Population and Housing Census 2001

Like all former British Caribbean colonies, Antigua and Barbuda has a long history of census taking dating back to the nineteenth century. The first systematic attempts to estimate the size of the populations were made in the early nineteenth century through the system of Slave Registration. Established partly to prevent the clandestine movements of slaves between colonies and partly in the interest of securing better treatment for them, the system produced triennial estimates beginning in 1817 and continued until the abolition of slavery.The first census was taken in 1841. Beginning in 1851, there were five decennial censuses conducted between 1851 and 1891. The earliest twentieth century census was conducted in 1911. Censuses were conducted in 1921 and 1946 and in 1960 and 1970. In Antigua and Barbuda censuses were conducted as part of the regional programme in the spirit of the United Nations’ decision that a census should be taken every ten years and preferably in the year ending in ‘0’. No census was conducted in the 1980’s. The most recent exercises were conducted in 1991 and in 2001.