The Department of Statistics was established in 1949 in accordance with the context of the General Statistics Act. Its major concern was to provide basic data required by the planners for the purpose of identifying the problems of the socio-economic development in particular for those resulting from the 1948 dilemma (Israeli occupation of Palestine), and to establish priorities for proper actions.

In the sixties, DOS continued the establishment of time series already launched in the fifties, (for different activities), which reflect the development of agricultural, industrial and commercial sectors as well as manpower. Those data were used in setting the seven-year plan of the socio-economic development (1964 -1971).

In the seventies, DOS focused on conducting agricultural, industrial, labor force and population and housing censuses as well as several other sample surveys, on household, demographic and social aspects, aiming at providing the required data for the development planning and the scientific research.

In the eighties, DOS covered most of the socio-economic phenomena that have never existed within its statistical work. DOS carried out new surveys such as the Capital Accumulation in the agricultural sector, the Farm Management Survey, Construction Statistics, Services Survey, and Trade Establishments Survey (Wholesale and Retail) etc.... In this period, DOS stressed the development of the economic statistics according to the international basis, standards and recommendations presented by the concerned United Nations Organizations.

In the nineties, DOS exerted all possible efforts to develop the statistical work in all activities. Thus, a particular attention was given to issues of data quality, periodicity, regularity and the degree of application of standard definitions and classifications. A special care also was given for creating statistical awareness among public. Such activity was clearly demonstrated through four workshops conducted in 1997 for disseminating the final results of the Population and Housing Census and the Accompanying Survey 1994.

Legal Basis and Tasks

The Department of Statistics (DOS) is a governmental institution and was established in 1949, by virtue of the General Statistics Act No. (24) for the year 1950 and its amendments. DOS has become according to this Act the only central statistical agency authorized to perform statistical operations at the national level.

Its major tasks are as follows:

·            To act as a central statistical agency for collecting socio - economic and demographic data required by planners and decision-makers.

·            To coordinate, edit, tabulate, analyze and publish the data.

·            To carry out censuses, socio - economic and demographic surveys.

·            To act as a reference for the ministries, public and private sectors in terms of provision of data which reflect the performance of the national economy.

·            To provide training for the public and private sectors staff on the latest methods of data collection, tabulation and analysis through the College of Applied Statistics (formerly the Jordan Statistical Training Center)

With a view to avoiding duplication and overlap in work, coordinating the techniques, methods and dates of data collection, and securing accuracy in the data obtained, the General Statistics Act includes stipulations reserving the right of conducting census and enumeration operations to the DOS. The same Act, however, authorizes other agencies to collect or publish statistical information in case the Director General of DOS agrees.

The General Statistics Act also stipulates that all individual data and information being submitted to the DOS in the course of collection of statistics shall be considered confidential. No individual or public or private body may have access to such individual data and these data must not be communicated to such bodies unless in a tabulated aggregate form.

International Cooperation

The Department works closely with Arab, regional and international statistics bodies, institutions and corporations; and continuously works on developing such relations to the general benefit of statistical work. These bodies include: the Arab League, the United Nations with its specialized agencies, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), GTZ, JICA, FAFO, the World Bank and other institutions.

Censuses and Surveys Conducted by the Department:

·            Censuses: The Department carries out general censuses at random intervals related to population, housing, agriculture, industry and establishments, depending on the circumstances and the availability of financial means.

·            Yearly Surveys: The Department carries out several yearly sample surveys in the fields of demography and agriculture, and in the economic and the environmental fields, as well as on family related issues.

·            Quarterly Surveys: The Department carries out several quarterly sample surveys in the fields of employment, unemployment, industry, domestic trade, construction, transport, services, plant production, and animal resources.

·            Monthly Surveys: The Department carries out monthly surveys, on the prices of agricultural produce, consumer prices, and the prices of industrial products calculated by quantity.

·            Periodical Surveys: The Department carries out periodical sample surveys in the fields of family income and family expenditure, fertility and family health.