Census Will Cost $16.5 Million

The Comptroller General of Panama says that it will spend $16.5 million to count what it estimates as the country’s 3.5 million people.

If the math and estimates are correct, the cost is approximately $4.71 per person polled and accounts for the mobilization 140,000 participating supervisors, pollsters and officials.

Panama’s 11th Census will take place this Sunday, March 16 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.  Residents and visitors may not leave their homes or hotels until they have  answered the 12 pages of questions and been given a slip of paper certifying that they have been counted.  Circulating in the streets uncensused or lying on the census could result in 10 to thousand dollar fines. Authorities assure that the information is confidential, La Prensa reports.