MAKING HER COUNT
Family's census baby
Miriam Isaac is 50 centimetres long. Born at 11.38am yesterday, at the end of a 90-minute labour, she is child No 3 for the Isaac family.
She has a 6-year-old brother and a 3-year-old sister – both of whom are waiting eagerly at home to meet the newest arrival to the Syrian-immigrant family.
Officially, she weighs 3.5 kilograms and has a head circumference of 35cm.
She has the usual 10 fingers and 10 toes but to her happy parents, she represents much more than any number can show.
But she will be a number – officially – thanks to the fact Miriam was born a week-and-a-half early at Wellington Hospital, meaning she entered the world just in time to be counted in this year’s census.
If she had arrived on her due date, she would have needed to wait until the 2023 census.
Today is census day, when all New Zealanders theoretically record details about themselves and their household, ranging from income to qualifications and how they travel to work or heat their homes.
By yesterday morning, 1.2 million people had filled out this year’s form, said census general manager Denise McGregor.
‘‘It doesn’t take long to complete. Timing for online forms is averaging four minutes for the dwelling form and eight minutes for the individual form.’’
Stats NZ would like to achieve its target of having 70 per cent of all census forms filled in online, with the remainder being completed on the older paper forms.
The Statistics Act means it is compulsory for everyone in New Zealand to take part.
After today, any household yet to provide the requested information will be contacted by letter. If those reminders don’t work, they will be visited by a census employee. For people who still refuse to take part, Stats NZ may consider prosecution.
If you have lost your census access code, you should call the agency’s helpline on 0800 236 787.
❚ Insulting exercise, Opinion A7