Cartographic work had greatly improved resulting in very few incidents of omission of localities during enumeration. The 2001 Population and Housing Census is the fourth census to be held since independence, the third to collect housing information and the eleventh in the series of censuses conducted in Botswana. Unlike the 1991 Population and Housing Census, the 2001 Population and Housing Census is part and parcel of the SADC 2000 Census Project. The aim of this SADC initiative is to harmonize all census-taking activities and collect information on similar topics in the region. The SADC member states agreed that there was a need to pull together resources in working towards a common goal and this resulted in a resolution being taken in support of the harmonization initiative among SADC countries.
Countries are still free to add-in their own country specific topics to the regional minimal set.