TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) projected that the Indonesian population in 2045 would reach 319 million people. BPS head Suhariyanto said that albeit the estimation was made through the process of scientific calculation, the population census remained vital.

“It must be updated once every five years,” said Suhariyanto at his office building, Jakarta, Friday, February 14. He explained that the last population census was carried out in 2010, and the census and intercensal survey (SUPAS) was done in 2015.

“We will update it by considering several assumptions, so it is not a prophecy,” he added.

Suhariyanto reiterated that his side collaborated with the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in creating the projection. Accurate data on population, he added, was necessary for the government to prepare strategies in drafting policy.

He pinned hope the country’s population census could follow the success of South Korea’s census, which was accurate and reliable so it supported the government’s policy intervention.

To update the current census data, Suhariyanto said, his agency would adopt digital technology as it was more efficient than using the conventional means.

This year, the government was set to open the online-based population census on sensus.bps.go.id starting February 15 to March 31 and conduct a door-to-door interview for a direct census on July 1-30.

EKO WAHYUDI