Abstract

For many countries, traditional Population and Housing Censuses (PHC), compared to surveys, are the only source of data that provides information at the smallest geographical level. This operation is very complex and very costly since it requires the use of massive human and material resources. These chalenges make the perspective of an entirely or partially register based censuses very attractive.
Morocco has already started preparing its 7th traditional census that would take place in 2024. Although the use of a CAPI system integrated with digital mapping and operational management applications will improve the quality of the data collected and reduce the time of data processing and dissemination, the cost is expected to increase dramatically. One way to reduce the cost consists on using short and long questionnaires, which will make it even more complex. The transition to a register based census in Morocco remains challenging due to the absence of laws that facilitate the data exchange between departments and the recency of the National Population Register (NPR), but it offers the opportunity to provide timely information at a very low cost.
In this paper, we will describe the current methodology of the census in Morocco, evaluate the different administrative registers, particularly the civil registration, and examine the legal framework.