REDLANDS, CALIF.-- November 11, 2022 -- A population and housing census is among the most complex and massive peacetime exercises a nation can undertake, requiring careful planning, resourcing, and implementation. Success at this scale requires a geographic approach, so in support of this goal, Esri, the global leader in location intelligence, has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Under this new agreement, Esri will partner with UNFPA to help countries use geographic information system (GIS) technology and techniques in their census work with the aim of building inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable communities worldwide in areas where resources are scarce. “National census projects include mapping an entire country, mobilizing and training large numbers of enumerators, and conducting major public awareness campaigns,” said Linda Peters, Esri global business development manager.

Esri provides a statistics modernization program, which includes access to and use of Esri ArcGIS technology at highly subsidized rates, to national statistics offices in select developing countries, where it‘s most needed. Through the MOU with UNFPA, access to the statistics modernization program has been expanded to additional countries and extended to 2034 to cover both the 2020 and 2030 Census rounds. Together, Esri and UNFPA have committed to developing lessons and best practices guides, data models, and other educational materials to help national statistical offices conduct this important work. The initiative supports UNFPA’s mission “to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled.”

“Census activities must be carefully understood, planned, and monitored, with the resultant data analyzed and disseminated,” continued Peters. “GIS is critical for all phases of a census, and the application of the technology across this process is often new to many country statistical offices. The UN‑GGIM [Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management] Global Statistical Geospatial Framework [GSGF] gives us all a guide, but the need for direct support and guidance in implementation is also critical.”

Esri has been a longtime collaborator with national statistics offices to help them understand how to integrate statistical and geospatial information. UNFPA already used Esri technology in 2020 to create the UNFPA COVID-19 Population Vulnerability dashboard. This interactive tool provided public health workers, policy makers, and the general public with access to useful information on populations vulnerable to COVID-19 to target preparedness and response and help save lives.

To learn more about the Esri official statistics modernization program and how it helps foster sustainable global communities, visit go.esri.com/officialstatisticsprogram.