1/7/2025 - The Department of Statistics (DoS) has concluded the European Twinning Project, "Strengthening the Capacity of Jordan’s Department of Statistics in Terms of Compilation, Analysis, and Reporting of Statistical Data in Line with International and European Best Practices."

Secretary General of the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, Marwan Rifai, said the project comes at a pivotal time as Jordan advances its Economic Modernization Vision and Public Sector Modernization Roadmap two core pillars driving reform and sustainable growth. He noted that both initiatives highlight the need for accurate, reliable, and timely data to guide evidence-based policymaking.

Rifai added that the 2024 amendment to the General Statistics Law reinforces the DoS’s role as Jordan’s official data authority by improving governance in data collection, ensuring data privacy and confidentiality, and promoting the use of modern statistical sources. It also paved the way for the National Interactive Data Center, a strategic move in national data management.

He emphasized that the project has contributed significantly to knowledge transfer, capacity building, and system development through study visits and expert missions, which have strengthened the DoS’s institutional and technical readiness for the 2025 General Population and Housing Census one of the Kingdom’s largest national undertakings.

Rifai also reaffirmed Jordan’s commitment to its strategic partnership with the European Union, a key development partner supporting the country’s reform priorities. This partnership was further solidified through the comprehensive strategic agreement signed in Brussels in January 2025, covering cooperation across economic, political, and administrative domains.

DoS Director General Haidar Fraihat explained that this is the second twinning project with European statistical agencies; the first, launched in 2014, focused on sample design and database quality. The latest project, launched in 2022, broadened its scope to include administrative records, small-area estimations, and strategies for addressing missing data.

Fraihat noted that the project strengthened the Department’s capabilities to deliver transparent, realistic, and high-quality data for policymakers and researchers by aligning with European and international statistical standards. It also complemented other key initiatives, including the National Accounts Statistics Compilation System Support Project, World Bank–supported capacity building, and technical assistance from the UK Office for National Statistics.

Thibaut Moyer, Deputy Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Jordan, said the project’s ultimate aim was to enhance DoS’s ability to produce reliable, evidence-based data despite technical and logistical challenges in a complex regional context.

Project Leader Jesper Jensen, Managing Director for Denmark at Rothschild & Co, outlined the project’s three main components: developing an Integrated Statistical System, establishing an integrated administrative data system, and piloting initiatives like the Statistical Business Register and improvements in small-area statistics. He noted that strategies were also developed to address missing or inaccurate data, boosting the overall quality of national statistics.

Implemented over 34 months in partnership with Denmark, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, and with support from Finland, the project has enhanced DoS infrastructure and human capacity, promoted the use of administrative records, and supported policymakers with robust data for sustainable decision-making.