Amman, Oct. 5 (Petra) - The Swiss Embassy in Jordan and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) launched a partnership on Monday to support Jordan’s 2026 General Population and Housing Census and boost the Kingdom's national data framework.
The launch coincides with the Department of Statistics (DoS) beginning the enumeration phase of the census.
UNFPA said that the 2026 census will deliver an updated demographic snapshot to guide public policy, service planning, and resource allocation.
The census marks a major step in modernizing Jordan’s statistical operations, introducing a hybrid model that combines administrative records, field collection, and digital self-enumeration. This approach lays the groundwork for a future transition to a fully register-based census system.
Under a yearlong project titled "Strengthening Jordan's National Data System through Support to the 2026 General Population and Housing Census," UNFPA will collaborate with DoS and the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation to support the remaining operational phases.
Eileen Hofstetter, Head of Cooperation at the Swiss Embassy, noted that a modern census provides essential insight to inform long-term policymaking, expressing Switzerland's eagerness to support Jordan's efforts to improve data quality.
UNFPA Representative in Jordan Himyar Abdulmoghni added that Swiss support will enhance data production, analysis, and utilization to support evidence-based decision-making.
//Petra// HA
