15% of the population answered the INEC questionnaire online during the online census, and after the completion of the face-to-face count, it is expected that there will be fewer inhabitants than estimated

The population counter of the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INEC) indicates that In Ecuador there was an estimated population of 18,226,446 inhabitants, as of last Friday, February 3.

They are projections calculated based on the last census and how the evolution occurred during the decade 2001-2010.

The director of the agency, Roberto Castillo Añazco, assures that the number will be updated after the current physical count process, which began on November 7 and will end on February 28.

What happened in the recent and current context would indicate that the result will yield a lower population than estimated, says Castillo, because the majority of Venezuelans who arrived in the country after 2018 have already returned; and, in addition, there is a migratory process of Ecuadorians abroad. Likewise, the number of births decreased (they have not occurred according to the expected calculation).

Castillo assures that the first results of the 8th Population Census, 7th Housing Census and 1st Communities Census for the second semester of this year.

One of the objectives is to reduce the delivery time of the results. In the last one, that of 2010, it was eight months after the registration was completed. And in the ones before that, the wait was a year or more.

From the first, carried out in 1950, to the present, the evolution of Ecuadorian society and the way of adapting the questionnaires according to international parameters and the progress in the validity of rights are evident.

In previous censuses, for example, students and young people participated as survey takers, and the journey was carried out on a specific day, generally a Sunday. It was like the photo of the country that day, says Castillo, but now the situation has changed, since the process is carried out for several months to show the population dynamics.

Student participation in the current census would have been complicated by the level of insecurity in the country.

One of the innovations was the possibility for citizens to answer the questionnaire via the internet.

Castillo assures that the 15% of the national population accepted this alternative, and the percentage is expected to rise in the following censuses, considering that at least 50% of the population has access to the web from home.

There are issues that have been incorporated into national censuses, such as ethnic self-identification and migratory processes from the one that was done in 2001.

to traditional questions this time a voluntary block on identity and sexual orientation was added. The census takers also answer about the number of pets they own to also have a sample of its population.

At the moment there are 500,000 houses that have not yet been registered, says Castillo, which are expected to reach until next February 28, when the census is expected to be completed in person.

One of the drawbacks is the level of insecurity that persists in several provinces, such as Esmeraldas, which has delayed face-to-face visits. (YO)