AGE ESTIMATION

INTRODUCTION:
Age, which is simply define as number of years we reached at our last birthday which is
invariable used as a marker for “biological age”. Age is a very important variable in any
demographic endeavor for meaningful analysis. Age Estimation is the task of estimating the
age of a person from whichever scientifically verifiable means available and allowable.
WHY IS AGE IMPORTANT?
a. Practical Life Application
Age is used to determine eligibility for the under-listed among others;
i. Schooling
ii. Marriage
iii. Drug dosage
iv. Employment
v. Driving & Voting
b. Surveys, Censuses & PES Questions
Age of respondent will determine eligibility to participate in surveys (e.g in the DHS, Women
15-49yrs who are within the reproductive age). Age will also determine the type of question
that will be administered on each respondent during the next Census as well as during the Post
Enumeration Survey (PES) e.g. Questions on schooling & Marriage.
c. Demographic Analysis
Data on population age structure provide the basis for many types of demographic analysis.
E.g., age is the most important variable in the study of mortality, fertility and migration.
d. Development Indicators
Age provides an important context in the analysis of important development indicators such as
number of schools, health facilities established, analysis of labour supply, etc.
Sources of Age Data
Age data can be derived mainly from traditional or non-traditional sources:
Traditional Source
The traditional sources are,
a) Periodic census or enumeration b) Sample surveys or inquiries c) Vital registration systems
d) Population Registers
Non-Traditional sources
These are administrative records of demographic data gathered and processed by government
agencies such as: School registers, Hospital records, Employment registers, Church/Mosque
registers, Tax registers, Licensing office, Police records, etc.
METHODS OF AGE DETERMINATION
There are several ways to determine the age of respondents if he/she does not know. These
include:
 i. Asking the respondent (if an adult) who may know his/her age
ii. Asking respondent’s parents or other family members who may know his/her age (for
younger persons).
iii. Use of respondent’s personal documents (Birth Certificate, Voters Card etc.)
iv. Use of Respondent’s peers (born around the same period).
v. Use of Historical Events Calendar, which should be the last resort and to be used after
exhausting other avenues of obtaining the respondent’s age including the use of
personal documents.
AGE CONSISTENCY DETERMINATION
There are 3 major methods to be used in determining the age consistency of the respondents;
1. The Arithmetic Method
The arithmetic method requires that you first calculate the sum of the year of birth and the age.
Apply one of the following rules to determine if these responses are consistent.
IF BOTH MONTH AND YEAR ARE KNOWN
• If the month of birth is before the month of Census (the respondent has had her birthday
this year), then his/her age plus the year of birth should equal the year of Census [2023].
Example: A respondent tells you that he/she was born in January [1978] and is 45 years old
during Census (2023). His/her responses are consistent, since the month of birth is (January)
which is before the Census month (April) and the year of birth [1978] and age (45) sum to the
year of interview [2023]. Also,
Another respondent tells you that he/she was born in July [1999] and said he/she is 24 years
old. Her/his responses are inconsistent, the month of birth (July) is before the month of Census
(April).
However below are also some example that the enumerator can use to verify the age of the
respondents easily.
1. If year of birth is reported by respondent,
• ask if already celebrated birthday in current year, then subtract year of birth from current
year which is the year enumeration is taking place.
Example; if a respondent’s birthday is Feb 1999,
⚫ Had celebrated birthday in the current year as at time of visit of the
enumerator in the household, subtract year of birth from the current year.
Age = 2023-1999
= 24years
Example; if a respondent’s birthday is October 1999,
⚫ Not yet celebrated birthday in current year, subtract year of birth from last year
Age= 2022-1999
= 23years
If respondent does not know age and year of birth is not reported, enumerator will have to probe
further;
• Ask respondent how old she was during the first marriage or had her first child, try to
estimate the age from the information given to you on this.
Example;if she says she was 18years when she had her first child who is now 10 years old,
probably she is now (18 +10=28years) at the time of enumeration.
• Also, if the respondent could not remember the month when she was born, it is sufficient
to subtract year of birth from the current year [2023].
• Try to relate age to someone in the household or in the compound whose age is known.
2. Chart Method
You may use the Age/Birth-Date Consistency Chart (as shown below) to check the consistency
of the
information the respondent provides. In using the chart, you will choose one of two approaches,
IF BOTH MONTH AND YEAR ARE KNOWN
If the month of birth is before the month of interview (the respondents already had his/
her birthday this year), use the right-hand column to see what year of birth is consistent with
that age.
If the month of birth is after the month of interview (she has not yet had her birthday this year),
use the left-hand column to see what year of birth is consistent with that age.
IF ONLY YEAR OF BIRTH IS KNOWN
If the respondent mentions the year of birth listed on the chart which is not consistent in either
the left or right-hand column of the chart, then the enumerator needs to probe to ensure that the
age is consistent with either the left or right-hand column by using the historical event calender.
AGE/BIRTH-DATE CONSISTENCY CHART FOR THE 2023 PHC
Year of birth Year of birth
Current Has not had Current Has not had
Age birthday in Has already had Age birthday in Has already had
2023 birthday in 2023 2023 birthday in 2023
Age Don’t know Age Don’t know
0 2022 51 1971 1972
1 2021 2022 52 1970 1971
2 2020 2021 53 1969 1970
3 2019 2020 54 1968 1969
4 2018 2019 55 1967 1968
5 2017 2018 56 1966 1967
6 2016 2017 57 1965 1966
7 2015 2016 58 1964 1965
8 2014 2015 59 1963 1964
9 2013 2014 60 1962 1963
10 2012 2013 61 1961 1962
11 2011 2012 62 1960 1961
12 2010 2011 63 1959 1960
13 2009 2010 64 1958 1959
14 2008 2009 65 1957 1958
15 2007 2008 66 1956 1957
16 2006 2007 67 1955 1956
17 2005 2006 68 1954 1955
18 2004 2005 69 1953 1954
19 2003 2004 70 1952 1953
20 2002 2003 71 1951 1952
21 2001 2002 72 1950 1951
22 2000 2001 73 1949 1950
23 1999 2000 74 1948 1949
24 1998 1999 75 1947 1948
25 1997 1998 76 1946 1947
26 1996 1997 77 1945 1946
27 1995 1996 78 1944 1945
28 1994 1995 79 1943 1944
29 1993 1994 80 1942 1943
30 1992 1993 81 1941 1942
31 1991 1992 82 1940 1941
32 1990 1991 83 1939 1940
33 1989 1990 84 1938 1939
34 1988 1989 85 1937 1938
35 1987 1988 86 1936 1937
36 1986 1987 87 1935 1936
37 1985 1986 88 1934 1935
38 1984 1985 89 1933 1934
39 1983 1984 90 1932 1933
40 1982 1983 91 1931 1932
41 1981 1982 92 1930 1931
 Year of birth Year of birth
Current Has not had Current Has not had
Age birthday in Has already had Age birthday in Has already had
2023 birthday in 2023 2023 birthday in 2023
42 1980 1981 93 1929 1930
43 1979 1980 94 1928 1929
44 1978 1979 95 1927 1928
45 1977 1978 96 1926 1927
46 1976 1977 97 1925 1926
47 1975 1976 98 1924 1925
48 1974 1975 99 1923 1924
49 1973 1974 100 1922 1923
50 1972 1973
Source: Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS)
3. Historical Events Calendar Method
The Historical Events Calendar is used to help estimate ages of respondents who do not know
their ages. The Calendar is critical in estimating age as respondents who could not remember
their age after all efforts have been made, will be asked about events that must have happened
when they were born.
The List of Historical Events assists the Enumerators in avoiding as much as possible rough
guesses of respondents’ age and enables them to check respondent’s answers on age. That is,
if the enumerator has exhausted all other means to obtain the respondents age, he/she can refer
to the Historical Events Calendar and try to determine how old he/she was at the time of an
important event such as a war, flood, earthquake, change in political regime, etc. and add the
age at that time to the number of years that have passed since the event.

Graphical explanation of the difference between Historical Events and the Historical
Events Calendar
METHODOLOGY OF COMPILING HISTORICAL EVENTS CALENDAR
Data Collection
Qualitative data collection method was used.
i. Free-listing interview with relevant stakeholders (The elderly above 60 years
disaggregated into retired civil/public servants, traditional rulers, religious leaders etc).
ii. Free listing of historical events were elicited from the discussants.
iii. Verification and validation of H/E data collected.
Collation
The listed events were collated and arranged by place and year of occurrence and arranged
from International, National, Regional through to Local Events.
Example of Historical Events Calendar for International, National, Regional, State and
LGA( Daura LGA) of Katsina State Nigeria

YEAR ESTIMATED AGE

S/N INTERNATIONAL EVENT OCCURRENCE (PLACE)
1 Outbreak of Locust International 1925 97
2 Visit of Prince of Wales to Oyo Kingdom International 1925 97
Visit of Sultan of Sokoto and the Emir of Gwandu to
3 England International 1934 88
4 Scarcity of salt International 1937 85
5 Beginning of World War II International 1939 83
6 Invasion of Russia by German Army International 1941 81
S/No NATIONAL EVENTS OCCURRENCE (PLACE) YEAR ESTIMATED AGE
1 Conduct of first election in Nigeria National 1922 100
Establishment of Aminu Kano International Airport,(first in
2 Nigeria) National 1922 100
3 Outbreak of locust infestation in Nigeria National 1925 97
Installation of first Electricity in Nigeria (Jebba Hydro
4 Power Station) National 1925 97
5 Nigerian Daily Times Newspaper Began Publication National 1926 96
S/N REGIONAL EVENTS OCCURENCE (Place) YEAR ESTIMATED AGE
1 Death of Sultan Hassan of Sokoto in (North Wesrt) Regional 1937 85
Establishment of the New Nigeria Development Company Regional 1949 73
2 Limited in North West
Kano riot as a result of clash between the Northern and Regional
3 Southern Nigeria 1953 69
Incorporation of Northern Nigerian Development Regional 1956 66
4 Corporation in (North West)
Establishment of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria in (North Regional 1962 60
5 West)
S/N STATE EVENTS OCCURENCE (Place) YEAR ESTIMATED AGE
1 Plane crash in Kaita Local Government In Katsina State Kaita 1923 99
2 Commissioning of Katsina-Kano road Kastina 1926 96
3 Construction of Dayi-Gwarzo Kano road Dayi-Gwarzo 1927 95
Establishment of BCGA Cotton Processing Company
4 Malumfashi Malumfashi 1927 95
Visit of Dr Nnamdi Azikwe to Katsina during First
5 Republic Kastina 1946 76
S/N LGA EVENTS (Daura) OCCURENCE (Place) YEAR ESTIMATED AGE
1 Turbaning of Modibbo Ibrahim Suduje Daura 1925 97
2 Birth of Emir Daura Muhammadu Bashar Daura 1925 97
3 Battle of Hamis Daura 1925 97
4 Establishment of the new Emir's palace of Daura Daura 1937 85
5 Turbaning of Muhammadu II as Mazoji Village Head Daura 1948 74
Turbaning of Uban Dawaki Isiyaku as Village Head of 1950
6 Daura
Daura 72

Using Historical Events Calendar

The events in the calendar are arranged according to place and year of occurrence. The
estimated age is also included to make calculation easier.
The enumerator simply have to ask the respondent that does not know his/her age what events
they may have been told had occurred around the year of their birth.
The enumerator would go to the events calendar and pick the corresponding estimated age of
the respondents.
Example: A respondent that says she doesn't know her age but that she is sure she was born in
the year of Nigeria’s Independence celebration, you look for the year of occurrence which is
1960. The corresponding age on the chart is 62 years.
Points To Note When Using Historical Events Calendar.
⚫ The Historical Events Calendar is to be used after exhausting other means of obtaining the
respondent’s age.
⚫ You use the Historical Events Calendar by asking the respondent what historical event
occurred around the time of their birth/ Marriage/etc and then picking the corresponding
estimated age.
⚫ It is possible that the events may not have occurred exactly on the year of the respondent’s
birthday. In that case, adjust and calculate accordingly.
Example; In our example, Nigeria’s Independence celebration may have happened when the
respondent was 5 years old. In that case, it would mean she was 5 years old in 1960, making
her year of birth 1955. That would make her 67 years today.
CHALLENGES WITH COLLECTING AGE DATA