Iran Unveils Landmark Shift to Data-Driven Governance with 2026 Census
In a significant move to modernize national planning, senior Iranian officials have announced a revolutionary transformation in how the country collects and utilizes statistical data, with the upcoming 2026 National Population and Housing Census set to be the cornerstone of this new strategy.
A New Era for Data Collection
The current administration is championing the establishment of a “registry-based statistical system,” a model already implemented in leading nations for approximately three decades. This system marks a decisive shift away from traditional, self-declared census methods, which officials state are unreliable due to their potential for inaccuracy and human error.
Omid Ali Parsa, the Head of Provincial Program and Budget Affairs at the Plan and Budget Organization, emphasized that effective national management is contingent upon scientific planning, which in turn is impossible without precise, high-quality data. “In today’s world, statistics are not obtained by physically visiting people and using questionnaires,” Parsa stated. “Instead, they are generated during daily life through registry data and information systems.”
The Mechanics of Registry-Based Governance
The new model operates on a foundation of integrated, anonymized data. Each executive service provider will contribute non-identifiable data from its activities to the Statistical Center of Iran, with complete confidentiality maintained. This aggregated information will then be used to produce macro-level national statistics.
“The accurate statistics are those that are data-based and do not rely on individuals’ self-reporting,” Parsa explained. The goal is to produce data extracted from the actual system of public services and activities, rather than from potentially unreliable questionnaire responses.
Paving the Way for Smarter Governance
Officials position this statistical overhaul as a prerequisite for “data-driven governance,” which is essential for the country’s future development. High-quality data is described as the bedrock of intelligent governance, enabling more effective and responsive policy-making.
Parsa further elaborated that a results- and incentive-based management system, supported by robust data, fosters better performance, integrity, and societal well-being. He outlined that the appropriate rules for such a system must be “incentive-compatible, stable, non-arbitrary, and guaranteed,” all characteristics he attributes to the new registry-based planning framework.
A Call for National Preparation
With the first registry-based census scheduled for the next Iranian year (March 2025-March 2026), Parsa stressed the necessity for all executive bodies to prepare. He called on institutions to begin restructuring their data, organizing information databases, and creating linkages between statistical systems to ensure the seamless and accurate flow of information to the Statistical Center when the census is conducted.
This ambitious initiative is being hailed as a major step in the evolution of Iran’s statistical system, fundamentally reshaping how the nation plans for its future.