Official data showed that the average number of Jordanian births registered on certain special dates was higher than the average daily number of births in 2025, indicating that some Jordanian families may be planning delivery dates to coincide with dates that hold special significance for them.
According to a statement issued by the Higher Population Council, citing data from the Civil Status and Passports Department, six dates were classified as special in 2025: May 5, May 15, May 25, the parents’ wedding anniversary, and the birth dates of either parent.
According to Civil Status and Passports Department data, 170,780 births were registered in Jordan in 2025, including 19,203 children born to non-Jordanian parents.
Among Jordanian births alone, which totaled 151,577 in 2025, the average was 415 births per day. However, the average number of Jordanian births on the six special dates reached 629 per day.
A pregnant woman can choose to give birth on a special date selected with her husband in two ways. The first is scheduling a cesarean section in consultation with her doctor, which is the more common approach but is major surgery and may not be medically justified, potentially exposing both mother and baby to long-term health risks.
The second option is receiving medication to induce labor before its natural onset, with the aim of delivering on the date selected by the couple.
However, in both cases, such requests should be subject to medical assessment, taking into account gestational age, pregnancy history, and the health of both mother and fetus. Medical procedures should not be performed solely to accommodate a family’s preference for a special date at the expense of health and safety.
The findings aim to determine the extent to which the timing of births is linked to advance planning and the deliberate selection of specific special dates.
Source: Al-Ghad
