Khaberni - The Department of Statistics has completed the necessary technical and logistical preparations to execute the general census of the population and housing for the year 2026, scheduled to be conducted next October, aiming to update the demographic, economic, and social data in Jordan to support development plans and decision-making, according to the General Manager of the department, Haider Freihat.
Freihat stated on Friday to "Al Mamlaka" that the Department of Statistics has launched its field staff to complete the preparations for the census, explaining that about 1400 researchers, monitors, supervisors, and quality officers are currently working in various regions of the kingdom to carry out the field enumeration works according to the set timetable.
He added that the department uses advanced technology to ensure accuracy, quality, and confidentiality of the data provided by citizens, emphasizing that the citizens' data are protected by law and by the procedures followed by the department in all previous and current censuses.
Freihat clarified that data collection is done using tablets, pointing out that in the event of any electronic breach, which he described as very unlikely, it would be confined to only one researcher's device out of 1400, confirming the difficulty of compromising the entire process or the network used in the census.
He noted that the Department of Statistics has extensive experience in this field, confirming that there has been no electronic breach throughout the department's history in implementing censuses and previous statistical surveys.
Freihat explained that the census work goes through several phases, explaining that the statistical researcher conducts 3 visits to each house, where the first visit involves standing at what is called the "statistical block" or statistical area without entering the house, pointing out that this phase has been completed.
He added that the department has currently entered the second phase, during which the researcher visits the house, numbers it, and takes very simple information about the occupants inside it, while the final phase will take place next October, where homes will be entered and about 62 questions related to the health, economic, and numerical aspects of the population and residents in Jordan will be posed.
Freihat confirmed that the current enumeration phase will end on July 15th, explaining that every field researcher carries an identification badge equipped with an electronic code, which allows citizens to scan it using their phones to identify the researcher's full name and data of the Department of Statistics, ensuring citizens that the person visiting them is an official researcher affiliated with the department.
He mentioned that citizens could also participate in the census on their own without needing a stats officer's visit, through expressing their interest in self-counting, where an electronic code is sent to their phone enabling them to open a link and fill out the census form themselves and send it directly.
Freihat explained that the duration of data filling during October would range from about half an hour to 40 minutes, noting that this process occurs once every 10 years, and therefore it does not constitute a burden on the citizens.
He revealed that preliminary statistics from the department indicate that about 21% of citizens are interested in using the self-counting option instead of welcoming a statistics officer in their homes.
Regarding the new aspects of this year's census, Freihat said that the census represents a global practice implemented by all countries in the world, and that the Department of Statistics works in each census to develop its statistical methods.
He explained that this year, the department has used GPS and GIS technology to electronically track homes and locations inhabited by the citizens instead of traditional paper methods, indicating that reaching homes and the boundaries of statistical blocks is now done electronically.
He added that the department is currently testing advanced technological methods, including the use of drones to identify large desert areas containing scattered and remote homes, aiming to ensure the counting of these homes and their inclusion in the census.
About the main challenges, Freihat said that the Department of Statistics greatly relies on the awareness and cooperation of the citizens, confirming that there is no connection between the data collected by the statistics officers and any other government entities, whether the Income Tax Department, the judiciary, customs, or any other official institution.
Freihat emphasized that the law of the Department of Statistics prohibits disclosing any personal data belonging to citizens, confirming that the first action taken by the department after collecting the data is to delete the names and any identifying information, using only the scientific and statistical data for planning purposes and not for any individual purposes.
