Demographics of Jordan
This article is about the demographic features of the population of Jordan, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
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Population in Jordan[1][2] | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Million | ||
1971 | 1.57 | ||
1980 | 2.18 | ||
1990 | 3.17 | ||
2000 | 4.80 | ||
2004 | 5.29 | ||
2008 | 5.91 | ||
2013 | 6.46 | ||
2015 | 9.53 | ||
Source: OECD/World Bank[3] |
According to the OECD/World Bank, the Jordanian population increased from 1990 to 2008 by 2.7 million - an 86% growth in population, compared to 39% growth in Lebanon, 56% growth in Israel, 67% growth in Syria[1] and according to the U.S. Census 106% growth in the Palestinian territories.[4]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1e/Population_of_Jordan_since_1952.svg/300px-Population_of_Jordan_since_1952.svg.png)
It is estimated that half of Jordanians are of Palestinian roots, meaning that the two populations interbred. In addition, there are minorities such as Circassians, Chechens, Armenians and refugees such as Iraqis, Syrians, and Assyrians. There are also hundreds of thousands of guest workers from Egypt, Syria, Indonesia, and South Asia, who work as domestic and construction employees.
The official language is Arabic. English is used widely in commerce and government. About 70% of Jordan's population is urban; less than 6% of the rural population is nomadic or semi-nomadic. Most people live where the rainfall supports agriculture.
Definition
The territory of Jordan can be defined by the history of its creation after the end of World War I, the League of Nations and redrawing of the borders of the Eastern Mediterranean littoral. The ensuing decisions, most notably the Sykes–Picot Agreement, which created the Mandatory Palestine. In September 1922, Transjordan was formally identified as a subdivision of the Mandate Palestine after the League of Nations approved the British Transjordan memorandum which stated that the Mandate east of the Jordan River would be excluded from all the provisions dealing with Jewish settlement west of the Jordan River.[5]
Vital statistics
UN estimates[6]
Period | Live births per year | Deaths per year | Natural change per year | CBR1 | CDR1 | NC1 | TFR1 | IMR1 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1950–1955 | 26 000 | 11 000 | 15 000 | 47.4 | 19.3 | 28.1 | 7.38 | 160.9 |
1955–1960 | 38 000 | 13 000 | 25 000 | 49.4 | 16.5 | 32.9 | 7.38 | 128.9 |
1960–1965 | 54 000 | 15 000 | 40 000 | 53.6 | 14.5 | 39.1 | 8.00 | 103.2 |
1965–1970 | 73 000 | 16 000 | 57 000 | 52.3 | 11.8 | 40.5 | 8.00 | 82.8 |
1970–1975 | 90 000 | 17 000 | 73 000 | 49.0 | 9.4 | 39.6 | 7.79 | 68.3 |
1975–1980 | 92 000 | 16 000 | 76 000 | 42.8 | 7.5 | 35.3 | 7.38 | 56.5 |
1980–1985 | 101 000 | 17 000 | 85 000 | 39.7 | 6.5 | 33.2 | 7.05 | 44.4 |
1985–1990 | 117 000 | 18 000 | 99 000 | 37.5 | 5.7 | 31.8 | 6.44 | 36.0 |
1990–1995 | 132 000 | 19 000 | 113 000 | 33.9 | 4.9 | 29.0 | 5.14 | 30.6 |
1995–2000 | 147 000 | 21 000 | 127 000 | 32.0 | 4.5 | 27.5 | 4.34 | 26.7 |
2000–2005 | 143 000 | 21 000 | 122 000 | 28.1 | 4.2 | 23.9 | 3.60 | 23.6 |
2005–2010 | 152 000 | 23 000 | 128 000 | 26.4 | 4.1 | 22.3 | 3.27 | 21.0 |
1 CBR = crude birth rate (per 1000); CDR = crude death rate (per 1000); NC = natural change (per 1000); TFR = total fertility rate (number of children per woman); IMR = infant mortality rate per 1000 births |
Registered births and deaths[7]
Average population | Live births | Deaths | Natural change | Crude birth rate (per 1000) | Crude death rate (per 1000) | Natural change (per 1000) | Total fertility rate (TFR) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2007 | 5 723 | 185 011 | 20 924 | 164 087 | 29.1 | 7.0 | 22.1 | 3.6 |
2008 | 5 850 | 181 328 | 19 403 | 161 925 | 29.1 | 7.0 | 22.1 | 3.6 |
2009 | 5 980 | 179 872 | 20 251 | 159 621 | 30.1 | 7.0 | 23.1 | 3.6 |
2010 | 6 113 | 183 948 | 21 550 | 162 398 | 30.1 | 7.0 | 23.1 | 3.8 |
2011 | 6 249 | 178 435 | 21 730 | 156 705 | 28.6 | 7.0 | 21.6 | 3.8 |
2012 | 3.5 | |||||||
2013 | 178 143 | 23 898 | 154 245 | 27.3 |
Fertility Rate (The Demographic Health Survey) [8]
Fertility Rate (TFR) (Wanted Fertility Rate) and CBR (Crude Birth Rate):
Year | CBR (Total) | TFR (Total) | CBR (Urban) | TFR (Urban) | CBR (Rural) | TFR (Rural) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1976 | 7,4 | |||||
1983 | 6,6 | |||||
1990 | 36,1 | 5,57 (3,94) | 33,9 | 4,75 (3,36) | 39,0 | 6,85 (4,76) |
1997 | 33,1 | 4,35 (2,9) | 32,5 | 4,22 (2,9) | 35,5 | 5,00 (3,1) |
2002 | 29,0 | 3,7 (2,6) | 28,4 | 3,5 (2,5) | 31,3 | 4,2 (2,8) |
2007 | 28,1 | 3,6 (2,8) | 28,1 | 3,6 (2,8) | 28,2 | 3,7 (2,8) |
2009 | 30,6 | 3,8 (3,0) | 30,6 | 3,8 (2,9) | 30,7 | 4,0 (3,1) |
2012 | 27,2 | 3,5 (2,4) | 26,7 | 3,4 (2,4) | 29,8 | 3,9 (2,7) |
Structure of the population [9]
Structure of the population (01.10.2004) (Census)
Age Group | Male | Female | Total | % |
---|---|---|---|---|
Total | 2 626 287 | 2 477 352 | 5 103 639 | 100 |
0-4 | 333 216 | 317 115 | 650 331 | 12,74 |
5-9 | 329 133 | 313 738 | 642 871 | 12,60 |
10-14 | 313 083 | 297 046 | 610 129 | 11,95 |
15-19 | 287 693 | 272 145 | 559 838 | 10,97 |
20-24 | 279 600 | 260 593 | 540 193 | 10,58 |
25-29 | 239 774 | 216 487 | 456 261 | 8,94 |
30-34 | 207 178 | 191 991 | 399 169 | 7,82 |
35-39 | 167 737 | 155 689 | 323 426 | 6,34 |
40-44 | 123 945 | 117 455 | 241 400 | 4,73 |
45-49 | 87 098 | 83 358 | 170 456 | 3,34 |
50-54 | 64 607 | 63 633 | 128 240 | 2,51 |
55-59 | 55 765 | 57 956 | 113 721 | 2,23 |
60-64 | 52 084 | 46 703 | 98 787 | 1,94 |
65-69 | 37 095 | 34 728 | 71 823 | 1,41 |
70-74 | 23 467 | 23 353 | 46 820 | 0,92 |
75-79 | 12 651 | 11 617 | 24 268 | 0,48 |
80+ | 10 137 | 11 923 | 22 060 | 0,43 |
80-84 | 6 144 | 7 441 | 13 585 | 0,27 |
85-89 | 2 444 | 2 588 | 5 032 | 0,10 |
90-94 | 1 012 | 1 304 | 2 316 | 0,05 |
95-99 | 537 | 590 | 1 127 | 0,02 |
unknown | 2 024 | 1 822 | 3 846 | 0,08 |
Age group | Male | Female | Total | Percent |
---|---|---|---|---|
0-14 | 975 432 | 927 899 | 1 903 331 | 37,29 |
15-64 | 1 565 481 | 1 466 010 | 3 031 491 | 59,40 |
65+ | 83 350 | 81 621 | 164 971 | 3,23 |
Structure of the population (31.12.2013) (Estimates) (Excluding foreigners, including registered Palestinian): refugees. :
Age Group | Male | Female | Total | % |
---|---|---|---|---|
Total | 3 366 000 | 3 174 000 | 6 530 000 | 100 |
0-4 | 427 485 | 405 300 | 832 785 | 12,75 |
5-9 | 422 095 | 400 880 | 822 975 | 12,60 |
10-14 | 401 900 | 379 680 | 781 580 | 11,97 |
15-19 | 368 915 | 347 720 | 716 635 | 10,97 |
20-24 | 358 485 | 333 170 | 691 655 | 10,59 |
25-29 | 307 650 | 276 855 | 584 505 | 8,95 |
30-34 | 265 915 | 245 520 | 511 435 | 7,83 |
35-39 | 215 425 | 199 015 | 414 440 | 6,35 |
40-44 | 158 875 | 149 975 | 308 850 | 4,73 |
45-49 | 111 750 | 106 630 | 218 380 | 3,34 |
50-54 | 82 805 | 81 320 | 164 125 | 2,51 |
55-59 | 71 360 | 74 040 | 145 400 | 2,23 |
60-64 | 66 645 | 59 800 | 126 445 | 1,94 |
65-69 | 47 485 | 44 280 | 91 765 | 1,41 |
70-74 | 30 040 | 29 785 | 59 825 | 0,92 |
75-79 | 16 195 | 14 815 | 31 010 | 0,48 |
80-84 | 7 865 | 9 495 | 17 360 | 0,27 |
85-89 | 3 130 | 3 300 | 6 430 | 0,10 |
90-94 | 1 295 | 1 665 | 2 960 | 0,05 |
95+ | 685 | 755 | 1 440 | 0,02 |
Age group | Male | Female | Total | Percent |
---|---|---|---|---|
0-14 | 1 251 480 | 1 185 860 | 2 437 340 | 37,33 |
15-64 | 2 007 825 | 1 874 045 | 3 881 870 | 59,45 |
65+ | 106 695 | 104 095 | 210 790 | 3,23 |
Ethnic and religious groups
Arabs
Native Jordanians are either descended from Bedouins (of which, 6% live a nomadic lifestyle),[11] or from the many deeply rooted non bedouin communities across the country, most notably Al-Salt city west of Amman which was at the time of Emirate the largest urban settlement east of the Jordan River. Along with indigenous communities in Al Husn, Aqaba, Irbid, Al Karak, Madaba, Jerash, Ajloun, Fuheis and Pella.[12]
In Jordan, there is no official census data for how many inhabitants have Palestinian roots but they are estimated to constitute half of the population,[13][14] which in 2008 amounted to about 3 million.[14] Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics put their number at 3.24 million in 2009.[15] There are more than two million registered Palestinian refugees in Jordan as of January 2012.[16]
Around 58,000 Iraqis are estimated to live in Jordan as of January 2015.[17]
There are a few thousand residents of Lebanese origin who came to Jordan when civil strife and war broke out in their native country. They primarily reside in Amman.
Armenians
There were an estimated 5,000 Armenians living within the country in 2009.[18] An estimated 4,500 of these are members of the Armenian Apostolic Church,[18] and predominantly speak the Western dialect[19] of the Armenian language. This population makes up the majority of non-Arab Christians in the country.[20]
Assyrians
There is an Assyrian refugee population in Jordan. Many Assyrians have arrived in Jordan as refugees since the invasion of Iraq, making up a large part of the Iraqi refugees.
Circassians
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/80/Circassian_horsemanship_during_Sir_Herbert_Samuel%27s_second_visit_to_Transjordan.jpg/300px-Circassian_horsemanship_during_Sir_Herbert_Samuel%27s_second_visit_to_Transjordan.jpg)
Circassians obtained Ottoman citizenships since 1887, immigrated to Jordan and they selected Amman.[21] They settled in several cities such as Jerash and Zarqa, and established their own village, Wadi as-Ser.
The Circassians played a role in the history of Transjordan era, and are famous for their loyalty to Abdullah I of Jordan and his family, obtaining the Transjordan citizenship in the law of citizenship that was issued in 1928,[22] while other tribes obtained their citizenship in 1930 or later.[23]
Over the years, various Circassians have served in distinguished roles in Jordan, including the first ever Mayor of Amman Ismael Babouk, a prime minister Sa`id al-Mufti, ministers, high-ranking officers, etc. Circassians form the Hashemites honor guard at the royal palaces, and represented Jordan in the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in 2010, joining other honor guards such as The Airborne Ceremonial Unit.[24][25]
The Circassians are Sunni Muslims and are estimated to number 120,000 persons, or 2% of Jordanian population, while accounting for 5% of Amman's residents.[citation needed]
Chechens
There are about 10,000 Chechens estimated to reside in Jordan.
Mandaeans
Until recently, most Mandaeans were Iraqi, but this religious minority fled the country in the face of this violence, and the Mandaeans community in Iraq faces extinction.[26] Out of the over 60,000 Mandaeans in Iraq in the early 1990s, only about 5,000 to 7,000 remain there; as of early 2007, over 80% of Iraqi Mandaeans were refugees in Syria and Jordan as a result of the Iraq War.
Education
The era of king Hussein of Jordan saw increased school enrollment rates, which resulted in a rapid rise in the literacy rate in Jordan. At the beginning of his reign in 1952 the literacy rate was 33% and grew to 85% in 1996; according to the 2009 estimate, it is now 94% of the total population.[27]
Population demographic statistics
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1950 | 449,000 | — |
1960 | 895,000 | +99.3% |
1970 | 1,667,000 | +86.3% |
1980 | 2,299,000 | +37.9% |
1990 | 3,416,000 | +48.6% |
2000 | 4,827,000 | +41.3% |
2010 | 6,187,000 | +28.2% |
2016 | 9,531,712 | +54.1% |
Source:[28] |
The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.
Total population
- 6,508,887 (July 2012 est.)
- 8,117,564 (July 2015 est.) - Including Refugees of the Syrian Civil War
Gender ratio
- at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
- 0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
- 15–24 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
- 25–54 years: 1 male(s)/female
- 55–64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
- total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2015 est.)
Age structure
- 0-14 years: 35.42% (male 1,474,464/female 1,400,926)
- 15-24 years: 20.25% (male 840,714/female 803,237)
- 25-54 years: 36.12% (male 1,468,388/female 1,463,452)
- 55-64 years: 4.3% (male 169,857/female 179,275)
- 65 years and over: 3.91% (male 149,207/female 168,044) (2015 est.)
Median age
- total: 22 years
- male: 21.7 years
- female: 22.4 years (2015 est.)
Population growth rate
- 2.338% (2008 est.)
- 0.83% (2015 est.)
Birth rate
- 25.37 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)
Death rate
- 3.79 deaths/1,000 population (July 2015 est.)
Net migration rate
- 5.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
- -13.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)
Urbanization
- urban population: 83.7% of total population (2015)
- rate of urbanization: 3.79% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Maternal mortality rate
- 58 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)
Infant mortality rate
- 14.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
- total population: 80.18 years
- male: 78.82 years
- female: 81.61 years (2012 est.)
- total population: 74.35 years
- male: 73 years
- female: 75.78 years (2015 est.)
Total fertility rate
- 3.36 children born/woman (2012 est.)
- 3.17 children born/woman (2015 est.)
Health expenditures
- 7.2% of GDP (2013)
Physicians density
- 2.56 physicians/1,000 population (2010)
Hospital bed density
- 1.8 beds/1,000 population (2012)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
- 28.1% (2014)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
- 3% (2012)
Languages
Arabic is the official language of Jordan. English is widely understood among the educated and the upper and middle classes.
Literacy
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/95/Young_girls_reading_-_Government_primary_school_in_Amman%2C_Jordan.jpg/220px-Young_girls_reading_-_Government_primary_school_in_Amman%2C_Jordan.jpg)
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
92.6%
male:
95.8%
female:
93% (2010 est.)
See also
References
- ^ a b CO2 Emissions from Fuel Combustion Population 1971-2008 (pdf pages 83-85) IEA (OECD/ World Bank) original population ref e.g. in IEA Key World Energy Statistics 2010 page 57)
- ^ http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/jordans-population-tops-8-million
- ^ Jordan, World Bank
- ^ US Census Bureau International Programs International Data Base IDB. See: West Bank and Gaza
- ^ "American Jewish Yearbook p.528" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-12-22.
- ^ World Population Prospects: The 2010 Revision
- ^ Department of Statistics, Jordan
- ^ http://www.dhsprogram.com/
- ^ http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/dyb/dyb2.htm
- ^ a b "Middle East :: JORDAN". CIA The World Factbook.
- ^ Lowi, Miriam R., Water and power: the politics of a scarce resource in the Jordan River basin, Cambridge University Press, 1995, p.36
- ^ https://books.google.jo/books?id=_WAgDMWsyb8C&pg=PA9&lpg=PA9&dq=settlements+in+transjordan+al-salt&source=bl&ots=bCbFEpe46y&sig=-fdrYmCwoWoKs_DoN7a4h8D3qF0&hl=ar&sa=X&ved=0CEsQ6AEwCGoVChMI54qRhfmPyAIVhTsaCh1f_QSR#v=onepage&q=settlements%20in%20transjordan%20al-salt&f=false
- ^ "Assessment for Palestinians in Jordan". Minorities at Risk. 2006. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
- ^ a b "World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Jordan - Palestinians". Minority Rights Group International. 2008. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
- ^ "Palestinians at the end of 2012" (PDF). Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. 2009. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
- ^ "Where We Work - Jordan". UNRWA. 2012. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
- ^ "2015 UNHCR country operations profile - Jordan". UNHCR. 2015. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
- ^ a b Jordan: Religions & Peoples
- ^ Ethnologue 14 report for language code:ARM
- ^ Jordan :: Religion - Britannica Online Encyclopedia
- ^ Amman Centennial, From the end of the Ummayad era till 1878
- ^ http://www.farrajlawyer.com/viewTopic.php?topicId=661 Arabic Language
- ^ http://www.moi.gov.jo/%C7%E1%D5%DD%CD%C9%C7%E1%D1%C6%ED%D3%ED%C9/%DE%E6%C7%E4%ED%E4%E6%CA%D4%D1%ED%DA%C7%CA/%DE%C7%E4%E6%E4%C7%E1%CC%E4%D3%ED%C9%C7%E1%C7%D1%CF%E4%ED%C9/tabid/107/Default.aspx Via Ministry of Interior (Arabic Language)
- ^ http://www.edintattoo.co.uk/news-and-press/jordan-the-tattoo
- ^ http://www.echoesfromjordan.com/performing-group/circassian-honour-guard Via EchoesfromJordan Website
- ^ Genocide Watch: Mandaeans of Iraq
- ^ The annual 'Eradication of Illiteracy' report by the Jordanian Ministry of Education http://www.moe.gov.jo/Departments/DepartmentSectionDetails.aspx?DepartmentSectionDetailsID=120&DepartmentID=17
- ^ World Population Prospects: The 2010 Revision