the critical importance of the census, noting that it provides essential information for the territory’s development. “The data collected will help the government make informed decisions that benefit the entire community,” he said.