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2007 Census Test

 

Design of the Northern Ireland 2007 Census Test and Sample Size

The test involved some 14,000 households and was concentrated in five LGDs, covering a total of 96 of the 2001 Census Output Areas, which were selected on the basis of:-  

  1. Exhibiting specific socio-economic characteristics (e.g. Urban/ rural, deprived/ non-deprived and whether predominantly of one community background); and,  

  2. The need to focus on specific issues that arise when attempting to enumerate special groups such as students, the influx of migrant workers, communal establishments and areas where holiday homes are situated.  

The LGDs selected for the test, which are shown in Figure 1 below, were:

  • Belfast
  • Craigavon
  • Coleraine
  • Magherafelt
  • Fermanagh.  

The five LGDs in question were selected on the basis that they would present difficulties from an operational perspective and as such were neither chosen at random or to be representative.

Figure 1: 2007 Census Test Areas

Table 1 below, which illustrates the balanced nature of the design, presents a breakdown of the number of output areas where each design variable/ design strata combination will be examined.  Table 2 below presents the corresponding number of households.  The desire to test the factors across a balanced set of socio-economic strata led to the selection of 96 Output Areas.

Table 1: Design Strata by number of Census Output Areas

Design Strata

Design Variables

Total Output Areas

Post-out

Enumerator Delivery

Income

No Income

Income

No Income

In 2007 Test

In whole of NI

Urban

Deprived

Protestant

2

2

2

2

8

627

Roman Catholic

2

2

2

2

8

645

Mixed

2

2

2

2

8

387

Non-deprived

Protestant

2

2

2

2

8

790

Roman Catholic

2

2

2

2

8

172

Mixed

2

2

2

2

8

826

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rural

Deprived

Protestant

2

2

2

2

8

131

Roman Catholic

2

2

2

2

8

315

Mixed

2

2

2

2

8

406

Non-deprived

Protestant

2

2

2

2

8

391

Roman Catholic

2

2

2

2

8

60

Mixed

2

2

2

2

8

272

Total

24

24

24

24

96

5022

Table 2: Design Strata by 2001 Census Household Count

Design Strata

Design Variables

Total Households

Post-out

Enumerator Delivery

Income

No Income

Income

No Income

In 2007 Test

In whole

of NI

Urban

Deprived

Protestant

327

338

235

218

1118

77804

Roman Catholic

289

254

267

316

1126

80515

Mixed

272

223

267

293

1055

47974

Non-deprived

Protestant

241

290

303

236

1070

98940

Roman Catholic

243

272

222

297

1034

21567

Mixed

324

274

208

236

1042

103982

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rural

Deprived

Protestant

204

310

334

242

1090

16102

Roman Catholic

248

306

310

310

1174

38818

Mixed

239

275

348

317

1179

50455

Non-deprived

Protestant

298

486

412

244

1440

48830

Roman Catholic

298

327

399

350

1374