The Eastern Caribbean Center of the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) will conduct the 2023 Virgin Islands Community Survey (VICS) during the months of August and September 2023. This scientific survey of a sample of households is a follow-up to the one conducted in 2018. The information collected is similar to that gathered in the Population and Housing Census of 2020.
Virgin Islands Community Survey data for 2023 will be gathered on two topics – population and housing. Population questions cover items such as age, sex, education, ethnic origin, employment, health insurance, veteran status and disability. Housing questions cover items about the housing unit in which respondents live, such as: water source, internet access, number of rooms, utilities, ownership and rent.
“The VICS 2023 is essential to close critical gaps in USVI data used by local agencies whose jobs are to organize and plan for the social, educational, health, economic and other needs for the territory,” said Lawanda Cummings, Ph.D., the new director of the Eastern Caribbean Center. “The data we are collecting this year provides critical insights into the state of the territory after the COVID-19 pandemic and notable shifts in our population. These data are salient for private industry, economic development projections, and indices utilized to understand wellness for USVI children and families,” said Cummings.
The University of the Virgin Islands requests the cooperation of the public when interviewers carrying UVI photo IDs and a data collection device visit households on all three islands. Unlike the census, this is a scientific random sample survey and not every household will be interviewed.
The public is assured of complete confidentiality of the information gathered, as the data are published in summary form only and individuals cannot be identified. As in the census, the anonymity of respondents is a cornerstone feature of this survey.
“Each selected household has an opportunity to lend their voice to our efforts to tell the authentic story of the resilience and strength of the USVI community through research and data. This information is critical for us to articulate our needs to local and federal offices as we continue our collective recovery from the 2017 Hurricanes and the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Cummings.
For more information, call the Eastern Caribbean Center at UVI at 693-1020. Contact UVI’s Public Relations Office for any media needs at pr@uvi.edu
