Economic stability in Jordan linked to smaller family sizes — experts

AMMAN — With reported higher birth rates among migrant families in the Kingdom, experts have linked economic stability and development to downsizing Jordanian families.

According to the Population and Family Health Survey 2023, the fertility rate for Jordanian women aged 40-49 is 3.7 children, while it is 4.5 children for Syrian women and 4.7 children for Syrian women residing in camps. 

The Higher Population Council (HPC) said that the current population in Jordan is approximately 11.5 million people, with at least one-third of them not holding Jordanian citizenship.

In a recent report published on the occasion of the International Migrants Day, which falls on the 18th of December each year, HPC said that “6 million of the current population size has been added in the last 19 years.”

Results from the 2015 General Population and Housing Census indicated that the number of non-Jordanian residents in the Kingdom reached 2.92 million people, with 1.68 million males compared with 1.24 million females. 

“Syrian, Egyptian, Palestinian, Iraqi, Yemeni, and Libyan nationalities collectively constituted 93.2 PER CENT of non-Jordanian residents in Jordan,” HPC said.  

HPC said that Syrians comprised the largest percentage of non-Jordanians residing in Jordan at 43.4 per cent, followed by Egyptians at 21.8 per cent, and Palestinians at 21.7 per cent. “The remaining percentage, amounting to 13 per cent, consisted of other Arab and foreign nationals.”

Census data shows that the percentage of non-Jordanians residing in Jordan has increased from 4.2 per cent of the total population in 1979 to 7.7 per cent in 2004 and to 30.6 per cent in 2015.  

Economist Khaled Salameh told The Jordan Times that the influx of migrants has had a “significant” impact on the local labour market in Jordan.  

“The increased population, particularly with a sizable portion engaging in the workforce, could contribute to economic growth. However, challenges remain in resource allocation,” Salameh said.  

Salameh explained that economic stability and development in Jordan contribute to smaller family sizes among Jordanians. “Higher living costs, education expenses, and the desire for a higher standard of living can lead to delayed childbearing and smaller family size.”

“Higher levels of education among Jordanians, especially women, influence family planning decisions.”

Salameh also said that education empowers individuals with knowledge about family planning methods and encourages delayed childbearing for career and personal development.  

Inam Nassar, a sociologist, told The Jordan Times that migrants often come from regions with different economic and social structures, where “large families are traditionally valued”.

“Economic considerations, such as the need for labour or the absence of a social safety net, may encourage migrants to have more children as a form of social security,” Nassar said.  

 Limited access to education and information about contraception could contribute to higher birth rates, she said.