Census collection in households with a view to the Morro do Pico (Peak Hill), a touristic attraction of Fernando de Noronha. Credits: TV Golfinho/Reproduction

For the residents of the State District of Fernando de Noronha,  545km away from Recife's coast, the 2022 Census started this Tuesday (October 25). Five enumerators and one supervisor are respondsible for carrying out the operation in the  archipelago, one of the most important tourist destinations in the country. The perimeter of the locality, which belongs to Pernambuco, was divided into five enumeration areas, which must be covered by mid-November.

In the 2010 Census, the last one carried out by the IBGE, 2,630 inhabitants were counted in Fernando de Noronha. In 2021, in turn, the institute estimated 3,140 residents in the archipelago. In Pernambuco, more than three million households have already been visited by enumerators since August 1st, the start date of the census operation.

Elisa Pires de Melo was the enumerator who administered the most questionnaires in Recife. Because of her performance, she was one of those selected for the Noronha team. "I am very happy with this recognition and it makes me want to work even more. Until now, people have been very receptive and polite, even when they are not available to answer to the IBGE when we approach them for the first time. The district is also very safe, so we were able to extend the hours and make them more flexible".

IBGE enumerators and administration members of the State District of Fernando de Noronha, in Pernambuco

IBGE also signed an agreement with the archipelago's administration to optimize collection, especially in the areas of infrastructure and logistics. “This support has been fundamental in key areas such as exemption from environmental taxes, transportation, food and lodging”, points out Tiago Figueiredo, IBGE's operational coordinator in Pernambuco.

According to the superintendent of assistance and social development of Fernando de Noronha, Vitor Bahia, the census is an excellent opportunity for the community of Noronha. "After 12 years, the socioeconomic and demographic data will be updated. There is no public policy without quality information, and the Census remains the main tool for public managers to foster management focused on the population's problems".