Flag of Jordan
Location of Jordan on the globe

Jordan

JO

Western Asia

Jordan is home to 7 documented ethnic groups in Western Asia — led by Palestinian (~53%), Jordanian Arab (~35%), Bedouin (~8%), Syrian Jordan (~2%). This page blends their phenotype and demographic data into one weighted reference: skin tone, facial features, hair texture and build, drawn from published census and ancestry sources.

Demographic Composition

Composition weights are derived from self-identification in published census and demographic surveys. Each row links to the source ethnic-group atlas page.

Ethnic groupWeightSource
PalestinianPalestinian53.0%Estimates; Jordanian Palestinians (~53%, ~5.3M+); the largest single Jordanian sub-population, descendants of Palestinians displaced from Mandatory Palestine in 1948 plus post-1948 continuing arrival including the post-1967 displacement following the Israeli occupation of the West Bank. Most Jordanian Palestinians hold full Jordanian citizenship — distinct from Palestinian refugees in Lebanon and Syria who lack citizenship in their host countries
Jordanian ArabJordanian Arab35.0%Estimated; Jordan does not directly enumerate ethnicity. Native Jordanian Arabs (~35%, ~3.5M+); descendants of the pre-1948 Transjordanian population, predominantly tribal-confederation Bedouin-descended populations who have constituted the political-military backbone of the Hashemite Jordanian state. Concentrated outside the major cities particularly in southern Jordan, Karak, Tafileh, Ma'an
BedouinBedouin8.0%Estimates; Jordanian Bedouin (~8%, ~800,000+); concentrated in eastern Jordan's desert zones plus southern Jordan. The Jordanian Bedouin community has been politically dominant under the Hashemite monarchy with substantial representation in the Jordanian Armed Forces, the General Intelligence Directorate (GID), and the broader state apparatus
Syrian JordanSyrian Jordan2.0%UNHCR Jordan plus academic estimates; Syrian refugees in Jordan (~2%, ~700,000+ registered as of 2024); the substantial post-2011 Syrian refugee population fleeing the Syrian Civil War. Concentrated in Zaatari refugee camp (the world's largest Syrian refugee camp) plus Azraq plus urban dispersal in Amman, Mafraq, Irbid
Iraqi JordanIraqi Jordan1.0%UNHCR Jordan plus academic estimates; Iraqi refugees and immigrants in Jordan (~1%, ~100,000+); the post-2003 Iraq War-era and continuing Iraqi-Jordanian refugee-and-immigrant population
Circassian JordanCircassian Jordan1.0%Estimates; Jordanian Circassians (~1%, ~100,000+); descendants of 19th-c. Circassian refugees from the Russian Caucasus (the post-1864 Circassian genocide expulsion produced approximately 1.5M+ Circassian refugees who settled in the Ottoman Empire including the Levant). The Circassian community has been politically and military prominent in Jordan including the Royal Hashemite Court Guards
Jordan OtherJordan Other0.0%Residual; includes Chechen-Jordanian (smaller community alongside the Circassian), Armenian-Jordanian, Druze (smaller community in northern Jordan), Egyptian migrant workers, Filipino domestic workers, plus other smaller groups

Jordan Phenotype Profile

Jordan has a distinctive demographic structure with the Palestinian-descended majority (~53%) plus the native Transjordanian-Arab minority (~35%) plus the Bedouin community (~8%) plus substantial refugee populations (Syrian ~2%, Iraqi ~1%) plus the small Circassian community (~1%) plus other smaller groups. The Jordanian-Palestinian / Native-Jordanian-Arab distinction has been politically and socially meaningful since the 1948-1967 Palestinian arrival, with documented periods of tension including the 1970-1971 Black September Jordan-PLO civil conflict.

Skin tone Fitzpatrick III-V modal IV, hair predominantly straight to wavy black, characteristic Levantine features. The Circassian community shows somewhat lighter phenotype distribution. The substantial post-2011 Syrian refugee population has shifted demographics. Adult Jordanian male mean stature approximately 173-176 cm.

A descriptive view, not a claim about individuals

This page shows a weighted aggregate of phenotype observations across the Jordan population, based on demographic composition from published census and ancestry sources. Phenotypes within any country are far more varied than the aggregate suggests; this is a descriptive reference, not a deterministic claim about any individual. For source-level detail on individual ethnic groups, see the constituent atlas pages linked below.

Methodology Notes

Composition weights are estimated based on UNHCR data, Jordanian Department of Statistics demographic estimates, and academic studies. Jordan does not directly enumerate ethnicity in census instruments. Caveats: (1) the Jordanian-Palestinian / Native-Jordanian distinction has been politically sensitive with implications for political representation and economic opportunities; (2) the substantial Syrian refugee population has shifted demographics dramatically since 2011; (3) the substantial Iraqi refugee inflow during 2003-2010 was partially permanent.

See full project methodology →

Primary Sources

  1. 1.Department of Statistics Jordan. Jordan Population and Housing Census 2015. Amman: DOS; 2016.
  2. 2.United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Syrian Refugees Living in Jordan: Operations Update. Geneva: UNHCR; 2024.
  3. 3.Massad J. Colonial Effects: The Making of National Identity in Jordan. Columbia University Press; 2001.
  4. 4.Robins P. A History of Jordan. Cambridge University Press; 2004.
  5. 5.Lehn W. The Jewish National Fund (with broader Mandate-era Palestinian context). Mansell; 1988.

Other countries in Western Asia

Aggregate phenotype references for neighbouring Western Asia nations, weighted by demographic composition.

Browse all Western Asiaethnic groups & countries →