An assessment of household deaths collected during census 2011 in South Africa

Christine C. G. Khoza, Statistics South Africa

The release of Census 2011 results one year after the data collection exercise was complimented. Notwithstanding, fertility, some important labour and lower geographical migration statistics were not released due to data problems. Although mortality tables were included in the 2012 release, a need arose to investigate household deaths data collected during Census 2011. Reasons for the initiation of such a process emanated from the 20% of the total number of deaths that had unspecified values for both age and sex and contestations from scholars about seemingly inappropriate under-count weights utilised by the statistical agency. This article seeks to outline the process undertaken to verify authenticity of published household deaths and the effects of reduced ones on mortality estimation. Estimates of completeness were found to be lower for the reduced number of deaths as can be expected. However, a comparison of mortality rates revealed compatibility between the reduced deaths and the vital register.