The Jordanian family is shrinking in size; economic considerations are more prominent in the decision to have children.
Perhaps the shrinking size of the Jordanian family during the past decade was among the most prominent results left by economic pressures on the one hand and social changes on the other, which led to a change in the features of the map of Jordanian society and its lifestyles.
Economic experts believe that the decline in the size of the Jordanian family in recent years, as a demographic shift, was not isolated from a set of overlapping factors, the most prominent of which were the inflation of the cost of living and the trend of lifestyles towards the style of “modern cities”.
This shift raises questions about the extent to which escalating living pressures will affect demographics, the national economy, and the future outcomes that these transformations may produce.
Experts pointed out that the rising cost of living, particularly in the areas of housing, education and health, has played a pivotal role in reshaping marriage and childbearing decisions, making them more linked to financial capability and economic stability, rather than being traditional social decisions as in the past.
Experts emphasize that the ultimate impact of this transformation depends on the national economy’s ability to turn demographic changes into a development opportunity, rather than a future burden, calling for the adoption of a comprehensive strategic vision that takes into account population shifts and their implications for the labor market and development in Jordan.
At the same time, some see this change as a positive indicator linked to rising education levels, expanding urbanization, and changing the nature of the labor market, which contributes to reshaping family life patterns and raising expectations for quality of life, with a clear shift from focusing on the number of children to investing in quality and education.
The size of the Jordanian family
Population estimates issued by the Department of Statistics showed that the number of families in the Kingdom reached 2,475,767 million families at the end of 2025, with an average family size of 4.8 individuals, compared to 5.4 individuals in the 2004 census.
In a statement issued last Thursday, on the occasion of the International Day of Families, which falls on May 15th of each year, the Statistics Department noted that the data showed that 79.2% of families are headed by males and 20.8% of families are headed by females.
Turning to fertility data, the total fertility rate (the average number of children a woman of reproductive age 15–49 years can have) decreased from 3.5 children in 2012 to 2.6 children in 2023, according to the results of the 2023 Population and Family Health Survey (i.e., a decrease of one child in ten years), which reinforces the trend towards smaller families.
As for housing conditions, the results of the 2023 Population and Family Health Survey showed that 97.5% of households live in apartments or houses, with a high availability of basic services within homes.
A mix of factors: economic, developmental, and social.
Economic expert Hossam Ayesh considered the economic factor to be one of the most prominent factors affecting the decline in the size of the Jordanian family, in addition to other social and developmental factors, noting that the high cost of living, especially in the areas of housing, education and health, has made marriage and childbearing decisions more linked to financial ability and economic stability.
Ayesh added that this transformation was accompanied by clear social changes, most notably the rise in education levels, especially among women, the expansion of urbanization and the changing nature of the labor market, in addition to the expansion of women’s participation in education and work, which contributed to reshaping the pattern of family life, raising the ceiling of expectations towards quality of life and investing in children instead of increasing their number.
He pointed out that these changes have led many families to prefer having fewer children, focusing on education, health care and quality upbringing, in light of the decline in purchasing power of incomes despite their nominal increase, which has made economic considerations more present in reproductive decisions.
Ayesh also points to the high percentage of households headed by women, considering that this percentage may reflect, on the one hand, an improvement in women’s economic independence, but on the other hand, it may be linked to social factors such as divorce or the migration of men to work abroad, which makes the phenomenon multifaceted between social empowerment and economic vulnerability in some cases.
In contrast, Ayesh explained that this transformation has a positive aspect, as the decrease in family size can result in a shift from a potential burden to a development opportunity that enhances income and investment in human capital. He pointed out that the ultimate impact of this depends on the national economy's ability to provide more productive job opportunities and improve the quality of education and employment.
Ayesh believes it is necessary for the government and various institutions to invest in this demographic shift by putting in place the necessary frameworks to make it a sustainable development gain, in addition to focusing on improving the quality of life for each individual within the family.
From a developmental perspective, a shrinking family size is a positive indicator.
For his part, Ahmed Awad, director of the Phoenix Center for Economic and Social Studies, stressed that the decline in the average size of the Jordanian family in recent years cannot be explained by a single factor, even if the economic factor remains at the forefront of the most influential reasons.
The decline from 5.4 individuals in 2004 to 4.8 individuals at the end of 2025 reflects the interaction of a range of economic, social, educational, health and cultural factors that have reshaped marriage, procreation and family formation decisions in Jordan.
Awad explained that the economic pressures Jordanians have faced in recent years have played a major role in this shift. The rising cost of living and housing, declining purchasing power, weak wage growth, and high unemployment rates, especially among young people, have all made starting a family more difficult and have led many families to reconsider the number of children they have and their ability to provide for their basic needs. But this is not the whole picture.
On the other hand, Awad emphasizes that Jordan has witnessed significant social and developmental transformations over the past decades. Rising education levels, particularly among women, increased awareness of the importance of family planning, and changing attitudes among younger generations towards marriage and procreation have all contributed to a decrease in family size.
He also pointed out that many families are now inclined to focus on quality of life, better education, and better health care for their children, rather than focusing only on the number. Likewise, the impact of governmental and institutional efforts, whether through the Ministry of Health or through other official institutions, along with the role of civil society organizations, in spreading awareness of reproductive health and family planning and facilitating access to related services cannot be ignored.
From a developmental perspective, Awad believes that this change can be viewed as a positive indicator if it is linked to an improvement in the quality of life, higher levels of education, enhanced participation of women, and an increased ability of the family to invest in the health and education of its children. Development is not measured only by the number of people, but also by the quality of opportunities available to them and the ability of the family to provide a more dignified and stable life for its members.
Awad considered that the most important challenge at present is to exploit this demographic shift as a real development opportunity through more equitable policies in wages, housing, work, and social protection.
Quality of family investment
For his part, economics professor Qasim Al-Hamouri believes that the economic factors that Jordan has gone through in recent years have played a prominent role in reducing the size of the family, noting that the high cost of marriage and the increasing burdens of living have directly contributed to delaying the age of marriage compared to what it was in previous decades.
He added, “What was previously seen as a ‘normal’ age for marriage in the twenties has become more flexible today, as it has become common for the age of marriage to extend into the thirties, in light of social transformations that have made society more accepting of this change.”
Al-Hamouri pointed out that the high cost of living is not only reflected in the age of marriage, but also extends to the decision to have children, as the cost of raising children, including education, health care, and basic needs, is rising, which pushes many families to reduce the number of children and focus on what is called “the quality of family investment” in upbringing and education.
Al-Hamouri pointed out that this transformation reflects a change in the pattern of family thinking, from relying on the large number of children as a source of strength within the family, to focusing on preparing children who are more qualified for the labor market and life.
Conversely, he pointed out that this path may have far-reaching implications for the demographic structure and the labor market, citing the experiences of countries that witnessed a sharp decline in population growth rates after policies aimed at reducing birth rates, which later led to challenges in providing the workforce and prompted them to review their population policies.
Al-Hamouri stressed that these transformations call for caution and vigilance, calling for the importance of developing a strategic and forward-looking vision at the state level that takes into account the upcoming demographic changes and their implications for the economy and labor market in Jordan.
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