POPULATION ACCOUNTING MATRIX-METHODOLOGY AND ITS APPLICATIONS

Abstract

This exercise attempts to construct Population Accounting Matrixes (PAMs) for Singapore. PAMs examine the flows of the population which therefore allow us to examine the behavior and movements of a certain cohort of the population. Most (if not all) of the demographic statistics measures the population stock. This is so as stock statistics is sufficient for most of the analysis that we need. Moreover, stock statistics are much easier to collect. But as the United Nations (1975) argue, ' ... for most forms of dynamic analysis, flow statistics are desirable; they enable us to trace changes of states from one year's end to the next; and if they take the form of records about a group of individuals through all or part of their life sequence they enable us to trace connexions between states separated by a longer period of time', (United Nations, 1975, 14). ln this exercise, we describe the methodology of constructing PAMs using Singapore data. The PAMs are then utilized for education and manpower planning.