Population Census.. 77 Years Without a Single Citizen Being Fined

Al-Taj News – Director General of the Department of Statistics Haidar Frihat said Thursday that the law stipulates imposing a fine on those who fail to cooperate during data collection, noting that the penalties apply to the Department of Statistics, its employees, and the data collector, in addition to those who fail to cooperate in data collection.

Frihat revealed that throughout the 77-year history of the Department of Statistics, not a single citizen has ever been fined.

He stressed that cooperation in data collection stems from the national interest, rather than fear of being fined.

He explained that the objective of the population census is to replace estimates based on the 2015 population census with actual figures reflecting the situation on the ground.

He noted that the data collected from citizens is cross-checked against Civil Status Department data to verify its accuracy, pointing out that the electronic forms include artificial intelligence capable of identifying illogical information.

Frihat said that the questions in the 2026 General Population and Housing Census are clear and uncomplicated, explaining that there is flexibility to schedule more than one visit to complete the data if the citizen’s circumstances require it.

Regarding the amount of time a field researcher may need to complete the form with a household, Frihat said that the estimate of between 30 and 45 minutes applies to large and extended families, not all households.

He explained that the time required to complete the form depends on the number of household members and the amount of data that needs to be collected; therefore, smaller households require significantly less time.

He said that the form is not limited to asking the household about the number of its members, but also includes detailed data related to education, health, employment, housing, and economic and social conditions, among other characteristics needed for planning.

He added that these data ultimately serve the areas where households live by being used to determine their needs for schools, healthcare services, infrastructure, and other services.