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Country Profile of Iran (Islamic Republic of)

Main statistical agency
Main statistical agency name
Statistical Centre of Iran (SCI)
Web address
www.amar.org.ir
English: http://www.amar.org.ir/Default.aspx?tabid=133
Position in the government
The Statistical Centre of Iran (SCI) is affiliated to the Management and Planning Organization. The Head of the SCI is Deputy Chief for the Organization. The Head of the Management and Planning Organization is the Vice President of Iran.
It is noteworthy that the SCI is an independent organization and completely free from political interference.
Organizational structure and finance
Considering stages of each statistical surveys, such as preparation of subject-matter design, preparation of
technical design, implementation and data processing, the organizational system of the Centre comprises
four Deputies Head. SCI’s budget is administered by government budget.
A. Deputy Head for Statistical Surveys and Administrative Registers
B. Deputy Head for Economy and National Accounts
C. Head of Information and Communication Technology Centre
D. Deputy Head for Development of Resources, Logistics and Provinces Affairs
A. Deputy Head for Statistical Surveys and Administrative Registers
The major duties; policy making, managing and implanting activities related to designing, planning and
coordinating in the processes of data production as well as, assessment and identification of statistical
requirements and involvement in completion and promotion of statistical items sets in various areas such
as population, manpower, households income and expenditure, agriculture, manufacturing, mining, trade,
infrastructural affairs, constructions, communications, health quality ,culture, public and social services,
etc. Study on production processes and evaluation of administrative registers in government agencies,
updating statistical frames and designing sample surveys are also among this deputy’s duties. Offices under
the Deputy:
· Office of Statistical Methodology and Sample Surveys
· Office of Population and Labor Force Statistics and Censuses
· Office of Manufacturing, Mining and Infrastructural Statistics
· Office of Agriculture Statistics
· Office of Cultural, Trade and Service Statistics
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B. Deputy Head for Economy and National Accounts
Duties:
 The deputies major duties: policy making, managing and implementing activities related to
designing, planning and coordinating in compiling national accounts, calculation of price indices ,
calculating indicators for macro plans and policies, endevour for establishment of national
statistical standards, directing and monitoring government agencies in statistics production and
development of maps and spatial information based on statistical data in areas. Preparation of
statistical yearbooks and directing various activities to ensure the quality of data produced within
statistical surveys. as introduced follows:
Offices under the Deputy:
· Office of Economic Accounts
· Office of Price Indices
· Office of Calculation of Macro Plan and Policies Indicators
· Office of Standards and Statistical Surveys Supervision
· Office of Maps and Spatial Information
Major duties of this center comprise; planning and monitoring over implementation of ICT
comprehensive system, designing, managing, establishment and specialized support of the country's
National Statistical Network, conducting scientific, applied and comparative study for using modern
methods and instruments applicable in different steps of sample surveys and censuses, designing,
establishing , operating, optimizing, developing and supporting as well as providing security of
hardware system , communication network and data bases of the SCI and customer relationship system
management and information dissemination of SCI’s services and products through electronic devices.
Offices under this Center :
· ICT Deputy for statistical database
· ICT Deputy for System and Software Services
· ICT Deputy for Network and Computer Services
D. Deputy for Development of Resources, Logistics and Provinces Affairs
Major duties of this deputy includes; study and implementation of the plans for
human resources development, supervision over provision, allocation and spending of financial
resources, implementing administrative promotion plans, establishing modern management systems,
logistics and supply of equipment, and facilities necessary for performing SCI’s specialized duties and
activities and adjusting relations and coordinating with statistical offices located in provinces for
performing duties assigned by the SCI
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Offices under this center:
· General Department for Development of Human Resources and Logistics
· General Department of Financial Affairs and Auditing
Mission
Statistical Centre of Iran, enjoying a unique position in the country in producing, compiling and
disseminating official statistics with impartial, real and equal accessibility on the quality, timely,
independent, centralized, organized and comparable base according to the stakeholders’ needs, tries to
conduct future studies, build capacity and link the produced data according to an integrated and structural
model by emphasizing constructive cooperation and interactions with reputable centres at national and
international levels thru employing professional and competent manpower, providing necessary
infrastructures and utilizing state-of-the-art technologies while relying on increasing and institutionalizing
statistical thought and literacy across the country.
SCI’s Core Values
1. Professional Reputation of the Centre
2. Deepening Statistical Awareness and Literacy
3. Independence and Impartiality in Statistical Production
4. Observing Statistical Law
5. Protecting and Safeguarding the Nation’s Statistics
6. Dignity and Status of Human Capitals
7. Responsibility and accountability
8. Consultation and Group Working
9. Stakeholders’ Trust
10. Scientific Approach, Creativity and Innovation
Vision
Statistical Center of Iran, as the only nation’s Official Focal Point of the Statistics, has a pivotal position
in policy-making and guiding on the production of official statistics in the country, is the determiner and
pioneer in supplying and providing strategic statistics needed at all levels of the society while meeting
stakeholders’ satisfaction, is the supplier of valid, reliable, precise, accurate and up- to-date statistics
based on national and international standards, is the apex and outstanding entity in the region and the
forerunner in the Asia.
Multi-annual or annual work program
The SCI has an annual work program as well as National Strategy for Development of Statistics (NSDS)
approved by the Board of Ministers and the High Council of Statistics.
Main duties
According to the Act, the SCI is responsible for:
a. Implementing national censuses and sample surveys in economic and social fields.
b. Preparing the statistics required for the planning and realization of objectives of the country's
development plans.
c. Preparing and updating statistical frames.
d. Processing, analyzing, and publishing statistical data obtained from censuses and surveys.
e. Compiling national accounts and price indices.
f. Establishing statistical definitions, concepts, criteria and classifications.
g. Collecting the required statistics from the public and private sectors.
h. Publishing the statistical yearbook of Iran.
i. Organizing a statistical documentation centre.
j. Providing technical advice to the statistical units of ministries and government agencies, as well as
those of the private sector to the extent possible.
k. Rendering statistical services to the public and private sectors.


Brief history and other relevant background information
Brief history and other relevant background information
Civil Registration Department was established in 1918 to register vital events. Registration of birth, death,
marriage and divorce by the Department required the establishment of an organization responsible for
collection of information on the country's population. This led to the approval of a regulation in 1924, the
department responsible for statistics and its duties was determined and responsibility for collection and
centralization of necessary statistics was entrusted to the Ministry of the Interior.
In June 1939, the first census law was approved by National Council Parliament. Based on the law, put
into effect from March 1940, the population census was taken only in Tehran, and in 1940 and 1941, 33
cities were gradually enumerated. In March 1952, Cooperation Organization of Public Statistics was
established. Statistics and census law was approved in April 1958. In that year, Department of Statistics
and Census detached from the General Department of Statistics and Civil Registration and joined the
Cooperation Organization of Public Statistics. Thus, for the first time, an organization, exclusively
responsible for collection of statistics, was established and was renamed Department of Public Statistics
affiliated to the Ministry of the Interior in 1956.
The Department implemented the first national census of population and housing in 1956. Upon
establishment of the Department of Public Statistics, statistical activities entered a new stage and different
kinds of surveys were annually executed in different socio-economic areas the most important of which
are as follows:
- Agriculture Survey in 1960
- Population Sample Survey in 1963
- Manufacturing Establishments Census in 1963
- Household Budget Survey in 1963
According to the 1965 Law and due to increasing requirements of planning organizations for information
and statistics as well as the necessity of very close collaboration of main organization producing statistics
with the planning organizations, the Department of Public Statistics was detached from the Ministry of
the Interior and transformed into the Statistical Center of Iran (SCI) affiliated to the then Plan and Budget
Organization.
In 2000, the Plan and Budget Organization and the State Organization for Employment and
Administrative Affairs merged together into Management and Planning Organization, to which the SCI is
now affiliated. In 2007, Organization of Management and Planning changed to Vice Presidency of
Planning and Strategic Supervision. In 2014, Vice Presidency of planning and Strategic Supervision and
Vice Presidency for Management and Human Capital was merged together into Management and
Planning Organization.
At present, Statistical Centre of Iran is affiliated to the Management and Planning Organization.


Legal basis
Legal basis
The Act of the SCI was revised in 1974. The law includes two Chapters and 10 Articles referring to the
definition and concepts of censuses, surveys, functions and authorities of the SCI, obligatory cooperation
of other government agencies with the SCI during census-taking, use of the SCI's recommended definitions,
concepts and classifications by the government agencies, the legal responsibility of respondents for
answering questions appeared in the census or survey questionnaires and data confidentiality.
Article 54 of the Fifth Five-Year Development Plan Law of the Islamic Republic of Iran (2011-
2015)
In order to integrate and organize activities and prevent any duplicate activities in the National Statistical
System:
A) The Statistical Centre of Iran is the authorized focal point for provision, presentation and
dissemination of official statistics of the country.
B) The Statistical Centre of Iran in collaboration with the government agencies is duty-bound to
develop the NSDS based on state-of-the-art technologies while observing terms and standards for
producing and disseminating official statistics, to establish administrative registers system and set up
and feed data into the National Statistical Database. The NSDS, proposed by the SCI and approved by
the High Council of Statistics, shall be indispensable for Government agencies
C) Government agencies will be authorized to produce their own professional statistics within their
legal duties and standards and criteria approved by the High Council of Statistics.
Vice-Presidency for Strategic Planning and Supervision is responsible for supervising good
performance of the Article; if the job is delegated, the related Deputy Vice President (i.e. the Head of
the Statistical Centre of Iran) shall be responsible for the task.
Article 68 of the Fifth Five-Year Development Plan Law of the Islamic Republic of Iran(2011-
2015)
In order to provide the data needed to calculate the indices of professional areas such as:
1. Islamic-Iranian Development Model
2. Evaluation of the 20-Year Vision Plan Document
3. Performance Evaluation of the Five-Year Development Plan Law
4. National productivity
5. Human development
6. Consumption pattern
7. Formulation of national standards
8. Spatial data
9. Land use planning
10.Administrative and management system and information technology
11.Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
12.Comprehensive scientific maps of the Islamic Republic of Iran
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The Statistical Centre of Iran is duty-bound to embark on operationalizing concerned action plan including
surveys, development of National Statistical Database, development of Functional information Systems and
scheduling relating activities. The SCI is obliged to prepare needed credits and submit them to the High
Council of Statistics for the approval no later than six months after receiving indices profile.
Government agencies responsible for the above mentioned professional areas are duty-bound to provide
the SCI with the pertinent profiles up to a maximum of 6 months after communication of the Fifth-Year
Development Plan.
One member from the Plan and Budget & Accounts Commission and a member from the Economic
Commission of Islamic Consultative Assembly (parliament) shall attend as observers at the sessions of
the High Council of Statistics.


Other producers of official statistics
Other producers of official statistics
Most statistics are produced by line ministries under supervision of the SCI.


Statistical advisory bodies
Statistical advisory bodies
There are two consultative bodies for the SCI known as "High Council of Statistics" and "Experts
Committee".


Data collection
Most recent population census
28 October -17 November. 2011
Access to administrative data
All official statistics are accessible by observing data confidentiality principles. Level and type of access to other kinds of statistical data is determined by the organization which produces the data.
Data confidentiality
Any kind of data that causes identification of statistical unit will not be disseminated.


Data dissemination
Release calendar (existence, when and how published)
The dissemination date of the statistical activities results is included in the scheduled annual work programme of the SCI, and the programme is released annually. (since2015)
Main publications
The Statistical Centre of Iran annually publishes about 120 titles which are the results of conducted surveys in the form of various publications. The publications include official statistics of the country which are administrative records and/or are collected through surveys conducted by the SCI or other government organizations.
To access the mentioned data, visit "Publications The Statistical Centre of Iran annually publishes about 120 titles which are the results of conducted surveys in the form of various publications. The publications include official statistics of the country which are administrative records and/or are collected through surveys conducted by the SCI or other government agencies.
To access the mentioned data, visit "Publications Database ". The database is prepared in English and Persian. The English version includes only publications, published in English by the SCI. It is worth mentioning that all SCI publications other than the followings are published in Persian.
o Statistical Yearbook
o Statistical Pocketbook of Iran

Languages of main publications
Persian; but some publications appear in English.
How are data disseminated (Paper, CD Rom, Website, online databases, databanks)?
Various formats such as paper, CD Rom, Website, online databases, and databanks are used.
Availability of microdata for research purposes
Available by considering and observing principles of data confidentiality. 2 percent of the censuses’ microdata are available to the public on the SCI’s website. Summary and detailed results of Household Income and Expenditure survey are available to the public on the SCI’s website for the use of researchers while observing confidentiality principle.
The information of other surveys is provided to the researchers upon request.




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