Statistics Department: Fines and Penalties for Those Who Refuse to Cooperate with the General Population and Housing Census
Al-Taj News – The Department of Statistics in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan confirmed that the provisions of the law require all citizens and residents to disclose data and fully cooperate with the teams conducting the General Population and Housing Census.
Director General of the Department Dr. Haider Al-Freihat explained that providing data represents a national duty and a form of comprehensive citizenship, stressing that the legislation requires everyone, Jordanians and non-Jordanians alike, within the Kingdom to provide the required information, and that any person’s refusal to cooperate with the census is legally impermissible.
Referring to the provisions of the “General Statistics Law No. 8 of 2025,” the legislation requires respondents to provide all requested data. Article 18, paragraph (A), stipulates that anyone who refuses to provide information and data shall be subject to a fine of up to 100 dinars if it is established that they were notified of the request before the specified deadline and the period elapsed without providing it.
Paragraph (B) also clarifies that the fine does not apply if the person who refused provides a legitimate excuse to the Director General, with the exception of census activities whose deadlines are set by a special decision of the Council of Ministers.
Article 16 sets a penalty of imprisonment for a period ranging from six months to one year or a fine ranging between 500 and 1,000 dinars for obstructing the census, while Articles 15 and 17 impose imprisonment for breaching confidentiality or impersonation.
Al-Freihat had explained all the details and procedures of the fieldwork mechanism followed during the final stage of the census, noting that the field interview takes place inside the home in the presence of the head of the household to document the data using the personal identification card and family book.
Freihat said: “We will enter homes, sit on a chair, and ask for the presentation of an ID card or family book, and there is a 100-dinar fine for refusing or refraining from providing information to Jordan’s census employees.”
He confirmed that the interview takes between 35 and 45 minutes, putting an end to the controversy by stating that the questions do not concern income, expenditure, taxes, or any financial aspects at all, but are exclusively focused on demographic, social, and health information in the local fields of citizens inside the country for everyone.
The Department called on citizens to verify the identity of the researcher by scanning the (QR) code on their card, after which their details will immediately appear.
It explained that the collection of information relies on a new electronic mechanism that sends the form data immediately to the Statistics Department’s servers without storing it on paper, in order to ensure legal protection and prevent tampering.
