Lebanon needs a new census

As part of Executive’s ‘10 Ways to Save Lebanon’ issue, we asked leading experts from a range of fields to put the case for one major policy for the country. In this article, pollster Kamal Hamdan puts the case for a new census.   No wonder Lebanon is falling behind. In a world racing towards greater and more accessible economic data, our country is standing idle, having firmly refused to conduct a census for 82 years. This is not just a technical issue for economists. The census is such a basic analytical tool that its absence impairs the ability to make sound, informed decisions. Every day economists, executives and labor leaders rely on mountains of economic data to plan policies, strategies and investments. What is the optimal fiscal policy? The yearly demand and supply of labor? Which parts of the economy and the country show the best investment potential? What