Introduction

Arab Society: A Compendium of Social Statistics is the latest in a series of biennial compendia of the Statistics Division of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). It provides a broad description of Arab society in the region and how it is changing over time. Drawing on data provided mainly from national statistical offices (NSOs), it focuses on population dynamics, households and families, employment, education, housing conditions, health, poverty, and culture. In each issue of the Compendium, we focus on one theme, and this year’s theme is households and families. Other issues of social concern, such as crime and justice, social protection and social participation, are left out owing to the lack of reliable data. Data for Mauritania are not reported in this issue of the Compendium as the country became a member of ESCWA after the finalization of the data collection process.

Related Subject(s): Economic and Social Development