General statistics for population in Algeria.

The Algerian authorities began yesterday a comprehensive collection of statistics on population and housing to "evaluate the society's development."

Formal sources said that more than 50,000 employees were mobilized, at a cost of 90 million French Francs for this, the fourth operation of its kind in the country since 1996.

In 1966, Algeria's population was found to be 12 million, and the number was raised to 17 million in 1987, then to 23 million in 1997.

The sources expected that the population would reach 29.3 million at the end of the current year.

The preliminary results of this study, which will take 15 days, will be published within three months.