Claim
On February 25, 2025, various social media and media outlets circulated posts claiming that the Public Service Commission Chairperson Dr. Choolwe Beyani disputed Zambia’s 2022 Census Report, declaring it “illegal, null, and void” during a presentation of the findings. Reports stated that he allegedly cited 15 wards where population statistics were inflated compared to the actual number of residents. This raised concerns about the credibility, validity and transparency of the census data by citizens.
Rating Justification
iVerify Zambia has determined as misleading claims questioning the validity of the entire 2022 Census Report. The critique was directed at specific discrepancies in the report, not the overall census.
iVerify Zambia fact-checked the claims by reviewing an audio recording of the session. During a Question-and-Answer session following the presentation of the 2022 Census of Population and Housing Revised Summary Report, Dr. Choolwe Beyani, Chairperson of the Public Service Commission, highlighted discrepancies in 15 wards where voter registration numbers differed from census population counts. He described these anomalies as ‘illegal’ and ‘unprocedural,’ declaring the specific discrepancies (not the entire census) ‘null and void.’
Furthermore, in the same recording, the Ministry of Finance Permanent Secretary for Planning and Administration, Prudence Kaoma, acknowledged the concerns but provided clarification. She stated that the census figures presented in the report were not questionable, as they were based on an agreed methodology for population counting. She emphasized that the census data was purely based on a household headcount conducted in September 2022 and did not incorporate other government statistics, such as those from the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) or the National Registration Card (NRC) system.
On February 27, 2025, in a Media statement, the Zambia Statistics Agency (ZamStats) Board, through Chairperson Mr. Oliver J.M. Chinganga, addressed the reported variance in 15 wards within the 2022 Census Population and Housing Revised Summary Report. ZamStats declared the variance ‘statistically insignificant, well below 19%, with legitimate and explainable reasons.’ The agency clarified that ‘discrepancies between voter registration and census data are expected due to differing purposes, timelines, and methodologies.
ZamStats reaffirmed the validity and credibility of the Revised Census Summary Report (Volume 2). The agency emphasized compliance with the Statistics Act No. 13 of 2018 and adherence to the United Nations Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics. ZamStats assured the public that the full census findings would be released to address misconceptions.
While discrepancies in 15 wards were noted as ‘illegal’ and ‘unprocedural,’ the critique focused on specific data alignment issues rather than discrediting the entire census. Authorities clarified that these variances were statistically negligible and resulted from legitimate methodological differences. As reaffirmed by ZamStats, the 2022 Census Report remains valid and credible.
Evidence and References
Zambia Statistics Agency Media Statement
https://www.zamstats.gov.zm/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/ZamStats-Media-Statement.pdf
Revised 2022 Census of Population and Housing Summary Report Volume II
https://www.zamstats.gov.zm/Publications/Revised%202022%20Census%20of%20Population%20and%20Housing%20Summary%20Report%20Volume%20II.pdf
Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics
https://unstats.un.org/unsd/dnss/hb/E-fundamental%20principles_A4-WEB.pdf
https://unstats.un.org/unsd/dnss/gp/fundprinciples.aspx
