The Central Administration of Statistics launches in partnership with UNICEF The Lebanon Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2020

Beirut, 28 February 2020 – The Central Administration of Statistics (CAS) and UNICEF Lebanon announced today the beginning of the data collection fieldwork for the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) to assess the well-being of children and women in Lebanon and expose the unequal access to services and protections that threats the lives of so many.

The MICS is a global household survey programme that took place in more than 200 countries. The MICS is developed and supported by UNICEF. It constitutes one of the world's largest sources of statistical information on children and women. The information gathered will assist the government of Lebanon in filling data gaps for monitoring the status of human development generally, with a particular focus on the situation of children and women.

The data collection will last for around four months and starting March 2020, with technical and financial support from UNICEF. The survey will generate data on more than 160 internationally agreed-upon indicators. The MICS provides estimates on education status, child protection, water and sanitation, child health, anthropometric measures, and many more. All of which will support the government of Lebanon to report on around 25 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), for the first time. The survey will frame the data from an equity perspective by highlighting disparities related to child health nutrition and development, education, protection, safe and clean environment.

“This round of the MICS, the 3rd round conducted by CAS, will provide valuable information and evidence about the children and women in Lebanon and its findings will be used to establish the Child Multidimensional Poverty Index for 2020, as well as monitor progress towards achievement of Sustainable Development Goals,” said Dr Maral Tutelian, Director General of CAS. "To enable the country to achieve the SDGs it is necessary to track the indicators at regular intervals. MICS is the major source of data for these indicators at national and provincial levels.”

“Data have made it possible to save and improve the lives of millions of children, especially the most deprived,” said Yukie Mukuo, UNICEF Representative to Lebanon. “UNICEF is delighted to partner with CAS to conduct this important survey in Lebanon. This critical data will form the foundation of our work, from the creation of policies to documenting progress, thus supporting our collective mandate to improve the lives of every child”.

The MICS Lebanon 2020 sample size is around 15000 households, providing a representative sample for all residents in Lebanon, displaced Syrians and Palestinian refugees. Specifically, the survey will provide data on households along with household members, women aged 15 to 49 years, children under 5 years old, and children between 5 and 17 years old.

In parallel to the data collection fieldwork, a communication campaign will be initiated to raise awareness about the MICS, its objectives and procedures, and to gain public support and mobilize the participation of households in the survey.

The results of the MICS will be publicly available by end of 2020 on UNICEF, CAS and MICS websites.

Media Contacts

Blanche Baz

Communication Specialist

United Nations Children’s Fund Lebanon

Tel: 009611429288

Email: bbaz@unicef.org