AMMAN — Youth aged 15–24 constitute one-fifth of Jordan’s population, or around 2.3 million people, out of an estimated 11.7 million in 2024, according to population estimates by the Department of Statistics (DoS).

 

Marking International Youth Day, observed on August 12, the DoS highlighted the distribution of youth across the Kingdom’s governorates.

 

Amman accounted for the largest share with 41.6 per cent, followed by Irbid at 19.2 per cent and Zarqa at 14.2 per cent. The remaining governorates recorded youth proportions ranging between 1 and 5.7 per cent. The sex ratio stood at 116 males per 100 females, according to a DoS statement.

 

The adjusted labour force participation rate among youth was 21.5 per cent, 32.5 per cent for males and 8.9 per cent for females, compared with 65.9 per cent for the total population aged 15 and above.

 

In terms of digital engagement, 64.2 per cent of youth aged 15–19 reported using computers, compared with 47.9 per cent among those aged 20–24. Internet use was almost universal, with over 96 per cent of youth in both age groups connected.

 

Education levels remain high, with 99.3 per cent of youth having received formal education and 32.7 per cent holding a secondary school diploma or higher.

 

The DoS also reported that 4.6 per cent of youth were married, while 95.3 per cent were single. Data from the 2023 Population and Family Health Survey showed that awareness of family planning was widespread among married women, with 27 per cent of those aged 15–19 and 46.4 per cent of those aged 20–24 using such methods.