E.g., 04/18/2024
E.g., 04/18/2024
Country Resource - Jordan

Jordan

JO
  • Population*.............................................................................11,086,716 (2023 est.)
  • Population growth rate ..........................................................................0.79% (2023 est.)
  • Birth rate.............................................................22.37 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
  • Death rate..........................................................3.47 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
  • Net migration rate...................................-10.99 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)
  • Ethnic groups*................................................Jordanian 69.3%, Syrian 13.3%, Palestinian 6.7%, Egyptian 6.7%, Iraqi 1.4%, other 2.6% (2015 est.)

Note: Increased estimate reflects revised assumptions about the net migration rate due to the increased flow of Syrian refugees

* Data represent population by self-identified nationality in national census

CIA World Factbook

In addition to Palestinians, Jordan also hosts forced migrants from Iraq, especially since the 2003 U.S. invasion, as well as Lebanon. Géraldine Chatelard of the Institut français du Proche-Orient examines Jordan's large refugee population, emigration and remittances, labor migration to Jordan, and the government's migration-management policies in this updated profile.

Recent Activity

A woman and child walk in the Somali region of Ethiopia.

Is climate change a major driver of migration and displacement? From where are people leaving, and where are they going? This informative primer, a Climate Migration 101 of sorts, provides answers to basic questions about climate change and migration, starting with how and where climate change triggers human movement.

A Palestinian woman in Bani Naeem, in the West Bank.

Palestinians constitute the world’s longest protracted refugee situation and largest stateless community. Yet their plight has often been eclipsed by more recent displacement crises and dismissed as unsolvable. Other factors have contributed to Palestinian refugees’ situation, including the near impossibility of obtaining citizenship in many host countries and precarious funding for support, as this article explains.

Mother and daughter from Middle Eastern background

Migration from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to the United States doubled between 2000 and 2019, yet these immigrants represented less than 3 percent of the overall U.S. foreign-born population as of 2019. MENA immigrants are more likely than other immigrants to be English proficient, have a college degree, and work in management, business, science, and arts occupations.

United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees T. Alexander Aleinikoff talks to MPI about the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis and the role of UNHCR in assisting countries that have taken in large numbers of Syrian refugees. One looming concern: how will UNHCR and other actors change their refugee crisis-response models and mechanisms to adapt to this and future emergencies?

In addition to Palestinians, Jordan also hosts forced migrants from Iraq, especially since the 2003 U.S. invasion, as well as Lebanon. Géraldine Chatelard of the Institut français du Proche-Orient examines Jordan's large refugee population, emigration and remittances, labor migration to Jordan, and the government's migration-management policies in this updated profile.

Over 2 million Iraqis are internally displaced and hundreds of thousands have fled to neighboring countries. Andrew Harper reports on the latest developments, including Syria's decision to impose visa requirements.

An ILO study of Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, and the United Arab Emirates highlights the special risks of domestic work for women. Gloria Moreno-Fontes Chammartin discusses the findings and implications.
Cover image for Diverging Paths
Reports
March 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic’s impacts on mobility in the Middle East and North Africa were immediate and wide-reaching. These include the world’s largest and most sustained repatriation efforts for stranded migrants, halted and reversed irregular journeys, and a reckoning with some countries’ reliance on foreign labor. This report examines how these impacts varied across countries in this highly diverse region, as well as the uneven recovery.

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Reports
March 2021

Ten years into Syria's conflict, Syrians remain the largest refugee population worldwide. As they face limited prospects for resettlement or safe return, how can host countries and donors promote resilience for refugees and host communities alike? This report offers examples of creative policy solutions in the areas of protection, social protection, education, livelihoods, and health care from displacement contexts in 16 countries.

Pages from Covers Sirin Rogers
Reports
October 2015

Approximately 40 percent of the 4 million-plus Syrians who have fled the country are under age 12, most encountering disruptions and barriers to their education in countries of first asylum. This report examines the experiences of Syrian refugee children, their educational and mental health needs,and possible responses that governments should consider in resettling this vulnerable population.

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Reports
July 2011

Migrants from the Philippines and Sri Lanka have taken on a growing role in filling labor shortages in Jordan, leading to significant challenges surrounding the recruitment of these foreign workers. Based on interviews with government officials in sending and receiving countries and focus groups with migrants, the report analyzes the role of private recruitment agencies and points to oversight gaps.

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Reports
July 2011

الأردنية ودعم اقتصاده. وابتدأت العَمالة غير العربية الآتية من آسيا بالزيادة في السنوات الأخيرة في الأردن، وبالأخص من سريلانكا والفِليبّين.

إن التحديات التي تحيط بإستِقدام العَمالة الأجنبية معقدة والحلول بعيدة عن البساطة.  تعي كل من سريلانكا والأردن  والفِليبين أن مكاتب الإستِقدام الخاصة تلعب دوراً هاماً في تيسير وتحريك هجرة العَمالة. ويدركون كذلك أن عدم تنظيم عمل هذه القطاع وتلك المكاتب، يؤدي إلى الإساءة للعمال ورفع الأسعار على أرباب العَمل.

Coverthumb MPI StrengtheningRefugeeProtection
Policy Briefs
February 2019

Development actors are well positioned to help close the gap in refugee protection system capacity that exists between high-income countries and those that have fewer resources. With 85 percent of the world's refugees in low- or middle-income countries that lack the means to support them fully, strengthening protection systems would benefit from new thinking and tapping the expertise of well-placed actors to assure a more comprehensive approach.

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Policy Briefs
August 2012

This issue brief examines Asian labor migration to the Middle East—a region distinguished by its major dependence on migrant workers, the overwhelming majority from Asia. The author focuses on the role of private recruiting agencies as key facilitators of temporary labor migration and perpetrators of exploitative practices.