National census might be extended

AMMAN — The national census process has progressed to cover almost 85 per cent of residents in some of the country’s governorates, two days ahead of its completion.

Mukhallad Omari, the Department of Statistics’ spokesperson, said the process might be, however, extended in Amman and some other places.

“We will announce tomorrow [Wednesday] if there will be an extension,” Omari told The Jordan Times.

He added that the preliminary results of the national census will be announced by the end of December, while the final results will be announced in February after they are endorsed by the Cabinet.

The national census started on November 30, with around 22,000 field researchers and schoolteachers making field visits to the homes of Jordanians, residents and visitors to gather vital data from respondents.

The 10-day count is critical for the Kingdom’s fact-based approach to infrastructure and facilities development, including schools, hospitals and water resources, Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour said in a previous statement.

Even though the country has been reeling from the impact of hosting 1.4 million Syrians, the premier stressed that the census does not have political aims and is not related to any nationals residing in the country, be they Syrians, Egyptians, Iraqis or of other nationalities.