1.

Definition, Objectives and Uses of the Census

1.1 General Background

The Department of Statistics has executed the fifth census of Population and Housing Units on
2nd October 2004, in line with the international recommendations and the Statistic’s Law which
stipulates that census should be conducted once every ten years. The Cabinet approved on conducting
the census in its session held on 23 May 2001 and the Higher Ministerial Committee was formed to
take related decisions on the census on behalf of the Cabinet. The Department of Statistics executed
the first Housing Units Census in 1952, total population was 586.2 thousands and the second census of
Population and Housing was carried out in 1961, total population of the East Bank of the Kingdom was
900.8 thousands. The third Population and Housing was carried out in 1979, where the total population
of the East Bank of the Kingdom was 2133 thousands. The fourth Population and Housing Units
census was carried out on 10th December 1994, where the total population was 4139.5 thousands.
Whereas the total population was 5.1 millions according to the results of 2004 census, with a coverage
rate of 95.9%.

1.2 Definition of Census

Census is defined as the overall process of collecting, processing, tabulating, analysing and
publishing the demographic, economic and social data of the population and housing units in a specific
country or part of it without dropping or repetition and assessing, classifying, analysing and publishing
the data at a specific period of time called the Census Reference Point.

1.3 Main Objectives of the Census

The comprehensive census is distinguished from the other statistical operations that provides:

1.Comprehensive and detailed statistical data on whole population and their demographic, social and
economic characteristics by the least administrative or geographic division and related rates and
indicators ( Population Growth Rates, Age and Sex Structure, educational characteristics, Jordanian and
non- Jordanian labor force).
2. Necessary data to assess the status of population in the kingdom during the period between the
censuses, in addition to monitoring the demographic, social and economic changes occurred on the
population during that period in different administrative divisions starting from locality up to
governorate.
3.High accurate data on size, distribution and characteristics of non-Jordanians in Jordan especially
non-Jordanian workers, instead of depending on the estimates. In addition to providing data on the
number of Jordanian workers abroad if specific conditions are applicable to them.
4.Data on the housing units supply, its amenities and characteristics related to living conditions as well
as basic data required to setting Housing policy with clear features, aiming at achieving the welfare of
the community members. In addition to providing indicators on the housing conditions and whether are
connected with public services.
5.Comprehensive and updated frame for buildings, housing units and households by localities and
different administrative divisions. This frame is necessary for designing and selecting the samples
required for the implementation of the different household surveys. This will positively affect the
accuracy of different phenomena measurement being studied such as fertility, mortality and migration
which are basically used for calculating the population growth rates and the population estimates for
the period after the census.
6.Data base for each household that could be connected with the available maps through Geographic
Information Systems (GIS). These data could also be linked to the other available public services such
as schools, health centers, streets, universities, Civil Defense Centers, police stations, …etc, It is also
possible through this system to quickly identify the addresses of households and persons using the
computer .

2. Definitions

Locality: It is the place of abode in permanent or mobile housing units for individuals or groups.
Locality may be a center for practicing one economic activity or more, localities differ with regard to
size of population and have discrete names. The boundaries of each locality were clearly delineated
and each locality may consist of one block or more.

Urban and Rural: For the purposes of the Population and Housing Census 2004, each locality with
5000 or more population, as revealed by the 1994 Population and Housing Census was considered
“Urban”, the remaining localities were considered “Rural”.

Block: It is a group of buildings forming a locality or part of it, with clear man-made boundaries such
as paved or unpaved streets, lanes, passages, electricity posts, telephone posts, railways,…etc, or
natural boundaries as mountains, rivers, and vallies and are easily identified on ground.

Building: It is a permanent or temporary structure established on land or on water, made from any
construction material, consisting of one floor or more with a ceiling, used either for human residence,
practicing work, worship, recreation . It may have one entrance or more, which leads from a public or
private road to all parts of the building or to some parts of it. Subsidiaries of the building such as the
garage, water cycle, store, grocary,…etc, are considered as parts of the main building. Abandoned
structures, sunshades at bus stops, bridges, electricity huts are not classified as buildings.

Type of building:

A building of one floor or more, with inside or outside stairs that serve all the
1. Amarah floors. Amarah may be used for residential purposes only, or for multi-
purposes such as: residence and work, residence and worship, ….,etc.

A conventional (traditional) building of one room or more, on one line or

2. Dar: scattered, and may be surrounded by a fence. Dar may be modern or old and
could be of two floors served by inside or outside stairs, leading to the ceiling.
 A structure usually built of cut stone, with one floor or more connected by
internal stairs. Villa usually contains more than one wing, one of which is
3. Villa: designated for sleeping, and the other for reception, cooking, …etc. Villa
usually have gardens (regardless of its area), stone fences, garage and the roof is
mostly covered by bricks.

4. Barracks: A structure of one room or more, built of zink, aspestos, ….., etc.

5. Hair tent/
A movable structure made of hair, wool or cloth.
Tent:

A structure used for work only (factory, school, governmental institution,

…,etc), even if it contained a special part for the use of guard, establishment
6.Establishment/ may be collective house for individuals, originally designated for lodging of a
Instituation group of individuals with similar conditions such as hospitals, prisons, student’s
hostels and may be hotel or hotel suites designated for temporarily rent
purposes.

7. Under A structure which needs completion and not virtuous for residence or other
Construction: types of occupancy at the time of census.

8. Other buildings: Such as huts and caves, …, etc.

Housing Unit: It is a building or part of it with walls and ceiling, virtuous for residence of one or more
household regardless of its occupancy at time of census. Housing unit may consist of one room or more
with subsidiaries. A housing unit has an independent entrance leads directly (or through a road,
passage or stairs) to a public road without passing through other housing units (abandoned buildings not
virtuous for residence are not classified as housing units). For the census purposes, each occupied place
at time of the census was considered as a housing unit whether designated for use as shops.

Collective Housing Unit: It is a housing unit designated for the residence of groups of individual with
similar conditions, special cases or having common objectives such as prisons, hospitals, old-age
houses, orphan-homes, students’ hostels, doctors and nurses hostels, workers’ camps, hotel and hotels
suites.

Household: One person or more living in a separated housing unit or part of it. For the census
purposes, there are two kinds of households, namely, the private household and the collective
household.

Private Household: It is a household, consisting of one person or more, with a head, sharing with each
other one separated housing unit or part of it, the members of household participate in expenditures
from the income of head of household or from some household members. Some of household
members may not be related to each other, although it is commonly known that there is a relationship
between them. It is also commonly (but not necessarily) known that the members share meals or some
of these meals with each other. The household comprises all those who were temporarily absent from
the household outside Jordan for a period less than one year, who will after that return to join the
household (with the exception of students, morbids, army-men and diplomats are considered as usual
members regardless of the period of their absence).

Collective Household: Group of persons without a head of household sharing with each other one
collective housing unit and don’t participate in residence arrangements such as: lodgers of hotels,
prisons and hospitals, nurses residing in a special part of a building, students, orphans, old-aged person,
and seasonal and non-seasonal workers residing together in collective housing units. Armed forces
residing in camps or in other military institutions were excluded from this definition.

Collective household also includes every group of persons (6 persons or more) residing in a
conventional housing unit (Apartment, dar, villa, … etc), with no relative ties and each one of them
depends on himself for living even, if he participates with the others in some meals, such as: the
workers residing in work camps or those residing in an apartment or dar … etc.

Room: A housing unit or part of it surrounded by walls with a ceiling. Room may be used for sleeping,
sitting, eating or studying. Kitchen, bathroom, passage, internal and external balconies and rooms
designated for work as clinic or tailoring services rendered for the others are not considered as rooms.
Sleeping rooms are the rooms designated or actually used for sleeping.

Type of Housing Unit:

1. Dar Refer to the definition of the type of building.

It is a part of building consisting of one room or more

2. Apartment: with subsidiaries. Apartment has one entrance or more
leads directly to all its parts

3. Villa
4. Barracks
Refer to the definition of the type of building.
5. Hair tent
/Tent

6. Work place: It is a place which is used for sleeping by workers, such

as those working in Gas stations and workshop, …etc.

7. Under
Refer to the definition of the type of building.
Construction
8. Other This includes cottage, cave and grotto.

Type of Occupancy:
1. Occupied by private household.

2. Occupied by collective household.

3. Hotel.

4. Public Housing Unit: It is a housing unit that has a special living arrangement such as: hospitals,
prisons, students and nurses hostels, …etc.

5. Vacant: A housing unit that was not occupied at the time of census. Either it is offered for rent
(furnished or unfurnished), or the dwellers are outside of Jordan and will return back to use it during
their leaves and holidays or it is recently completed or for any other reason.

6. Closed: A housing unit that was occupied at the time of census, but the dwellers were not available
at the time of visit (time of enumeration), may be they were visiting an other household or going in a
tourisim inside or outside Jordan for a short period of time.

7. Under Construction: A housing unit which needs completion and was not virtuous for
residence at the time of census.

8. Others (not specified else where).

Area of Housing Unit: The area on which the housing unit is built measured by square meters,
excluding the land surrounding the housing unit.

Year of Laying Fundaments:

The year of laying fundaments of the main building.

Type of Building Dominant Materials of the external walls:

1. Cut Stone: 3 face of cut stone at least.

2. Cut stone and Concrete: one or two face of stone and the others of concrete.

3. Concrete.

4. Cement bricks.
5. Mud bricks, Mud and Stone.
6. Aspestos, wood, zink.
7. Hair, wool, cloth.
8. Others.
Population Category:

1. Population inside Jordan regardless of their nationality.

2. Jordanians abroad for less than one year with exception of the cases mentioned in the definition of
household.
Reference Period:

It is the reference period of the data collected, it may be a moment, a day, a week, a month, a year or
more, and it differs according to type and nature of data.

Reference Day:

It is the Friday (1 Oct 2004), on which all data collected on buildings and housing units, the household
tenure of appliances and the services were based (It is the midnight of 30/9/2004-1/10/2004 till 1/ 2
October 2004).

Reference Eve:

It is the night of 1/ 2 October 2004 (Friday/ Saturday), on which the data of enumeration place was
based, where all data on each person spent that night in this place were registered and collected.

Reference Moment:

It is the mid-night of Reference Eve (mid-night of 1/ 2 October 2004). This moment determined
whether the person should be covered by the enumeration or not. The persons covered by census were
only those being alive in that moment (born before died after it) and didn’t cover those born after it.

Reference Week:

It is the week ended in 1 October 2004 (the period between 25/9/2004 and 1/10/2004), on which the
economic data related to economic activity status particularly those employed persons, were based.

Head of Household:

He is a usual household member living in Jordan, who is recognized as such by other members of the
household. He is usually responsible for living arrangements and decision- taking of the household.
He may be male of female aged 15 years and above, regardless he/she of being the eldest or earning the
highest income or has a relationship with some or all members of the household.

Age:

Duration of time, calculated or estimated between date of birth and the census reference moment ( the
night of 2/10/2004). Age must be in complete solar years regardless of fractions of the year.
Health Insurance:

It is the compensation against the cost of medical treatment, the insured person may be covered by
many kinds of health insurance for more than one party of health insurance in Jordan.

The classifications of health insurance must be one of the following:

1. Civil Insurance: Includes the health insurance of the Ministry of Health.

2. Military Insurance: Includes the health insurance of the Royal Medical Services.

3. Official Universities Insurance: Includes the health insurance of the Jordanian universities such as
the University of Jordan and the Jordan University of Sciences and Technology. It also includes all the
students and workers at all official universities.

4. Private Insurance: It is the insurance that persons, companies, or institutions are participating in at
the private insurance companies. This kind of health insurance enables the person to use medical
service, usually provided by the private sector establishments.

Nationality:

The legal citizenship or affiliation of the person to a certain country which is usually determined by the
passport he holds or he has the right to have it, if the person has more than one nationality, the
preferred nationality will be recorded. For Jordanians only, the nationality is “Jordan” if the person has
a national number or if he has the right to have it.

National Number:

It is a distinct number for Jordanian population only at the national level and it is printed on the civil
status documents such as: family booklet, birth certificate and the identify card.

Reason for Residence Abroad (for Jordanians) and Reason for Residence in Jordan (for non-
Jordanians):

It is the main reason for residence outside Jordan for Jordanians at the Reference Moment for a
duration less than one year for work or accompaniment purposes except for studying, treatment or
tourism, where they were enumerated regardless of the duration of absence. As for the non-Jordanians
is meant the main reason for coming to Jordan.

Enumeration Place:

It is the place (locality) where the person spent the Reference Eve in, or with the household in which he
was considered as a member by virtue of the definition, if he was absent that night.
Mother’s Place of Residence at Birth of Person:

The locality or the state where the person’s mother was usually living at birth of the person regardless
of place of delivery, whether at home, hospital or at her parent’s or husbands parent’s house in the same
locality in which she was available at he moment of enumeration or any other locality. It may be the
usual place in which this household was available during the enumeration. This applies to the
definition whether the mother is still alive or dead or she is living with the household or not.

Place of Current Usual Residence:

The place where the person regularly lived for (6) months or more (continuously or semi –
continuously). This place may be or may be not the same of that one in which the person was available
during the enumeration. The previous dates of residence of the person are probed in a sequential
manner, even if he stayed in several places for different periods of time, until the place he stayed in for
(6) months at least (continuously or semi – continuously) is totally identified. New live births aged less
than (6) months were excluded from this definition, where the place of enumeration was considered as
the place of current usual residence for them. In respect of the Jordanians abroad, their current usual
place of residence was recorded as follows:

1. If the duration of residence of the person abroad was less than (6) months, the current usual place
of residence would be that place where he previously stayed in for (6) months at least continuously or
semi-continuously. It is most likely for that place to be one of those population localities in Jordan.

2. If the duration of residence of the person abroad was (6) months or more, his place of residence
would be that place where he stayed in continuously or semi– continuously for (6) months or more. It is
most likely for that place to be the country in which he is currently residing.

Residence Duration in Place of Current Usual Residence (For Jordanians) and in Jordan (For Non-
Jordanians):

It is the period that the Jordanian individual spent in his current place of residence which must be at
least (6) months except for new live births. This period must be in complete years and if the period is
between (6) months and less than one year, then it is considered to be less than one year. As for non-
Jordanians, it is the period that the person spent in Jordan since he has arrived at the last time.

Previous Place of Usual Residence:

The last place where the person lived in for (6) months or more before he moved to the current
place of residence. The place shall not be considered to be “a previous place of residence” unless the
person stayed in for this period

School Enrollment:
 Any person aged (5) years and above who is now or was ever enrolled regularly in a governmental or
private educational institution inside or outside Jordan, in the aim of obtaining an educational
qualification or a degree, provided that the duration of study in such an institution is not less than one
year such as those enrolled in the basic stage, in the first and second secondary classes except for the
person who is now or was ever enrolled in training programs.

Educational Status:

The educational status of a person aged (15) years and more at time of enumeration (Either male or
female). A person may be:

1. Without qualification:

• Illiterate person: A person who can not both read or write a simple description about
himself in any language. Such as who can read a holy Quran and can’t write.
• Person who can read and write: A person who can read and write in any language but he
hasn’t an educational qualification.

2. With qualification: highest successfully completed educational stage obtained at the time of
enumeration and it may be one of the following:

1. Preparatory 6. Intermediate Diploma

2. Elementary 7. BSC.

3. Basic Education 8. Higher Diploma

4. Vocational Apprenticeship 9. M.A.

5. Secondary 10. Ph.d

Educational Specialization:

This refers to the field of study in which the person has successfully obtained his highest educational
qualification.

Marital Status:

This is the civil status of a person aged (15) years and above at the Reference Eve (2/10/2004). It may
be one of the following cases:

- Never Married (Single): A person aged (15) years and more who has never been married according
to the prevailing social customs at the time of enumeration.
- Married: A person aged (15) years and more engaged in actual marriage according to the customs,
regardless of the presence of spouse at the time of enumeration. Persons married by bond without
actual marriage are not considered as married persons.
- Divorced: A person aged (15) years and more whose actual marriage was legally dissolved by divorce
and not remarried at the time of enumeration.
- Widowed: A person aged (15) years and more whose last marriage was dissolved because of the death
of spouse and not remarried at the time of enumeration.
- Separated: A person aged (15) years and more who has been actually ever married but living away
from the spouse (due to dispute) without occurrence of divorce or death. No common living
arrangements or responsibilities are currently existing between them.

Economic Activity Status:

This refers to the relationship of any household member aged (15) years and more, with an economic
activity during the week ended in 1/10/2004 (i.e. the period from 25/9/2004 to 1/10/2004). This status
may be one of the following:

· Employed: Any person aged (15) years and more who works for the government sector or the private
sector, provided that he works at least one hour during the week ended in 1/10/2004. This category
includes the following cases:

a- Paid Employee: Any person aged (15) years and more who works for the government sector or
the private sector and receives monthly salary, or weekly or daily wages, and the like, provided that he
should have worked at least one hour during the week ended in 1/10/2004. This category includes
those joining a job or a job attachment even if they did not practice the job during the reference period
due to temporary illness, or leave, or bad weather, …, etc.

b- Employed in an Entirely Owned Business: Any person aged (15) years and more who during
the week ended in 1/10/2004, worked in a business entirely owned by him/her. He might be a trades
person with no business place, such as: painter, white washer, builder,…etc.

c- Employed in a Partially Owned Business: Any person aged (15) years and more who during
the week ended in 1/10/2004, worked in a business partially owned by him/ her (i.e. he/she has a
partners), such as a grocery or a carpenter shop ..etc.

d- Unpaid Family-Owned Business Worker: Any person aged (15) years and more who during
the week ended in 1/10/2004, worked without cash or in-kind payment in a business owned by the
family or any of its members.

e- Other Workers: Any person aged (15) years and more who worked during the week ended in
1/10/2004, in any work not elsewhere classified.
· Unemployed: Any person aged (15) years and more, who is without work or job, able to work,
available for work and is looking for work.

The person is considered “Unemployed” if he meets the following criteria:

a- Does not practice any work (i.e. is without work or job): In other words, he has not worked for
one hour or more during the week ended in 1/10/2004 and was not temporarily absent from work;

b- Is available for work: that is, he is ready or prepared to receive work immediately whether
during the week ended in 1/10/2004, or within 15 days following the date of that week;

c- Is searching for work, i.e. he has taken specific steps and spent some of the time or all the time in
search for work in a period close to the four weeks prior to the time of enumeration. These steps may
include: registration and applying directly to the employers; searching for work at certain workers’
gatherings or assembly places; placing or answering advertisements in newspapers; seeking assistance
of friends or relatives, … etc; and

d- The person who is currently available for work, but did not search for work during the four
weeks prior to the time of enumeration because he is waiting to return to his pervious job or has found a
job which he will join later on.

· Student: Any person aged (15) years and more, who is neither employed nor unemployed (i.e. not
economically active), and who attends a school regularly or irregularly for the purpose of obtaining an
educational qualification.
· House maker: Any person aged (15) years and more who is not economically active and not attending
school regularly, who is engaged in household duties or supervises those who perform such duties.
Paid housemaids, baby setters, and the like are not included in this category.
· With Means (income recipient): Any person aged (15) years and more, not economically active, not
attending school and not engaged in household duties, but receives income from shares, royalties,
pensions, or from any public or private aids or subsidies.
· Disabled: Any person aged (15) years and more, not economically active, not looking for work, not
attending school, not engaged in household duties, not income recipient and unable to work due to old
age, physical or mental handicap, or chronic disease.
· Others: Any person not elsewhere classified.
Actual Hours of Work during the seven days prior to the time of enumeration:
This concept refers to the number of actually worked hours by a worker during the seven days prior to
the time of enumeration. This number is the sum of the following:
a. Hours actually worked during the normal periods of work;
b. Overtime hours;

c. The time that the worker spends at the work place in preparing, maintaining, and cleaning of work
tools and equipment, or in preparing receipts, time sheets, and reports,…,etc;
 d. The time that the worker spends at the work place waiting or standing by for the provision of work
materials, or the repair of mechanical or electrical damages or break downs,…etc; and
e. The short breaks or rest periods that the worker spends at the work place to have tea, coffee, or soft
drinks.

Actual work hours do not include the following:

a. Hours paid for but not worked such as: paid annual vacations, paid official or public holidays, and
paid sick leaves;
b. Time designated for meal breaks, which normally does not exceed three hours; and
c. Time spent on travel from home to work place, and vise versa.

Name of Establishment Where the Person Works:

This refers to the name of a ministry, department, company, store,…etc, in which the person is
working during the week ended in 1/10/2004.

Main Current Industry:

This concept refers to the type of the major economic activity of the establishment in which the
person is working. For those not engaged in establishments, their economic activity was identified and
recorded according to the specifications of their major occupations such as: wholesale trade, retail
trade, land transport, air transport, marine transport, general administration, education, health, animals
raising, agriculture, …etc.

Current Occupation:

It refers to the kind of work practiced by the employed person during the seven days prior to the
time of enumeration. For example, gynecologist, general practitioner, dentist, garbage collector, basic
education teacher … etc.

Current Employment Status:

It denotes to the position of the employed person while practicing his work during the week ended in
1/10/2004. It may be one of the following:

· Paid Employee: Any person working for another person or establishment and receives any kind of
payments (cash or in-kind) whether it was monthly, weekly, daily, commission, piece-rate, …etc.
· Employer: Any person working in an establishment owned entirely or partially by him/her or practices
a job or trade and hires one or more paid employees (cash or in-kind).
· Own-Account Worker: Any person working in an establishment owned entirely or partially by
him/her, or practices a job or trade and hires no paid employees (cash or in-kind).
· Unpaid Family Worker: Any person working for his family or one of its members, provided that
he/she does not receive any kind of payment, even if he/she receives some sort of remuneration,
· Unpaid Worker: Any person working for a person(s) other than a family member or establishment,
and does not receive any kind of payments, even if he received some sort of remuneration, such as
apprentices or trainees.

Special Needs (Handicaps):

Any complete or partial handicap which the person was suffering from in any of his or her senses or
physical, psychological or mental abilities, to the extent that the handicap hinders his or her ability to
learn or rehabilitate or work, leaving the person unable to meet the requirements of usual life. He or
she may be suffering from one of the following handicaps:

1. Deaf and or Dumb Handicap: Any person suffering from one or both handicaps is that one who
can not reasonably hear the normal talk and can not speak at the same time, or can not hear only or can
not speak only. In other words, is that person who lost the sense of hearing to the extent that he can not
depend on himself to create and develop his language.
2. Physical and or / Motional Handicap: Any person suffering from a difficulty in moving by himself,
and uses a means to do that. Persons with cut off hands or legs are also classified within this group.
They are suffering from a physical or motional disability, affecting any possibility of learning, doing a
job or moving around.
3. Cerebral Palsy: It is meant that the person infected with an upper nervous motional infection in the
central nervous system, resulted in having spasm and inconsistency in the motion of the body organs, in
addition to other motional disability.
4. Mental Handicap: It is meant that any person suffering from a deficiency of mental abilities to the
extent that he can not normally exercise his daily affairs, In other words, it is the notable decrease in the
general mental performance of the person, accompanied by a deficiency in adaptational behavior
noticed during the growth stage, which positively affects learning performance (including the
Mongolian births).
5. Visual Handicap: Any person suffering from blindness or having sight deficiency to the extent the he
is considered as a blind person due to disability to visually distinguish between the things. One eyed
persons are also included in this kind of handicaps.
6. Multi-Handicaps: Any person suffering from more than one handicap of the a above.
7. Others: Any person suffering from a chronic disease which hinders him from exercising his daily
affairs in a normal way regardless of kind of disease. This includes mental diseases (any person
holding a card issued by a psychiatrist or a hospital for mental diseases) and Arthritis (Rheumatism)
which significantly affects.

3. Administrative Divisions:

The kingdom includes a number of administrative divisions (12 Governorates, 51 districts and 89
sub-districts), however the system of administrative division in Jordan doesn’t follow the typical
pyramidal system (Governorate, district, sub-district then locality). Therefore, there are some sub-
 districts found to be connected directly with the governorate center without being annexed to any
district.

For Census and Surveys purposes, the Department of Statistics has developed a specific method
for divisions called the Statistical Divisions, which include the current administrative divisions. These
are the divisions as in 2004.

3.1 Governorates:
The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is divided into 12 governorates.

3.2 Districts:
The governorates are divided into major administrative units called districts, for statistical purposes, the
governorate consists of one district or more. If there is one district in the governorate, then the district
is the governorate, but this administrative division is practically unused, because it aims at making the
serial of hierarchal division the same between governorates starting from governorate and ending in
locality because the locality must have a unique number. This number must not be similar to any other
locality number for distinction purposes. The number of districts in Jordan is 51. Table 1 shows the
distribution of districts and sub-districts by governorate.

3.3 Sub-districts:
District consists of statistical administrative units called Sub-district. District may be has one or more
than one sub-district, if there is one sub-district in the district, then the sub-district is the district, the
number of sub-districts is 89. Table 1 shows the number of sub-districts by governorate.

Table 1 Statistical Administrative Divisions in Jordan

as it at the beginning of 2004

Governorate District Sub-district

Qasabet Amman Amman
Marka Marka
Quaismeh Quaismeh
Jami’ah Jami’ah
Wadi Essier Wadi Essier

Amman Sahab Sahab

Jizeh
Jizeh
Um Rsas
Mowaqqar
Mowaqqar
Rojom Eshami
Na’oor Na’oor
 Um El-basatien
Hesban
Salt
Ardhah
Qasabet Essalt
Zayy
Ira & Yarqa
Balqa
Shooneh Janoobiyyeh Shooneh Janoobiyyeh
Dair Alla Dair Alla
Ain El-Basha Ain El-Basha
Mahes & Fohais Mahes & Fohais
Zarqa
Bierain
Qasabet Ezzarqa
Dhlail
Zarqa
Azraq
Russeifa Russeifa
Hashemiyyeh Hashemiyyeh
Madaba
Jraineh
Qasabet Madaba
Ma’ien
Madaba Faisaliyyeh
Dieban
Dieban Ariedh
Mlaih
Qasabet Irbid Irbid
Ramtha Ramtha
Kora Kora
Bani Kenanah Bani Kenanah
Irbid Aghwar Shamaliyyeh Aghwar Shamaliyyeh
Bani Ebaid Bani Ebaid
Mazar Shamali Mazar Shamali
Tayybeh Tayybeh
Wasatiyyah Wasatiyyah
Mafraq
Mafraq Qasabet El-Mafraq Bal’ama
Rhab
 Manshiyyeh

Salhiyyeh
Sabha
Badiah Shamaliyyeh Um Ejjmal
Dair El-Kahf
Um El-Qottain
Badiah Shamaliyyeh Gharbiyyeh
Sama Serhan
Badiah Shamaliyyeh Gharbiyyeh
Hoasha
Khaldiyyeh
Erwaished Erwaished
Jarash
Jarash Qasabet Jarash Mastabah
Borma
Ajloun
Qasabet Ajloun Sakhrah
Ajloun
Erjan
Kofranjah Kofranjah
Qasabet El-Karak Karak
Mazar Janoobi
Mazar Janoobi
Mo’aab
Qasr
Qasr
Moojeb
Karak
Ghour Essafi
Aghwar Janoobiyyeh
Ghour El-Mazra’ah
Ayy Ayy
Faqqoo’ Faqqoo’
Qetraneh Qetraneh
Qasabet Ettafileh Tafileh
Tafileh Bsaira Bsaira
Hesa Hesa
Ma’an
Ma’an Qasabet Ma’an Iel
Jafer
 Mraighah
Adroh
Petra Petra
Shoabak Shoabak
Husseiniyyeh Husseiniyyeh
Aqaba
Qasabet El-Aqaba
Wadi Arabah
Aqaba
Quaira
Quaira
Dieseh

4. Statistical Divisions & method of Delineation and Numbering

This part includes a brief description of the main operations in the field preparatory steps, related
to the maps, delineation and numbering. For more details, one can refer to the manuals and different
documents designated for this purpose. At the beginning, an inventory for the maps, organizational
sketches and air photos available at the related government institutions was made. These maps were
used to serve delineation, numbering and dividing the areas, neighborhoods and blocks, in order to
avoid any repetition or deletion. It is worthy to mention that there are identification data for each
locality called “ Geographical Divisions Manual.”

4.1 Statistical Divisions

The census administration has adopted in its statistical divisions the naming and numbering
system used by the cities and municipalities. Based on this system, large cities/municipalities were
divided into areas, each area has been divided into neighborhoods. Most cities consist of one area or
more, and each area consists of one neighborhoods or more, whereas, each village is considered as one
area and one neighborhoods. Each neighborhoods is divided into blocks, and each neighborhood
consists of one block or more.

4.2 Delineation

The delineation operation aims at assigning the administrative borders of the localities (cities and
villages), in addition to assigning the borders of the internal divisions of these localities, the borders of
areas, neighborhoods and blocks in the cities and block borders in the villages. Delineation operation
includes:

A rectangular sign on which the term “Block” was printed at the top of the sign, divided by a
line into two parts, the upper part represents the quarter and the area code which consists of 4 digits
(first two digits from the left is for area). This sign was put at the beginning, end and at the outside
walls of buildings surrounding the block, and constitute a part thereto.
 There was also a form used, which includes the identification data on the block, in addition to
description, place, borders and streets surrounding the block to facilitate the enumeration process.

4.3 Enumeration

This operation aimed at determining the place of the buildings, the housing units and the
households to facilitate the enumeration process without repetition or deletion. It aims also at
identifying the number of buildings, the housing units and the households in each block by locality,
neighborhood and other administrative units and uses of the buildings the area covered by the
enumeration. Building may be designated for residence only, establishment,…, etc. Therefore, the
enumeration process is necessary to determine the type of occupancy which is very important in the
following statistical operations.

Building number was written by paint using metal board on appropriate height at the main
entrance of the building and at the other extension entrances with the Arabic letter “‫ ”ت‬which means
“continued’. Building may be designated for residence only, work only, both residence and work,
worship and recreation, even building may consist of one housing unit or more. Housing unit number
was written using wax-pen on appropriate height of ground. If the building consists of more than one
housing unit, then they will be serially numbered in the building and not within the block. The
delineation listing of buildings, housing units, households, and establishments in the block was used.
After completion of numbering of the building number “1”, then starting of numbering of the building
number “2”, till the last building in the block.

5. Manpower

The census implementation requires many procedures and operations that are necessary to ensure
work progress and field control, whether during the preparation for the enumeration or during the
enumeration itself. This process requires the availability of field logestics for field teams and high
readiness on the due time. Among the priorities of field organization is that the field team work. Must
be done according to standard specifications and information in all areas. This operation requires
accurate supervision which ensures that utmost care is given for organizing supervision operations, in
addition to providing effective communication among the census staff. The technical stuff of the
census must verify the standardization procedures and specifications implemented by field teams and
the connection with the teams and areas. All field teams were regularly visited during the field work
and the completed questionnaires were edited by the inspectors and controllers.

The necessary arrangements were made to provide the required number of staff and
equipment. This will ensure the continuity of logestics which enable the staff to perform all field works
without any delay resulted from those requirements. Attention was also given to the communications
with the census headquarter to brief them with work progress.
 The organizational chart of the census was formed to execute the census in accordance with the
set designated plan. Tasks and responsibilities of workers were also determined (for more details, see
item 8.2.1).

6. Population Covered in the 2004 Census

The De facto method was implemented in counting the population (enumeration of the population
in the kingdom was based on the availability of person at the reference moment). In addition the
enumeration also included the Jordanians abroad who spent less than one year there. Accordingly, the
categories covered by the census are as follows:

6.1 Population inside Jordan:

This category includes the following groups:

a- Population residing in conventional housing units forming what is known as “Private Households”.
A person considered as a member of the private household:
1. All household usual members who were present in the household housing unit at the reference
eve (at the night of 1/ 2 October 2004).
2. Household visitors who spent the reference eve in the household housing unit and don’t have
housing units inside Jordan to be counted in.
3. Maids, drivers, cockers and other workers employed by the household and residing with at
reference eve, and don’t have housing units inside Jordan to be counted in.
4. Household usual members who were not present in the housing unit at the reference eve
provided that they were present in any of the following places not accessible to enumerators :-
· Night shift workers, such as those working at factories, hospitals, airports…etc.
• Persons who spent the reference eve traveling over the roads inside Jordan.
• ·Persons who spent the reference eve in Mosques.
• ·Fishermen who spent the reference eve on the ships and boats in the territorial waters of
Jordan or across the sea.
• ·Patients and their accompanists, who spent the reference eve at hospitals, and also those
detainees at police stations.
• ·Members of armed forces, public security, civil defense and the like who spent the reference
eve on duty or at camps.
• ·Jordanian household members residing temporarily outside Jordan for business, tourism,
medical treatment, study or the like.
b- Population residing in collective housing units (public housing unit) and conventional housing
units forming what is known as “Collective Households”. This category includes:
1. Each group of (6) individuals or more non-relatives, residing in one conventional housing unit
(forming collective households in conventional housing units).
 2. Hotel and rest houses lodgers provided that they don’t have housing units inside Jordan, in which
they could be counted.
3. Persons who spent the reference eve in jails, rehabilitation and juvenile centers (detainees at
security centers are not included).
4. Students’ and workers’ hostels provided that they don’t have housing units inside Jordan, in
which they could be counted.
5. Teachers’ hostels provided that they don’t have housing units inside Jordan, in which they could
be counted.
6. Nurses’ hostels provided that they don’t have housing units inside Jordan, in which they could be
counted.
7. Lodgers of old-aged and disabled houses.
8. Lodgers of orphan homes and collective shelters.
9. Lodgers of Psychic and mental asylums.
10. Public and private hospital admittances (except for patients in emergency section) who don’t have
housing units inside Jordan, in which they could be counted.
11. Six persons or more living in chapels, churches and worship houses (provided that the item
number one above applies to them).
c- Individuals who were present on the Jordanian territories during the enumeration eve (i.e. 2nd
October 2004) for transit purposes at airports, seaport or over roads, provided that they don’t have
housing units inside Jordan.

This Category Includes:

All persons happened to be available on the Jordanian territories and spent the reference eve there
(available before 12:00 PM of the mid-night of enumeration 2 October 2004) for the purpose of transit to
other countries, whether the means of transportation are land such as buses, and passenger cars or air
such as; airplanes or marine such as ships, yachts and boats. They could be existing at the neighboring
countries such as; Iraq, Syria, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Palestine or at airports such as; the
Queen Alia International Airport and the Aqaba Airport or at ports such the port of Aqaba or at parking-
lots.
d- Individuals on ships, yachts and boats in the territorial waters of the Kingdom for the purposes of
unloading of ships, tourism (recreation) and fishing, provided that they don’t have housing units inside
Jordan, and who spent the reference eve there.
e- Individuals (especially non-Jordanian workers) residing in their work sites which are not classified
as housing units in the conventional meaning, but used both for residence and work simultaneously,
provided that their number doesn’t exceed (5) individuals since they are considered as a private
household in this case, and if the number exceeds (5) individuals then, they are considered as a
collective household provided that they don’t have housing units inside Jordan.
For the census purposes, ships, plains, trains, automobiles, …etc were considered as housing units
if they were occupied by one individual or more according to the number of persons criterion (private
 housing units if the number of persons is less than (6), otherwise they are considered as collective
housing units).

6.2 Jordanians Abroad:

This category includes the usual household members temporarily staying outside Jordan in the
enumeration eve for the purpose of: work, education, treatment, diplomatic representation and the
like, provided that the housing unit is the place at where they usually stay when they return to Jordan
and that the household is the family with whom they usually stay when they return to Jordan.
Duration of their stay outside Jordan should be less than one year except students, morbids and
members of the armed forces serving with the international peace keeping forces.

6.3 Special Cases:

The following were taken into consideration:
1 1. The census should include any still living birth occurred before mid-night of the enumeration eve.
2. 2. The census should not include any birth occurred after mid-night of the enumeration eve.
3. 3. the census should include any person still alive until the enumeration moment, which is the mid-
night of the 2nd October 2004.
4. 4. The census should not include any individual died before the mid-night of 2nd October 2004.

7. Basic Census Documents

7.1 The Census Questionnaires

There are three types of registers used by the interviewers for collecting information on households and
individuals. Each register includes a number of questionnaires. The Questions included therein
generally cope with the international recommendations on population censuses, in addition to providing
certain data required by some governmental institutions for planning purposes. The following registers
were used in the census:

a- Private Household Register:

This register was designated for collecting information on private and collective households residing in
the conventional housing units. Information were collected with regards to general, demographic,
social, geographic, migration, economical and educational population characteristics, in addition to
information on special needs, availablity of appliances and services (see appendix 1-a).

b- Collective Household Register:

This register was designated for collecting information on the collective households residing in
collective housing units such as: workers and students' housing units. The questionnaires of this
register are same as the private household register questionnaires, except for population category (2)
(i.e. Jordanians abroad) and appliances section (see appendix 1-b).

c- Hotel Lodgers Register:

 This register was designated for collecting information on hotel lodgers. Although hotel lodgers were
considered as collective households, a separate questionnaire was designed for this purpose because the
information required are less than those included in any of the previous two questionnaires. The
information are only on general and demographic population characteristics (see appendix 1-c).

d- Buildings and Housing Units Register:

This register was designated for collecting information on the buildings and the housing units. It
includes data on buildings such as: type of building, year of laying fundaments, type of occupancy, type
of building materials of the external walls and number of floors. Information on the housing units are:
type of housing unit, type of occupancy, type of tenure, duration of occupancy, type of heating, main
source of drinking water, source of lighting, housing unit area, type of sewage system and number of
rooms (see appendix 2).

e- Reminder Questionnaire:
This questionnaire includes some basic questions such as: name of individual, relationship to head of
household, educational attainment and occupation, in addition to a brief description on how to fill it in?,
date of filling in and the person who is qualified to fill it in?. This questionnaire was distributed to all
households in Jordan during the buildings and housing units enumeration stage. The main objective of
this questionnaire is to remind the households about the “Enumeration Eve” and the necessity of filling
in this questionnaire at the night of (1/ 2 October 2004), whereas, this questionnaire must include only
those persons who spent the enumeration eve with the household in order to avoid forgetting any
person. The household was required to keep it and present it to the enumerator during the enumeration
stage. This reminder questionnaire contributed to saving both time and efforts of the interviewer.

7.2 Post-Enumeration Register:

A special questionnaire was designed for post-enumeration and includes three major sections:

a- Persons who were present at the post-enumeration eve (26/27 November 2004).
b- Persons who were not present at the post-enumeration eve (26/27 November 2004), but they were
present at the enumeration eve (1/ 2 October 2004).
c- Persons who were registered in the actual census questionnaire and were not registered in
the post-enumeration questionnaire.
Data included in the questionnaire are the following: name of individual, relationship to head of
household, sex, date of birth, age, presence of the person at enumeration eve in addition to the office
processing operations. (see appendix 3).

7.3 Register of Frame Enumeration:

This register includes information on all buildings, housing units and households in one block, in
addition to information on economic establishments. These information in addition to sketches were
used as a base to enumerate the buildings and housing units and later for population enumeration.
7.4 Instructions' Manuals:

a- Geographic Preparation Manual:

This manual includes detailed explanation for the field teams working in numbering all areas, quarters,
blocks, buildings and housing units. This manual specifies numbering method for buildings, housing
units and households within the block.

b- Buildings and Housing Units Enumeration Manual:

This manual comprises detailed explanation for each question in the buildings and housing units
questionnaire, as well as instructions for the field workers on how to complete the questionnaire and
how to edit each item with regards to coverage, content and guidelines to the field teams on the method
of enumeration and execution.

c- Population Enumeration Manual:

This manual includes detailed explanation for each question in the population questionnaires
(private households, collective households and hotel lodgers) and how to fill in these
questionnaires and how to edit data included therein in terms of coverage, content and guidelines
to the field teams to on how to deal with the required works and method of execution.

7.5 Coding Manuals:

These manuals comprise detailed instructions on how to code different items in the questionnaire, in
addition to pre-coded data. These manuals were prepared based on the UN manuals and its
organizations tacking into account the Jordanian needs:

1. Educational Level and Scientific Specialization Manual.

2. Nationality Manual.
3. Occupation Manual.
4. Industry (Economic Activity) Manual.
5. Geographic Divisions Manual.
6. Place of Residence and Birth Manual.

7.6 General Plan of Census:

This manual comprises the population and housing census implementation plan in all different stages,
activities to be implemented in each stage and required tasks, in addition to linking those tasks with
dates in the census implementation time table. This manual also includes the administrative divisions,
organizational structure, editing method and the most important documents of the census, in addition to
the information suggested to be included in the questionnaires for comparing it with those in the
previous censuses.

Several plans were set, derived from the census general plan as follows:
1. Office Processing plan.
2. Computer Processing plan.
3. Publicity Campaign plan.
4. Pre-test plan.
5. Data dissemination plan.
6. Post-Enumeration Instructions’ Plan.
7. Nomads Enumeration Plan.
Several forms were used here such as:
1. Weekly Performance sheets for the frame purposes.
2. Organizational sheets for field teams in both stages (Building and Housing Units enumeration
stage and Population enumeration stage).

8. Stages of the Census

Census is implemented through sequence and interrelated basic stages, out-comes of each stage serve
post-stages. The following are the most important activities completed in each stage:

8.1 Preparation Stage

The Department of Statistics has started the preparation for the census, since mid-year 2002 through its
specialized staff. This stage is considered as the most important one. A preparatory Committee was
formed which consisted of specialized employees to prepare for the implementation of the census
requirements. These are the most important activities in this stage:

8.1.1 Office Preparatory Works

a- The Census legal basis: Based on the Statistics Law No. 24 for 1950 and its amendments and the
Provisional Statistics Law No. 8 for 2003, which both explicty stipulate that the Department of Statistics
(DOS) must carry out population Census once every ten years at most, the Cabinet decreed in its session
dated 23/5/2001, that the DOS would be the implementing agency of the Population and Housing
Census 2004. Accordingly, the Government provided the census requirements including the manpower
and the financial allocations.
b- Census time table: The time table was designed to include all major dates of the census stages.
c- Census detailed budget: The census budget revised based on the prevailing circumstances and work
progress.
d- Organizational chart: The Organizational chart of the census administration designed to include
different technical and administrative levels. Committees for support services were formed and the
responsibilities and tasks of each one were identified.
e- Mapping preparation: The required maps at the level of the Kingdom, governorate and lowest
administrative divisions up to locality, area and block were prepared and made easy for linking these
maps to the national date base at the computer.
f- Geographic preparation: It includes blocks delineation and numbering of buildings, housing units
and households as well as identifying its location on the map. Geographic codes for localities, streets,
buildings, housing units, households and individuals were also designated.
 g- Preparation and designing of tables: An integrated programming plan was drawn for all operations
related to data processing including the detailed required tables.
h- Contents of the census questionnaire: The census questionnaire designed and its contents were
identified, according to the international recommendations. Topics of high priority, other interesting
topics, possibility of making international comparisons and comparability of topics with those included
in the previous census were taken into consideration.
i- Preparation of the Census Plans.
Several plans were set as follows:
• The census general plan, which was drawn in July 2002.
• The actual enumeration plan.
• Private groups enumeration plan.
• Personnel Recruitment and Training plan
• Office Preparation Plan
• Data Processing Plan
• Dissemination & Analysis Plan
• Publicity campaign Plan
• Other Plans (Geographic Preparation Plan, Pre-test & Post- enumeration Plan and Nomads
enumeration Plan).
j- Census Documents Preparation
These documents include the census questionnaires, work progress monitoring forms, instruction
manuals, definitions and other manuals in addition to the forms used for extracting preliminary results
and work flow records.
k- Forming the concerned comities:
1. The Higher Ministerial Committee. This committee formed from a number of the concerned
ministers based on the cabinet decree of May 23, 2001. This action was intended to give the census
process the proper attention at the national level and to delegate the committee with any decision to be
taken related to the census on behalf of the cabinet. The committee consisted of the following members:

• Minister of Planning & International Cooperation-chief.

• Minister of state for Political Affairs & Minister of Information-Member.
• Minister of Education.
• Minister of Labor.
• Minister of Trade & Industry.
• Minister of Interior.

The duties of the Committee were as follows:

• Approving the census general plan.
• Approving the time table of the census stages implementation, as well as the required human
resources and logistics.
• Taking the suitable decisions for the preparation of the required human resources and logistics
to be provided by the governmental departments, in particular those related to the enumerators,
controllers and coordinators as well as providing transport field offices and media in all the
governorates.
 • Approving the Census reference period and taking the necessary decisions regarding the duties
assigned to all the concerned governmental departments as well as giving the instructions to
comply with in coordination with the census administration.
• Approving the enumeration procedure and the final questionnaire.
2. Other committees, which include:
a. Higher Steering Committee: The Committee headed by the Director General of the Department
of Statistics/ the Census National Director and a number of undersecretaries and director generals of the
concerned ministries and departments as members.
b. Technical Committee: The Committee headed by the Census Executive Director and included
technical persons from the concerned institutions.
c. Field Coordinating Committees: These committees were headed by the administrative
governors in the subject areas. The responsibilities of these committees were mainly focused on making
the census a success.
d. Preparatory Committee.
e. Publicity Committee.
f. Disbursement Recommending Committee: All above committees were assigned to perform
certain duties.
g. Other works: Included testing of census such as pre-test, data quality control, and data
improvement, continues review of all works preceeded the census enumeration process to make the
census as sussess. These other works included also training of manpower, availability of the required
transportaion mean's as well as the offices.

8.1.2 Pre-test
In response to the request of Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority for obtaining updated data on
different population and housing units characteristics, for planning and investment purposes, a decision
was made to implement the pre-test in Aqaba for testing the field operations, verifying the coverage and
accuracy of buildings and housing units enumeration listings, conformity of these listings with the used
sketches and maps, testing all related training programs, registers and manuals, solving all difficulties
that might appear, testing all computer and office processing operations.

The staff who participated in this pre-test gained a good experience especially in dealing with field
problems encountered. Based on the results of this pre-test, the census staff was able to check the
numbers of buildings and housing units. They could also determine any office or computer problems.
Based on the results of the pre-test, some modifications were made on the census questionnaires and
other related activities.

8.1.3 Enumeration Strategy

Based on the assessment of the two previous censuses 1979 and 1994 carried out by the Department of
Statistics, and according to the experiences of the countries implemented census in the last few years, or
those planning to implement a census within the next two years, the Department of Statistics decided to
conduct the census for obtaining broad database on buildings, housing units, households, individuals
and preparing establishments' frame. Special questionnaires were designed for this purpose. The
Department adopted an enumeration strategy as follows:
a- Enumeration of buildings, housing units and establishments.
b- Implementing buildings and housing units census during the period 18th July to 15th September
2004.
c- Implementing population census during the period 2nd –8th October 2004, which was later merged
with buildings and housing units.

8.1.4 Training of Manpower

Training of the census staff is considered as an important element which requires great efforts and
preparation, due to the great number of workers involved in the census and the recruitment of qualified
enumerators. The census training plan was early prepared and included major programs for training the
census high staff (Co-ordinators, supervisors and inspectors), in addition to programs for training
controllers and enumerators.

The first training program was held in Amman city, where the technical team of the census trained the
co-ordinators and their assistants, supervisors and inspectors during the first half of-April 2004 for Pre-
test purposes. Those were deputized from the Ministry of Education in the south region and from the
Department of Statistics.

Training program contained office lectures, field training and discussions about the field test. These
lectures covered objectives of the census, method of data collection, data confidentiality, methods of
dealing with households and census questionnaires, their components, definitions and classifications.
This program also included tasks and responsibilities of all participants, as well as lectures related to
geographical preparation of the census, field signs used to indicate statistical divisions, using of maps,
sketches and enumeration lists.

Training program for co-ordinators, supervisors and inspectors from the Ministry of Education was
executed in the governorates of both north and central regions during the period 1st –14th June 2004 and
16th-30th June 2004 respectively.

Training program for enumerators participated in buildings and housing units census, who worked as
controllers in the population census stage during the period 4th- 15th July 2004 in all over the kingdom
was also implemented.

Another training program for enumerators was executed during the last part of September 2004 in
training centers spread all over the governorates. This program was executed by trainers selected
among co-ordinators, supervisors, inspectors and controllers supervised by the technical team of census.
After the completion of this program, enumerators were distributed to their work places.

Participated manpower was trained on office processing of data during the last 10 days of October
2004. Trainees attended lectures on editing and coding and their rules. Specialists from the IT trained
the data entry keyers, the editors and the office processing staff on how to verify data to make it free of
errors.

8.1.5 The Census Central Operations' Room

 This room was early equipped with adequate maps, ten telephone lines and two facsimile machines for
facilitating communication between the staff in this room and all co-ordinators and supervisors in the
governorates.

All technical staff required for running the operations room were provided from the specialized staff of
the census for answering any inquires or technical questions, and for receiving information concerning
daily accomplishment of data collection. The working team in the operations room passed all remarks,
technical and administrative explanations to the co-ordinators in the governorates. Work in the
operations room continued for (24) hours during the enumeration stage.

The staff in the central operations room answered any inquiries from citizens and explained the census
objectives, in addition to providing the coordinators and their assistants and inspectors with the related
information on the coverage of their subject areas.

The operations room was equipped with ten high quality computers used for the extraction of the
census preliminary results.

8.1.6 Publicity and Media

One of the requirements of the census implementation was to launch a publicity campaign to enhance
awareness among public and data users with the census benefits and eliminate their worries about the
data provided. This publicity campaign also aimed at assuring the public that data are secured, in
addition to explaining the reasons of selecting the topics to be covered by the census. Urging the public
to provide the accurate information was also one of the campaign's objectives.

The publicity campaign was based on the scientific method which directly addresses the public opinion
to gain its confidence and enhances credibility of all data disseminated.

The method of publicity changed to meet the census stages requirements. A focus was made on the
components of the publicity plan which includes informative messages through the different mass
media (broadcasting, television, press… etc.).

The publicity plan consisted of seven stages with a specific timeframe for each stage as well as all the
census works carried out during it, the target public, the informative messages to be transmitted and the
mass media to be used. Several governmental and private institutions participated in the publicity
campaign such as the Jordan Broadcasting and Television corporation, through the news coverage of all
the census activities, in addition to the reportages, short messages, logos and interviews transmitted by
the Jordan Broadcasting or shown by the T.V.

The administrative governors supervised all the census works in their areas. They participated in all
census meetings and urged the citizens to cooperate with the field staff to make the census a success.
Their contribution tremendously affected the enumeration process which made it a success in all areas.

Jordan News agency (Petra) also contributed to the census operations through the news coverage of its
activities, interviews and press reports. The daily and weekly newspapers published the census news
provided by Petra.
 The Ministry of al Awqaf & Islamic Affairs and the muslim speakers, made a good contribution to the
publicity campaign through a preach of Friday prayer in all the governorates. While, the Christian
speakers or preachers addressed the census topic in their the preaches on Sunday prayers.

The contribution of the Ministry of Education to the campaign was through those one million and half
brochures distributed to students and conducting competitions on the census in all the governorates, in
addition to giving informative notes on the census during the morning formation.

Armed forces, public security institutions also contributed to make the publicity campaign a success
through their own broadcasting and the lectures presented in this regard or through the brochures
distributed to their individuals.

Municipalities all over the Kingdom supported this campaign through using signs to urge the
population to cooperate with the enumerators and to provide correct data. Illuminated and
Unilliminated wall boards were used in all major cities that encourage citizens to cooperate with the
census staff. Posters also were posted at government institutions and vehicles showing the importance
of census and urging to make it a success. A grate role was also played by both Fast-link and
Mobilecom companies through sending short messages to their subscribers, reminding them about the
enumeration night and urging them to be cooperative.

8.2 Enumerations Stage

In this stage, all households in Jordan have been visited and interviewed during a short period to collect
data related to each member and each housing unit without deletion or repetition. Handing back all the
census documents to the center was properly made especially from the remote and desert areas. The
Department of Statistics has been very keen on organizing the field operations in a most efficient way
to ensure good control over these operations for achieving the most accurate results. The enumeration
reference moment (1/ 2 October 2004) was determined, provided that the field work must be completed
during the period identified for data collection (2nd to 8th October 2004). Therefore, this phase has also
required the availability of offices, enumerators, training of enumerators, tasks of each enumerator,
transportation. equipments, manuals, questionnaires, maps, reports, writing materials, materials used for
numbering and posters, telecommunications and listing of households, housing units and buildings.

8.2.1 Management of Field Work:

Field work was organized as follows:

1. Census Administration: Includes the Director General of Statistics/ National Director of the Census,
the Executive Director of the Census and his assistants for technical affairs, field operations and
administration, in addition to the staff in the main operations' room.
2. Coordinators: Each coordinator was considered as a technical, administrative, and field person
responsible for making the census a success in a specific administrative area or part of it and supervises
all workers therein .The coordinators were working on full time basis. They must be familiar with their
area and the people around. The number of co-ordinators was 28.
3. Co-ordinator’s Assistant: His responsibility was to assist the co-ordinator in implementing the census
in the work area of the co-ordinator or part of it and must be familiar with his area, and work on full
time basis.
4. Supervisors: Each was considered as a technical, administrative, and field person responsible for the
enumeration’s works in a specific administrative area or part of it, or in a specific town or part of it,
determined for him within the area of the co-ordinator in charge of him and must be familiar with his
work area, and must work on full time basis. The number of supervisors was 82.
5. Inspectors: Each was considered as a technical, administrative, and field person, responsible for the
enumeration’s works in a specific administrative area or part of it, or in a specific town or part of it,
determined for him within the area of the supervisor in charge of him and must be familiar with his
work area. The number of inspectors was 201.
6. Controllers: Each was considered as the direct responsible person for implementing operations of
enumeration in an area of specific number of blocks which is a part of the supervisor or inspector area
and it may be a town or a group of villages. He supervised a group of 5-8 enumerators and must be
familiar with his work area. It is worth mentioning that the controllers worked as enumerators during the
Buildings and Housing Units stage, the number of controllers was 1747.
7. Enumerators: The enumerator was considered as the direct responsible person for collecting data on
all units, households and individuals in his enumeration area, which is usually, a block with about 70-80
households. The number of enumerators was 14057.
8. Others: Include 557 drivers, in addition to 113 other workers who provided administrative services.
some supervisors, inspectors, controllers and enumerators were allowed to use their cars during the
enumeration stage.
It is worthy to mention that most participants in the census were from the Ministry of Education
residing in the same work places which resulted in reducing the expenditures.

8.2.2 Coverage and Contents of Enumeration

1. Coverage

The enumeration covered the internationally recognized geopolitical political area of Jordan. Each
individual (with exception of foreign civil and military personnel at embassies) who spent the night of
1/ 2 October 2004 within these borders was enumerated, including those persons on the board of ships
at the Aqaba Port or those transited via the Jordanian airports or land ports. Jordanian usual members of
the household, who were abroad on that night, were also counted according to certain criteria.

2. Enumeration of Buildings and Housing Units

This operation was implemented through the “Buildings and Housing Census”, which was carried out
during the period 18 June to 5 Sept 2004. It was benefited from the buildings and Housing Census in
the population enumeration stage, where these registers were later used as a base for the population
enumeration stage. Through this census, data on the basic characteristics of buildings and housing units
was collected.

3. Enumeration of Households and Population

This process was implemented through the “Population Census”, which was conducted during the
period 2-8 October 2004. However, October 1/ 2 was designated as the “Enumeration Eve” or the
census reference point.

As mentioned above, the Buildings and Housing Census provided an excellent basis for the population
census. The Household, within a housing unit, was used as the enumeration unit. They were counted
based on the De Facto basis (i.e. information about individuals were collected according to their actual
place of residence on the enumeration eve). To identify the distribution of population according to the
usual place of residence, a special question on “The current Usual Place of Residence” was added to the
population questionnaire. Separate population registers were allocated for each block within the
locality.

Although the two censuses were carried out separately in terms of time, data on the buildings and
housing units registers were updated through population counting, later on, they were merged together,
by linking each household and its members to its housing unit, thus creating a combined and
comprehensive data file. As it was a one comprehensive census .This process helped the DOS make the
required cross tabulations, by linking the housing unit's characteristic to the residents therein.

4. Enumeration of Special Groups

Special procedures were taken, for the enumeration of certain categories of the population, as follows:

A. Collective Households

Persons residing in hotels, prisons, hospitals, boarding schools and colledges, labour camps, and the
like, were enumerated as such in the early morning of the census day (starting at one o'clock of the 2
October 2004).

B. Armed Forces
The families of the armed forces, residing in camps, were enumerated by military individuals
previously trained by the Department of Statistics. Armed forces individuals, residing outside camps,
Public Security Forces and other security individuals were enumerated within their households as if
they spent the enumeration eve with their families.

C. Nomads
Due to the nature of mobile life they lead, the tent-dwellers, (whether living in tents or hair tents in the
badia area, or residing in tents scattered anywhere within the kingdom) were enumerated as such at the
time of the population enumeration. Their tents or hair tents were treated and numbered as buildings
and housing units by using special stickers in order to avoid double counting. Information on such units
as well as on individuals, were collected in the same visit.

D. Jordanians Abroad
The lower part of the Private Households Questionnaire was designated for Jordanians who were
abroad during the enumeration eve. The enumeration included only those who were abroad according to
the following criteria:
1. The “Jordanian” must be a usual member of a household residing in Jordan and was enumerated
therein. .
2. The period of his residence abroad must not exceed six months for work purposes, except those who
were abroad for study, medical treatment, or tourism, they were enumerated regardless of the length of
their stay abroad. Consequently, the tabulated or published data in this regard, must be continuously
used.

8.3 Office Data Processing

The census administration since the beginning aimed at performing data processing as rapidly as
possible in order to maintain its timeliness according to accepted quality criteria, storing these data,
protecting and retrieving it. Following is a brief description of various stages of office data processing:

A- Storing of the Census Registers

In order to facilitate using and retrieving the registers, all the census registers were properly stored and
arranged by major identification information (i.e. governorate, district, sub-district, and for large cities
by area and quarters). The warehouse of registers was equipped with a safety system against fire and
with all other safety devices to keep them well protected. Registers were arranged in the store over the
shelves designated for each area and quarter. This process was done within two weeks from the field
work completion. Registers were brought back from the field during the first week right after the
completion of field work. Special register for all processing stages was designated at administrative
divisions and block level. This register could be used for monitoring work progress in all stages and for
following up on the completion of work at block level.

B- Field Editing
It consisted of preliminary checking the completeness and consistency of data in the questionnaires and
making the required summaries for extracting the preliminary results of census. These operations were
initially carried out by the field controllers and enumerators.

C- Office Editing

After the completion of field operations, several groups of office editors were selected from the
field enumerators. Each group consisted of one supervisor and (5-7) editors. A refreshing
training course in editing and rechecking of edit rules was provided to all staff before starting
this operation. To ensure quality of edited data and to minimize errors during the computer
editing stage, verification of data was made again by well experienced editors.

D- Coding:
This operation included the following stages:

1. General Coding
Special groups were assigned to perform coding of buildings and housing units data simultaneously
with the corresponding and other population data (except educational qualification, occupation and
industry). This process was done to ensure correct matching of population and housing data.

2. Special Coding
This stage includes coding of educational qualification, occupation and industry. The most experienced
staff in this field were selected and seconded to different groups to carry out this job.

E. Final Revision
The best manual processors were selected and grouped separately to carry out a final revision with a
supervisor from the census administration for all the above mentioned editing and coding operations.
This was done in order to minimize errors in the data before delivery to the computer for processing. It
should be noted here, that all over the above mentioned stages, a continuous rearrangement of groups
and shifting of manual processors were done according to the progress achieved in each stage. This was
done in order to maintain a relative balance between these stages.

8.4 Computer Processing of the Data

A. Preparation of Programs and Data Entry

This operation includes: preparation of analysis and design programs related to data entry and editing of
data entry, data cleaning and merging data of buildings and housing units census with data of
population census in order to extract the required tables. There was a co-ordination between the
administration of the census and the Directorate of Information & Technology to facilitate flow of data
to the computer in accordance with specific method.

Data Entry of the completed questionnaires was done by administrative divisions, and then returned to
the census administration. During data entry process, on line verification was made through the
programs of data entry with regards to consistency and range. This method helped detecting and
correcting errors by the experienced female supervisors from the administration of census. Editing of
data entry process was continuously done through some methods which are as follows : re-entry of
sample of questionnaires again, or printing a sample of questionnaires of households to compare them
with those included in registers, or returning back to certain cases found illogical and inconsistent
through the frequencies of certain variables required by the census administration. This process is
needed for evaluating data accuracy and quality in terms of coverage, range and consistency.

B. Data Tabulation

There was enough time given to those in charge of electronic analysis systems and programmers to
design a table for the tabulation plan which was previously approved by the preparatory committee of
census in its final form. The required computer programs were designed and tested on the Aqaba
Governorate data which was processed at the beginning of data entry operations .This pre-test was
conducted of the request of Aqaba Authority and some governmental institutions for providing
indicators on this governorate. Tables were extracted using latest software packages “ORACLE”, after
all computer processes have been completed. Tables were checked to make sure that they are free of
errors in terms of both shape and content.

8.5 Data Dissemination Stage

 Based on the international recommendations in this field and for the purpose of comparing the results of
this census with previous censuses and due to the urgent need for the data, the Department of Statistics
has published the results of the census as follows:

8.5.1 Perminaly Publications of Census

The census was carried out during the period 2-8 October 2004 and the preminaly results were
published after two weeks from the completion of field work. These results included number of blocks,
number of buildings, number of housing units occupied by private and collective households, number
of unoccupied housing units, number of private and collective households and population by sex for
each locality. These results were obtained based on the summaries which were prepared by the field
staff.
In addition to the above and according to the results of post-enumeration, which was carried out during
November 2004, the Department of Statistics estimated the number of population as it in 2004 by sex
and locality as well as the non-Jordanians. Number of population was estimated at the end of 2004 by
5350000, of whom 430 thousands were non-Jordanians.

8.5.2 Final Results

It was decided that the census data is to be disseminated in different methods to most related institutions
and data-users in all places in both private and public sectors. It was also agreed on publishing a report
at the Kingdom's level, in addition to other reports for each governorate. With regard to the national
report, it was published on four volumes: the first volume includes characteristics of buildings, housing
units and households, the second volume includes data on the size, distribution and social-demographic
characteristics of population, the third volume includes the economic characteristics of population and
the fourth volume includes characteristics of Jordanians abroad, characteristics of non-Jordanians and
those of special needs. Other volumes will be prepared on each governorate although certain data at
governorate level was published in the national report. Following is a brief description of these tables:

· Characteristics of Buildings:
These characteristics displayed in 12 tables. The major variables include: Type of building, ownership,
occupancy, number of floors, building materials, year of construction, as well as number of housing
units, number of households and their members.

· Characteristics of Housing Units and Households:

This section includes 31 tables related to these characteristics in terms of number of housing units,
number of households and the persons therein, type of occupancy, type of tenure , type of housing unit,
number of rooms, in addition to tables related to characteristics of head of household such as sex, age,
relation to labour force and educational qualification. This section also includes tables on basic
amenities available in the housing unit such as source of drinking water, type of lighting, sewage and
heating.

· General Characteristics of Persons:

 Eighteen tables are included in this section related to distribution of population by: sex, age, nationality,
urban and rural, average size of household, type of household, place of birth, previous place of
residence and other related characteristics.

· Educational Characteristics:
Eight tables are included in this section show: educational characteristics of population by age groups,
sex, educational specialization and nationality.

· Economic Characteristics:
The largest set of tables (59 tables), are included in this section. These tables provide data on economic
characteristics by sex, occupation and industry, educational qualification, employment status and
nationality. Other tables also include data on unemployed population and not economically active
population by different characteristics.

· Characteristics of Jordanians Abroad:

This section includes 6 tables related to the distribution of Jordanians abroad by sex, age, place of
residence, duration of residence, reason for residence abroad and the countries they are residing in.

· Characteristics of Non-Jordanians:
Eighteen tables are included in this section. These tables provide information on the distribution of
non-Jordanians by: age, sex, nationality, reason for residence, occupation, industry, educational
qualification with specialization and marital status. In addition to several characteristics that could be
extracted from some of tables related to non-Jordanians mentioned in other previous sections.

· Characteristics of Special Needs:

This section include 13 tables on distribution of special needs by sex, age, kind of handicap, educational
qualification, marital status and other economic characteristics.

9. Post-Enumeration
Post-enumeration aims to estimate the ratio of coverage in the real enumeration of the households and
persons and to make any required modifications on the real number of population, in addition to making
future population projections. Post-enumeration was executed during the period from 27 November to
3 December 2004, where the post-enumeration eve was in 26/27 (Friday/Saturday) November 2004.
The sample was selected from 325 blocks distributed all over governorates with a ratio of 2.2% from
the total blocks of the Kingdom.
Post-enumeration covered the private and collective households residing in conventional housing units
with the exception of collective households residing hotels, collective and mobile housing units. It
should be noted that this exception has never affected the credibility of results.
Special questionnaire was designed for post-enumeration which includes 3 main parts as follows:
1. Household members who were available at the post–enumeration eve (26/27 November 2004).
2. Household members who were not available at the post-enumeration eve (26/27 November
2004), but they were available at the census enumeration eve (1/ 2 October 2004).
3. Household members who were enumerated in the census, but they were not enumerated in the
post-enumeration.
Data of the post-enumeration includes: Name of person, relation to the head of household, sex, date of
birth, age, availability of person at the census enumeration eve and office matching.
After the completion of the field work, matching operations of the post-enumeration questionnaires with
the census questionnaires started and completed within 2 weeks, then the data entry started.
Results were extracted at the end of December 2004. According to the evaluation made on the results,
coverage ratio was 95.9% at the kingdom's level.