Assessing the Reliability of the Population and Housing Census Data in Sudan, 2008

Introduction: The 5th Population and Housing Census in Sudan is one of the most important censuses in the history of Sudan. It is the only census that covered all parts of Sudan and based on the comprehensive peace agreement (CPA) between North and South Sudan. It is hoped the census will provide information for a fair share in power, resources, services and development. For this reason the census had been highly politicized and contentious. As consequently the outcomes of census were rejected by the major political forces in the country. Objectives:The present study attempts to assess scientifically the quality of census data with special emphasis on the reported age-sex distributions.Methods: First, data will be examined to identify patterns of digit preference and then WhippLes, Myers' and Rachis indexes will be computed in order to furnish a clear picture of the magnitude of deficiencies that might have occurred, second data consistency checks and tests will be used to compare the results of the census with the previous census in Sudan.
Results: The results of the census showed that overall sex ratio of 105 with nearly one million more males than females. It also showed that there were about half a million 448,849 more males than females in the post-reproductive age group of 45 years old and above with a gender dispa