From August 16, the government of Rwanda through National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) started conducting the fifth national population and housing census.

The census is conducted every decade to update demographic, social, economic and cultural characteristics of the population.

To achieve that, NISR prepares a questionnaire with different questions enumerators use to get responses from Rwandans.

The census questions fall in four main categories: household location, characteristics of each household member, health as well as housing and farming activities. Below are seven of them that are likely to influence national planning once the results are announced.

Is this household (HH) connected to the REG grid line or to other electric lines?

The interviewee answers "Yes” or "No”.

Rwanda seeks to ensure universal access of electricity by 2024. The new trends can inform the government on where to put much effort.

Has [NAME], previously attended or is currently attending school / ECD?

The options for a resident's response are "Has previously attended”, "Is currently attending'' and "Has never attended”.

Inclusive education is a key strategy for the development of ‘Education for All’ (EFA). It is important for the government to know trends regarding the number of Rwandan population who attended or are attending school.

What is the main source of energy the household uses for cooking?

The options include firewood; charcoal; gas; electricity; peat; kerosene/Parafine; sawdust; biogas; straw/shrub/grass; solar power; Crop waste; animal dung; briquette; do not cook and "other(specify)”.

Cooking energy is important to any society. However, some sources of energy for cooking like the use of charcoal have been cited as the main driver of deforestation and indoor air pollution. The trend about the use of coal can inform the government in planning.

Recently, Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente announced that construction of a multi-million plant to produce compressed natural gas for cooking, vehicles and industries from Lake Kivu methane gas is expected to be complete within two years in Karongi district.

He also noted that the use of natural gas will contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by releasing less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than other fossil fuels, in line with the country’s Green Growth and Climate Resilience Programme.

Did [NAME] use the internet in the last 12 months?

The options for the answer include "Yes”, "No” and "Don’t know”.

It is now globally acceptable that the internet is no longer a luxury, but an indispensable tool that has become a way of life. An internet user in Rwanda pays a 7.1 percent share of the gross national income - $780 or around Rwf744,000 for a monthly allowance of 2GB, according to a report by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) as per 2020.

Can [NAME] read, write and understand the following languages?

This question is only reserved for persons aged 10 years old or above. The languages to be ticked are Kinyarwanda, English, French and Swahili. There is also an option for "Other” or "none.”

Rwanda is currently chairing The Commonwealth as well as La Francophonie. The country is also part of the East African Community where Swahili is a common language. New trends from the census are expected to reveal the number of Rwandans who are currently able to read, write and understand English, French, Swahili, Kinyarwanda as well as other languages.

What is the main source of drinking water for members of your household?

The options include internal pipe-born water; pipe-born water in the compound; pipe-born water from the neighbour household; public tap out of the compound; tube Well /Borehole; protected Spring/Well; unprotected Spring/Well; rain water; tanker Truck; River/Lake/Pond/Stream/Irrigation Channel; lake/Stream/Pond/Surface water; mineral water; and other.

SDG 6 is about clean water and good hygiene for everyone in the world. Every family needs clean water to drink, and also for cooking and washing. Dirty water also makes people sick. To accomplish this goal, the government needs to make sure everyone has clean and safe water.

During the last 7 days, did [NAME] do at least one of the following even if only for one hour?

This question is based on employment and is for residents aged 16 years old and above. The options include "work for wage or salary, commission or tips", "work for pay in kind", "work in own business", "helped unpaid in a family business or a job of a family member", "farming for pay in cash or in kind; self-employed in farming/fishing/forestry mainly for market", and "as paid internees”. A resident answers "Yes” or "No” on each option.