Amman: Director of the Department of Statistics (DoS) Haider Freihat said the 2026 General Population and Housing Census is among the largest and most significant national statistical projects. Freihat explained that the census is being conducted through a comprehensive enumeration approach rather than sampling, covering all dwellings, households, and establishments across the Kingdom.
According to Jordan News Agency, at the first meeting of the Media Committee for the 2026 Census, Freihat stated that the implementation process was divided into four main phases, two of which have been successfully completed. The Department recently entered the third phase, while the fourth and final phase, the actual enumeration, is scheduled to be carried out later in 2026.
Freihat detailed that the first phase focused on extensive desk preparations, including reviewing lessons learned from the previous census, leveraging accumulated expertise, coordinating with international organisations and relevant government institutions, and finalising census questionnaire content in accordance with strict statistical, technical, financial, and time standards. These measures aim to reduce the time required for field visits without compromising data quality.
The second phase, known as the "blocking" phase, relied on high-resolution aerial imagery covering the entire Kingdom, approximately 89,000 square kilometers. This imagery enabled the division of Jordan into 24,000 electronic statistical blocks, ensuring equitable distribution of fieldwork among researchers. The coverage included all types of dwellings, such as houses, apartments, buildings, tents, Bedouin tents, caves, and kiosks. The phase lasted several months and involved hundreds of field staff, with the process enhanced by direct field verification of building characteristics and uses.
Freihat noted that the third phase, which has recently begun, involves preliminary enumeration activities. Around 600 field researchers will work for approximately six months to identify residential units and households without entering homes, in preparation for the final count. All census phases are supported by an advanced technological infrastructure, including central servers, secure communication networks, and GPS-enabled tablets.
The fourth and final phase is set to involve between 8,000 and 10,000 field researchers, mostly new recruits, who will undergo intensive training and be subject to rigorous human and electronic supervision to ensure the highest levels of accuracy and reliability. Freihat also discussed the Media Committee's role in ensuring the census's success, highlighting that the coming period would see a gradual intensification of media messaging and awareness campaigns.
The DoS efforts aim to inform the public of the census's importance and encourage cooperation with field researchers, emphasizing that it is a national project serving both the state and its citizens. The meeting included a presentation on the progress achieved in the 2026 General Population and Housing Census, a detailed briefing on the recently launched field enumeration phase, and a review of the media plan. Participants also discussed implementation mechanisms and ways to ensure alignment between media activities and field operations.