This entry includes those persons residing in a country as refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), or stateless persons. Each country's refugee entry includes only countries of origin that are the source of refugee populations of 5,000 or more. The definition of a refugee according to a UN Convention is "a person who is outside his/her country of nationality or habitual residence; has a well-founded fear of persecution because of his/her race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion; and is unable or unwilling to avail himself/herself of the protection of that country, or to return there, for fear of persecution." The UN established the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in 1950 to handle refugee matters worldwide. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has a different operational definition for a Palestinian refugee: "a person whose normal place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948 and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 conflict." The term internally displaced person is not specifically covered in the 1951 UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees; it is used to describe people who have fled their homes for reasons similar to refugees, but who remain within their own national territory and are subject to the laws of that state. A stateless person is defined as someone who is not considered a national by any state under the operation of its law, according to the 1954 UN Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons.

Topic: Afghanistanrefugees (country of origin): 72,188 (Pakistan) (mid-year 2021)

IDPs: 3.547 million (mostly Pashtuns and Kuchis displaced in the south and west due to natural disasters and political instability) (2020)

Topic: Albaniastateless persons: 1,528 (mid-year 2021)

note: 11,827 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-January 2021)

Topic: Algeriarefugees (country of origin): more than 100,000 (Sahrawi, mostly living in Algerian-sponsored camps in the southwestern Algerian town of Tindouf) (2018); 6,750 (Syria) (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Angolarefugees (country of origin): 37,083 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers), 9,272 (Guinea), 6,357 (Cote d'Ivoire), 5,725 (Mauritania) (2022)

Topic: Argentinarefugees (country of origin): 170,517 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum, are recognized as refugees, or have received alternative legal stay) (2021)

Topic: Armeniarefugees (country of origin): 38,774 (Azerbaijan), 5,205 (Syria - ethnic Armenians) (mid-year 2021)

stateless persons: 892 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Arubarefugees (country of origin): 17,000 (Venezuela) (2021)

Topic: Australiarefugees (country of origin): 12,701 (Iran), 10,108 (Afghanistan), 5,400 (Pakistan) (mid-year 2021)

stateless persons: 5,770 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Austriarefugees (country of origin): 57,887 (Syria), 41,037 (Afghanistan), 9,661 (Iraq), 8,212 (Somalia), 7,046 (Iran), 7,003 (Russia) (mid-year 2021)

stateless persons: 3,229 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: AzerbaijanIDPs: 735,000 (conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh; IDPs are mainly ethnic Azerbaijanis but also include ethnic Kurds, Russians, and Turks predominantly from occupied territories around Nagorno-Karabakh; includes IDPs' descendants, returned IDPs, and people living in insecure areas and excludes people displaced by natural disasters; around half the IDPs live in the capital Baku) (2020)

stateless persons: 3,585 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Bangladeshrefugees (country of origin): 918,841 (Burma) (2021) (includes an estimated 756,554 Rohingya refugees who have fled conflict since 25 August 2017)

IDPs: 427,000 (conflict, development, human rights violations, religious persecution, natural disasters) (2020)

stateless persons: 889,704 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Belarusrefugees (country of origin): 21,852 (Ukraine) (as of 12 April 2022)

stateless persons: 6,104 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Belgiumrefugees (country of origin): 18,493 (Syria), 5,094 (Iraq) (2020)

stateless persons: 1,159 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Boliviarefugees (country of origin): 12,100 (Venezuela) (2021)

Topic: Bosnia and Herzegovinarefugees (country of origin): 5,112 (Croatia) (2020)

IDPs: 99,000 (Bosnian Croats, Serbs, and Bosniaks displaced by inter-ethnic violence, human rights violations, and armed conflict during the 1992-95 war) (2020)

stateless persons: 149 (mid-year 2021)

note: 87,822 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-March 2022)

Topic: Brazilrefugees (country of origin): 261,441 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum, are recognized as refugees, or received alternative legal stay) (2020)

stateless persons: 14 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Bruneistateless persons: 20,863 (mid-year 2021); note - thousands of stateless persons, often ethnic Chinese, are permanent residents and their families have lived in Brunei for generations; obtaining citizenship is difficult and requires individuals to pass rigorous tests on Malay culture, customs, and language; stateless residents receive an International Certificate of Identity, which enables them to travel overseas; the government is considering changing the law prohibiting non-Bruneians, including stateless permanent residents, from owning land

Topic: Bulgariarefugees (country of origin): 19,014 (Syria) (mid-year 2021)

stateless persons: 1,143 (mid-year 2021)

note: 72,606 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-February 2022); Bulgaria is predominantly a transit country

Topic: Burkina Fasorefugees (country of origin): 24,740 (Mali) (2022)

IDPs: 1,741,655 (2022)1,741,655 (2022)

Topic: BurmaIDPs: 505,000 (government offensives against armed ethnic minority groups near its borders with China and Thailand, natural disasters, forced land evictions) (2020)

stateless persons: 600,000 (mid-year 2021); note - Rohingya Muslims, living predominantly in Rakhine State, are Burma's main group of stateless people; the Burmese Government does not recognize the Rohingya as a "national race" and stripped them of their citizenship under the 1982 Citizenship Law, categorizing them as "non-nationals" or "foreign residents"; under the Rakhine State Action Plan drafted in October 2014, the Rohingya must demonstrate their family has lived in Burma for at least 60 years to qualify for a lesser naturalized citizenship and the classification of Bengali or be put in detention camps and face deportation; native-born but non-indigenous people, such as Indians, are also stateless; the Burmese Government does not grant citizenship to children born outside of the country to Burmese parents who left the country illegally or fled persecution, such as those born in Thailand; the number of stateless persons has decreased dramatically because hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since 25 August 2017 to escape violence

note: estimate does not include stateless IDPs or stateless persons in IDP-like situations because they are included in estimates of IDPs (2017)

Topic: Burundirefugees (country of origin): 84,961 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2022)

IDPs: 109,169 (some ethnic Tutsis remain displaced from intercommunal violence that broke out after the 1,993 coup and fighting between government forces and rebel groups; violence since April 2015) (2021)

stateless persons: 767 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Cabo Verdestateless persons: 115 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Cambodiastateless persons: 57,444 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Cameroonrefugees (country of origin): 345,587 (Central African Republic), 129,266 (Nigeria) (2022)

IDPs: 936,767 (2022) (includes far north, northwest, and southwest)

Topic: Canadarefugees (country of origin): 22,400 (Venezuela) (refugees and migrants) (2020); 9,883 (Nigeria), 7,571 (Turkey), 7,385 (Iran), 6,965 (Pakistan), 6,287 (China), 5,244 (Colombia) (mid-year 2021)

stateless persons: 3,823 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Central African Republicrefugees (country of origin): 5,702 (Democratic Republic of Congo) (2022)

IDPs: 652,036 (clashes between army and rebel groups since 2005; tensions between ethnic groups) (2022)

Topic: Chadrefugees (country of origin): 384,979 (Sudan), 122,362 (Central African Republic), 42,746 (Cameroon), 19,658 (Nigeria) (2022)

IDPs: 406,573 (majority are in the east) (2022)

Topic: Chilerefugees (country of origin): 448,138 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum or have received alternative legal stay) (2020)

Topic: Chinarefugees (country of origin): 303,107 (Vietnam), undetermined (North Korea) (mid-year 2021)

IDPs: undetermined (2021)

Topic: Colombiarefugees (country of origin): 1,842,390 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum, are recognized as refugees, or received alternative legal stay) (2022)

IDPs: 8,214,100 (conflict between government and illegal armed groups and drug traffickers since 1985) (2021)

stateless persons: 11 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Congo, Democratic Republic of therefugees (country of origin): 210,980 (Rwanda), 210,499 (Central African Republic), 56,351 (South Sudan) (refugees and asylum seekers), 40,529 (Burundi) (2022)

IDPs: 5.61 million (fighting between government forces and rebels since mid-1990s; conflict in Kasai region since 2016) (2021)

Topic: Congo, Republic of therefugees (country of origin): 28,940 (Central African Republic), 22,100 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2022)

IDPs: 304,430 (multiple civil wars since 1992) (2021)

Topic: Costa Ricarefugees (country of origin): 29,906 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum, are recognized as refugees, or received alternative legal stay) (2021)

stateless persons: 205 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Cote d'IvoireIDPs: 308,000 (post-election conflict in 2010-11, as well as civil war from 2002-04; land disputes; most pronounced in western and southwestern regions) (2019)

stateless persons: 952,969 (mid-year 2021); note - many Ivoirians lack documentation proving their nationality, which prevent them from accessing education and healthcare; birth on Ivorian soil does not automatically result in citizenship; disputes over citizenship and the associated rights of the large population descended from migrants from neighboring countries is an ongoing source of tension and contributed to the country's 2002 civil war; some observers believe the government's mass naturalizations of thousands of people over the last couple of years is intended to boost its electoral support base; the government in October 2013 acceded to international conventions on statelessness and in August 2013 reformed its nationality law, key steps to clarify the nationality of thousands of residents; since the adoption of the Abidjan Declaration to eradicate statelessness in West Africa in February 2015, 6,400 people have received nationality papers; in September 2020, Cote d'Ivoire adopted Africa's first statelessness determination procedure to regularize the status of stateless people

Topic: Croatiastateless persons: 2,910 (mid-year 2021)

note: 736,622 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-January 2022); flows slowed considerably in 2017; Croatia is predominantly a transit country and hosts about 340 asylum seekers as of the end of June 2018

Topic: Curacaorefugees (country of origin): 14,200 (Venezuela) (2021)

Topic: Cyprusrefugees (country of origin): 9,820 (Syria) (mid-year 2021)

IDPs: 228,000 (both Turkish and Greek Cypriots; many displaced since 1974) (2020)

stateless persons: 66 (mid-year 2021)

note: 35,683 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-March 2022)

Topic: Czechiastateless persons: 1,498 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Denmarkrefugees (country of origin): 19,833 (Syria), 5,634 (Eritrea) (mid-year 2021)

stateless persons: 11,608 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Djiboutirefugees (country of origin): 5,972 (Yemen) (mid-year 2021); 14,227 (Somalia) (2021)

Topic: Dominican Republicrefugees (country of origin): 115,283 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum or have received alternative legal stay) (2021)

stateless persons: 133,770 (2016); note - a September 2013 Constitutional Court ruling revoked the citizenship of those born after 1929 to immigrants without proper documentation, even though the constitution at the time automatically granted citizenship to children born in the Dominican Republic and the 2010 constitution provides that constitutional provisions cannot be applied retroactively; the decision overwhelmingly affected people of Haitian descent whose relatives had come to the Dominican Republic since the 1890s as a cheap source of labor for sugar plantations; a May 2014 law passed by the Dominican Congress regularizes the status of those with birth certificates but will require those without them to prove they were born in the Dominican Republic and to apply for naturalization; the government has issued documents to thousands of individuals who may claim citizenship under this law, but no official estimate has been released

note: revised estimate includes only individuals born to parents who were both born abroad; it does not include individuals born in the country to one Dominican-born and one foreign-born parent or subsequent generations of individuals of foreign descent; the estimate, as such, does not include all stateless persons (2015)

Topic: Ecuadorrefugees (country of origin): 508,935 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum, are recognized as refugees, or have received alternative legal stay), 65,854 (Colombia) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2021)

Topic: Egyptrefugees (country of origin): 70,022 (West Bank and Gaza Strip) (mid-year 2021); 138,853 (Syria), 52,003 (Sudan) (refugees and asylum seekers), 20,713 (South Sudan) (refugees and asylum seekers), 20,927 (Eritrea) (refugees and asylum seekers), 15,484 (Ethiopia) (refugees and asylum seekers), 9,891 (Yemen) (refugees and asylum seekers), 6,807 (Iraq) (refugees and asylum seekers), 6,765 (Somalia) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2022)

stateless persons: 7 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Estoniastateless persons: 71,873 (mid-year 2021); note - following independence in 1991, automatic citizenship was restricted to those who were Estonian citizens prior to the 1940 Soviet occupation and their descendants; thousands of ethnic Russians remained stateless when forced to choose between passing Estonian language and citizenship tests or applying for Russian citizenship; one reason for demurring on Estonian citizenship was to retain the right of visa-free travel to Russia; stateless residents can vote in local elections but not general elections; stateless parents who have been lawful residents of Estonia for at least five years can apply for citizenship for their children before they turn 15 years old

Topic: Ethiopiarefugees (country of origin): 390,612 (South Sudan), 228,797 (Somalia), 158,662 (Eritrea), 46,789 (Sudan) (2022)

IDPs: 1,990,168 (includes conflict- and climate-induced IDPs, excluding unverified estimates from the Amhara region; border war with Eritrea from 1998-2000; ethnic clashes; and ongoing fighting between the Ethiopian military and separatist rebel groups in the Somali and Oromia regions; natural disasters; intercommunal violence; most IDPs live in Sumale state) (2021)

Topic: Finlandrefugees (country of origin): 9,053 (Iraq) (mid-year 2021)

stateless persons: 3,416 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Francerefugees (country of origin): 37,744 (Afghanistan), 23,980 (Sri Lanka), 23,510 (Syria), 21,070 (Sudan), 19,007 (Democratic Republic of the Congo), 16,995 (Russia), 15,090 (Guinea), 14,296 (Serbia and Kosovo), 13,180 (Turkey), 10,849 (Cambodia), 9,328 (Iraq) 8,519 (China), 8,338 (Cote d'Ivoire), 8,218 (Eritrea), 7,628 (Vietnam), 6,947 (Bangladesh), 6,649 (Somalia), 6,642 (Albania), 6,371 (Laos), 6,074 (Mauritania), 5,908 (Mali) (mid-year 2021)

stateless persons: 2,094 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Gaza Striprefugees (country of origin): 1,476,706 (Palestinian refugees) (2020)

IDPs: 131,000 (includes persons displaced within the Gaza Strip due to the intensification of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since June 2014 and other Palestinian IDPs in the Gaza Strip and West Bank who fled as long ago as 1967, although confirmed cumulative data do not go back beyond 2006) (2020)

data represent Gaza Strip and West Bank

Topic: GeorgiaIDPs: 304,000 (displaced in the 1990s as a result of armed conflict in the breakaway republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia; displaced in 2008 by fighting between Georgia and Russia over South Ossetia) (2019)

stateless persons: 534 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Germanyrefugees (country of origin): 616,325 (Syria), 152,677 (Afghanistan), 147,400 (Iraq), 62,152 (Eritrea), 45,704 (Iran), 34,465 (Turkey), 29,137 (Somalia), 9,329 (Russia), 9,323 (Nigeria), 8,600 (Pakistan), 7,503 (Serbia and Kosovo), 6,057 (Ethiopia) (mid-year 2021)

stateless persons: 26,980 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Ghanarefugees (country of origin): 6,045 (Cote d'Ivoire) (flight from 2010 post-election fighting) (2022)

Topic: Greecerefugees (country of origin): 38,496 (Syria), 25,188 (Afghanistan), 12,657 (Iraq), 5,002 (West Bank and Gaza) (mid-year 2021)

stateless persons: 5,552 (mid-year 2021)

note: 1,215,772 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-April 2022); as of the end of February 2022, Greece hosted an estimated 161,419 refugees and asylum seekers

Topic: GuatemalaIDPs: 242,000 (more than three decades of internal conflict that ended in 1996 displaced mainly the indigenous Maya population and rural peasants; ongoing drug cartel and gang violence) (2020)

Topic: Guinea-Bissaurefugees (country of origin): 7,757 (Senegal) (2022)

Topic: Guyanarefugees (country of origin): 24,500 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum, are recognized as refugees, or received alternative legal stay) (2021)

Topic: HaitiIDPs: 17,105 (violence among armed gangs in the metropolitan area os Port-au-Prince) (2021)

stateless persons: 2,992 (2018); note - individuals without a nationality who were born in the Dominican Republic prior to January 2010

Topic: HondurasIDPs: 247,000 (violence, extortion, threats, forced recruitment by urban gangs between 2004 and 2018) (2020)

Topic: Hungaryrefugees (country of origin): 434,342 (Ukraine) (as of 12 April 2022)

stateless persons: 130 (mid-year 2021)

note: 432,744 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-December 2018); Hungary is predominantly a transit country and hosts 137 migrants and asylum seekers as of the end of June 2018; 1,626 migrant arrivals in 2017

Topic: Icelandstateless persons: 73 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Indiarefugees (country of origin): 92,885 (Sri Lanka), 73,407 (Tibet/China), 20,325 (Burma), 8,537 (Afghanistan) (mid-year 2021)

IDPs: 473,000 (armed conflict and intercommunal violence) (2020)

stateless persons: 19,677 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Indonesiarefugees (country of origin): 5,792 (Afghanistan) (mid-year 2021)

IDPs: 40,000 (inter-communal, inter-faith, and separatist violence between 1998 and 2004 in Aceh and Papua; religious attacks and land conflicts in 2007 and 2013; most IDPs in Aceh, Maluku, East Nusa Tengarra) (2020)

stateless persons: 668 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Iranrefugees (country of origin): 2.6 million undocumented Afghans, 780,000 Afghan refugee card holders, 20,000 Iraqi refugee card holders (2020)

stateless persons: 34 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Iraqrefugees (country of origin): 15,272 (Turkey), 7,881 (West Bank and Gaza Strip) (mid-year 2021); 257,964 (Syria) (2022)

IDPs: 1,198,940 (displacement in central and northern Iraq since January 2014) (2021)

stateless persons: 47,253 (mid-year 2021); note - in the 1970s and 1980s under SADDAM Husayn's regime, thousands of Iraq's Faili Kurds, followers of Shia Islam, were stripped of their Iraqi citizenship, had their property seized by the government, and many were deported; some Faili Kurds had their citizenship reinstated under the 2,006 Iraqi Nationality Law, but others lack the documentation to prove their Iraqi origins; some Palestinian refugees persecuted by the SADDAM regime remain stateless

note: estimate revised to reflect the reduction of statelessness in line with Law 26 of 2006, which allows stateless persons to apply for nationality in certain circumstances; more accurate studies of statelessness in Iraq are pending (2015)

Topic: Irelandstateless persons: 107 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Israelrefugees (country of origin): 12,181 (Eritrea), 5,061 (Ukraine) (2019)

stateless persons: 42 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Italyrefugees (country of origin): 19,441 (Nigeria), 15,337 (Pakistan), 12,962 (Afghanistan), 10,609 (Mali), 7,901 (Somalia), 5,845 (Gambia), 5,079 (Iraq) (mid-year 2021)

stateless persons: 3,000 (mid-year 2021)

note: 597,951 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-March 2022)

Topic: Japanstateless persons: 707 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Jordanrefugees (country of origin): 2,307,011 (Palestinian refugees) (2020); 674,268 (Syria), 66,665 (Iraq), 12,866 (Yemen), 6,013 Sudan (2021)

stateless persons: 63 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Kazakhstanstateless persons: 7,915 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Kenyarefugees (country of origin): 278,998 (Somalia), 137,776 (South Sudan), 48,284 (Democratic Republic of the Congo), 20,924 (Ethiopia), 7,521 (Burundi) (2022)

IDPs: 190,000 (election-related violence, intercommunal violence, resource conflicts, al-Shabaab attacks in 2017 and 2018) (2020)

stateless persons: 16,820 (mid-year 2021); note - the stateless population consists of Nubians, Kenyan Somalis, and coastal Arabs; the Nubians are descendants of Sudanese soldiers recruited by the British to fight for them in East Africa more than a century ago; Nubians did not receive Kenyan citizenship when the country became independent in 1963; only recently have Nubians become a formally recognized tribe and had less trouble obtaining national IDs; Galjeel and other Somalis who have lived in Kenya for decades are included with more recent Somali refugees and denied ID cards

Topic: Korea, NorthIDPs: undetermined (2021)

Topic: Korea, Southstateless persons: 204 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: KosovoIDPs: 16,000 (primarily ethnic Serbs displaced during the 1998-1999 war fearing reprisals from the majority ethnic-Albanian population; a smaller number of ethnic Serbs, Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptians fled their homes in 2,004 as a result of violence) (2020)

note: 7,703 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-February 2022)

Topic: Kuwaitstateless persons: 92,020 (mid-year 2021); note - Kuwait's 1959 Nationality Law defined citizens as persons who settled in the country before 1920 and who had maintained normal residence since then; one-third of the population, descendants of Bedouin tribes, missed the window of opportunity to register for nationality rights after Kuwait became independent in 1961 and were classified as bidun (meaning "without"); since the 1980s Kuwait's bidun have progressively lost their rights, including opportunities for employment and education, amid official claims that they are nationals of other countries who have destroyed their identification documents in hopes of gaining Kuwaiti citizenship; Kuwaiti authorities have delayed processing citizenship applications and labeled biduns as "illegal residents," denying them access to civil documentation, such as birth and marriage certificates

Topic: Kyrgyzstanstateless persons: 16 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Latviastateless persons: 209,168 (mid-year 2021); note - individuals who were Latvian citizens prior to the 1940 Soviet occupation and their descendants were recognized as Latvian citizens when the country's independence was restored in 1991; citizens of the former Soviet Union residing in Latvia who have neither Latvian nor other citizenship are considered non-citizens (officially there is no statelessness in Latvia) and are entitled to non-citizen passports; children born after Latvian independence to stateless parents are entitled to Latvian citizenship upon their parents' request; non-citizens cannot vote or hold certain government jobs and are exempt from military service but can travel visa-free in the EU under the Schengen accord like Latvian citizens; non-citizens can obtain naturalization if they have been permanent residents of Latvia for at least five years, pass tests in Latvian language and history, and know the words of the Latvian national anthem

Topic: Lebanonrefugees (country of origin): 479,537 (Palestinian refugees) (2020); 839,788 (Syria) (2022)

IDPs: 7,000 (2020)

stateless persons: undetermined (2016); note - tens of thousands of persons are stateless in Lebanon, including many Palestinian refugees and their descendants, Syrian Kurds denaturalized in Syria in 1962, children born to Lebanese women married to foreign or stateless men; most babies born to Syrian refugees, and Lebanese children whose births are unregistered

Topic: Liberiarefugees (country of origin): 5,365 (Cote d'Ivoire) (2022)

Topic: Libyarefugees (country of origin): 18,346 (Sudan) (refugees and asylum seekers), 15,014 (Syria) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2022)

IDPs: 168,011 (conflict between pro-QADHAFI and anti-QADHAFI forces in 2011; post-QADHAFI tribal clashes 2014) (2022)

Topic: Lithuaniastateless persons: 2,721 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Luxembourgstateless persons: 194 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Malawirefugees (country of origin): 33,089 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers), 12,377 (Burundi) (refugees and asylum seekers), 7,526 (Rwanda) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2022)

Topic: Malaysiarefugees (country of origin): 120,126 (Burma) (mid-year 2021)

stateless persons: 112,003 (mid-year 2021); note - Malaysia's stateless population consists of Rohingya refugees from Burma, ethnic Indians, and the children of Filipino and Indonesian illegal migrants; Burma stripped the Rohingya of their nationality in 1982; Filipino and Indonesian children who have not been registered for birth certificates by their parents or who received birth certificates stamped "foreigner" are not eligible to attend government schools; these children are vulnerable to statelessness should they not be able to apply to their parents' country of origin for passports

Topic: Malirefugees (country of origin): 21,645 (Niger), 14,965 (Mauritania), 14,934 (Burkina Faso) (2022)

IDPs: 350,110 (Tuareg rebellion since 2012) (2021)

Topic: Maltastateless persons: 11 (mid-year 2021)

note: 8,119 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals by sea (January 2015-December 2021)

Topic: Mauritaniarefugees (country of origin): 26,001 (Sahrawis) (mid-year 2021); 80,373 (Mali) (2022)

Topic: Mexicorefugees (country of origin): 22,254 (Honduras), 10,662 (El Salvador) (mid-year 2021); 82,976 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum, are recognized as refugees, or have received alternative legal stay) (2021)

IDPs: 357,000 (government's quashing of Zapatista uprising in 1994 in eastern Chiapas Region; drug cartel violence and government's military response since 2007; violence between and within indigenous groups) (2020)

stateless persons: 13 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Moldovarefugees (country of origin): 415,850 (Ukraine) (as of 12 April 2022)

stateless persons: 3,372 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Mongoliastateless persons: 17 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Montenegrostateless persons: 458 (mid-year 2021)

note: 21,025 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-April 2022)

Topic: Mozambiquerefugees (country of origin): 10,786 (Democratic Republic of Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers), 8,447 (Burundi) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2022)

IDPs: 881,047 (violence between the government and an opposition group, violence associated with extremists groups in 2018, political violence 2019) (2022)

Topic: Namibiarefugees (country of origin): 5,744 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2022)

Topic: Naurustateless persons: 133 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Nepalrefugees (country of origin): 12,540 (Tibet/China), 6,365 (Bhutan) (mid-year 2021)

stateless persons: undetermined (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Netherlandsrefugees (country of origin): 37,792 (Syria), 14,787 (Eritrea), 8,368 (Somalia), 6,636 (Iraq), 5,346 (Iran) (mid-year 2021)

stateless persons: 2,087 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Nigerrefugees (country of origin): 187,145 (Nigeria), 61,534 (Mali) (2022)

IDPs: 264,257 (includes the regions of Diffa, Tillaberi, and Tahoua; unknown how many of the 11,000 people displaced by clashes between government forces and the Tuareg militant group, Niger Movement for Justice, in 2007 are still displaced; inter-communal violence; Boko Haram attacks in southern Niger, 2015) (2022)

Topic: Nigeriarefugees (country of origin): 77,379 (Cameroon) (2022)

IDPs: 3,030,544 (northeast Nigeria; Boko Haram attacks and counterinsurgency efforts in northern Nigeria; communal violence between Christians and Muslims in the middle belt region, political violence; flooding; forced evictions; cattle rustling; competition for resources) (2022)

Topic: North Macedoniastateless persons: 553 (mid-year 2021)

note: 529,056 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-February 2022)

Topic: Norwayrefugees (country of origin): 15,542 (Syria), 11,965 (Eritrea) (mid-year 2021)

stateless persons: 4,154 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Omanrefugees (country of origin): 5,000 (Yemen) (2017)

Topic: Pakistanrefugees (country of origin): 2.74-3 million (1.4 million registered, 1.34-1.6  million undocumented or otherwise categorized) (Afghanistan) (2022)

IDPs: 104,000 (primarily those who remain displaced by counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations and violent conflict between armed non-state groups in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Khyber-Paktunkwa Province; more than 1 million displaced in northern Waziristan in 2014; individuals also have been displaced by repeated monsoon floods) (2020)

stateless persons: 47 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Panamarefugees (country of origin): 80,021 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum or have received alternative legal stay) (2021)

Topic: Papua New Guinearefugees (country of origin): 11,601 (Indonesia) (mid-year 2021)

IDPs: 14,000 (natural disasters, tribal conflict, inter-communal violence, development projects) (2020)

stateless persons: 9 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Paraguayrefugees (country of origin): 5,800 (Venezuela) (2021)

Topic: Perurefugees (country of origin): 1,286,434 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum, are recognized as refugees, or have received alternative legal stay) (2021)

IDPs: 60,000 (civil war from 1980-2000; most IDPs are indigenous peasants in Andean and Amazonian regions; as of 2011, no new information on the situation of these IDPs) (2020)

Topic: PhilippinesIDPs: 153,000 (government troops fighting the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the Abu Sayyaf Group, and the New People's Army; clan feuds; armed attacks, political violence, and communal tensions in Mindanao) (2020)

stateless persons: 392 (mid-year 2021); note - stateless persons are descendants of Indonesian migrants

Topic: Polandrefugees (country of origin): 9,870 (Russia) (2019); 2,669,637 (as of 12 April 2022)

stateless persons: 1,389 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Portugalstateless persons: 45 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Qatarstateless persons: 1,200 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Romaniarefugees (country of origin): 709,249 (Ukraine) (as of 12 April 2022)

stateless persons: 314 (mid-year 2021)

note: 9,519 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-February 2022)

Topic: Russiarefugees (country of origin): 433,083 (Ukraine) (as of 11 April 2022)

stateless persons: 56,960 (mid-year 2021); note - Russia's stateless population consists of Roma, Meskhetian Turks, and ex-Soviet citizens from the former republics; between 2003 and 2010 more than 600,000 stateless people were naturalized; most Meskhetian Turks, followers of Islam with origins in Georgia, fled or were evacuated from Uzbekistan after a 1989 pogrom and have lived in Russia for more than the required five-year residency period; they continue to be denied registration for citizenship and basic rights by local Krasnodar Krai authorities on the grounds that they are temporary illegal migrants

Topic: Rwandarefugees (country of origin): 77,116 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) 48,125 (Burundi) (2022)

stateless persons: 9,500 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Saudi Arabiastateless persons: 70,000 (mid-year 2021); note - thousands of biduns (stateless Arabs) are descendants of nomadic tribes who were not officially registered when national borders were established, while others migrated to Saudi Arabia in search of jobs; some have temporary identification cards that must be renewed every five years, but their rights remain restricted; most Palestinians have only legal resident status; some naturalized Yemenis were made stateless after being stripped of their passports when Yemen backed Iraq in its invasion of Kuwait in 1990; Saudi women cannot pass their citizenship on to their children, so if they marry a non-national, their children risk statelessness

Topic: Senegalrefugees (country of origin): 18,375 (Mauritania) (2022)

IDPs: 8,400 (2020)

Topic: Serbiarefugees (country of origin): 17,336 (Croatia), 7,997 (Bosnia and Herzegovina) (mid-year 2021)

IDPs: 196,995 (most are Kosovar Serbs, some are Roma, Ashkalis, and Egyptian (RAE); some RAE IDPs are unregistered) (2021)

stateless persons: 2,113 (includes stateless persons in Kosovo) (mid-year 2021)

note: 823,549 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-March 2022); Serbia is predominantly a transit country and hosts an estimated 4,650 migrants and asylum seekers as of February 2022

Topic: Sierra LeoneIDPs: 5,500 (displacement caused by post-electoral violence in 2018 and clashes in the Pujehun region in 2019) (2020)

Topic: Singaporestateless persons: 1,109 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Slovakiarefugees (country of origin): 323,020 (Ukraine) (as of 12 April 2022)

stateless persons: 1,532 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Sloveniastateless persons: 10 (2020)

note:  537,923 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-March 2022)

Topic: Somaliarefugees (country of origin): 6,979 (Yemen) (mid-year 2021)

IDPs: 2.968 million (civil war since 1988, clan-based competition for resources; 2011 famine; insecurity because of fighting between al-Shabaab and the Transitional Federal Government's allied forces) (2022)

Topic: South Africarefugees (country of origin): 23,054 (Somalia), 15,629 (Ethiopia) (mid-year 2021); 57,595 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2022)

IDPs: 5,000 (2020)

Topic: South Sudanrefugees (country of origin): 309,025 (Sudan), 18,514 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (2022)

IDPs: 1,436,000 (alleged coup attempt and ethnic conflict beginning in December 2013; information is lacking on those displaced in earlier years by: fighting in Abyei between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) in May 2011; clashes between the SPLA and dissident militia groups in South Sudan; inter-ethnic conflicts over resources and cattle; attacks from the Lord's Resistance Army; floods and drought) (2020)

stateless persons: 10,000 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Spainrefugees (country of origin): 14,823 (Syria) (mid-year 2021); 418,200 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum, are recognized as refugees, or have received alternative legal stay) (2021)

stateless persons: 6,.92 (mid-year 2021)

note: 256,464 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals, including Canary Islands (January 2015-March 2022)

Topic: Sri LankaIDPs: 27,000 (civil war; more than half displaced prior to 2008; many of the more than 480,000 IDPs registered as returnees have not reached durable solutions) (2020)

Topic: Sudanrefugees (country of origin): 799,911 (South Sudan) (refugees and asylum seekers), 128,996 (Eritrea) (refugees and asylum seekers), 93,482 (Syria) (refugees and asylum seekers), 73,335 (Ethiopia) (refugees and asylum seekers), 28,023 (Central African Republic) (2022)

IDPs: 2,276,000 (civil war 1983-2005; ongoing conflict in Darfur region; government and rebel fighting along South Sudan border; inter-tribal clashes) (2020)

Topic: Swedenrefugees (country of origin): 114,995 (Syria), 28,744 (Afghanistan), 26,911 (Eritrea), 11,574 (Somalia), 11,153 (Iraq), 7,516 (Iran) (2020)

stateless persons: 50,098 (mid-year 2021); note - the majority of stateless people are from the Middle East and Somalia

Topic: Switzerlandrefugees (country of origin): 38,219 (Eritrea), 20,043 (Syria), 14,649 (Afghanistan), 6,069 (Sri Lanka), 6,197 (Turkey) (mid-year 2021)

stateless persons: 684 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Syriarefugees (country of origin): 568,730 (Palestinian Refugees) (2020); 12,435 (Iraq) (mid-year 2021)

IDPs: 6.568 million (ongoing civil war since 2011) (2020)

stateless persons: 160,000 (mid-year 2021); note - Syria's stateless population consists of Kurds and Palestinians; stateless persons are prevented from voting, owning land, holding certain jobs, receiving food subsidies or public healthcare, enrolling in public schools, or being legally married to Syrian citizens; in 1962, some 120,000 Syrian Kurds were stripped of their Syrian citizenship, rendering them and their descendants stateless; in 2011, the Syrian Government granted citizenship to thousands of Syrian Kurds as a means of appeasement; however, resolving the question of statelessness is not a priority given Syria's ongoing civil war

note: the ongoing civil war has resulted in more than 5.7 million registered Syrian refugees - dispersed in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey - as of March 2022

Topic: Tajikistanrefugees (country of origin): 6,775 (Afghanistan) (mid-year 2021)

stateless persons: 6,141 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Tanzaniarefugees (country of origin): 127,009 (Burundi), 79,839 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (2022)

Topic: Thailandrefugees (country of origin): 91,479 (Burma) (2021)

IDPs: 41,000

stateless persons: 554,103 (mid-year 2021) (estimate represents stateless persons registered with the Thai Government; actual number may be as high as 3.5 million); note - about half of Thailand's northern hill tribe people do not have citizenship and make up the bulk of Thailand's stateless population; most lack documentation showing they or one of their parents were born in Thailand; children born to Burmese refugees are not eligible for Burmese or Thai citizenship and are stateless; most Chao Lay, maritime nomadic peoples, who travel from island to island in the Andaman Sea west of Thailand are also stateless; stateless Rohingya refugees from Burma are considered illegal migrants by Thai authorities and are detained in inhumane conditions or expelled; stateless persons are denied access to voting, property, education, employment, healthcare, and driving

note: Thai nationality was granted to more than 23,000 stateless persons between 2012 and 2016; in 2016, the Government of Thailand approved changes to its citizenship laws that could make 80,000 stateless persons eligible for citizenship, as part of its effort to achieve zero statelessness by 2024 (2018)

Topic: Togorefugees (country of origin): 8,391 (Ghana) (2022)

Topic: Trinidad and Tobagorefugees (country of origin): 28,500 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum, are recognized as refugees, or have received alternative legal stay) (2021)

Topic: Turkeyrefugees (country of origin): 3,763,565 (Syria) (2022)

IDPs: 1.099 million (displaced from 1984-2005 because of fighting between the Kurdish PKK and Turkish military; most IDPs are Kurds from eastern and southeastern provinces; no information available on persons displaced by development projects) (2020)

stateless persons: 117 (2018)

Topic: Turkmenistanstateless persons: 4,107 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Ugandarefugees (country of origin): 962,360 (South Sudan) (refugees and asylum seekers), 459,073 (Democratic Republic of the Congo), 48,555 (Burundi), 55,579 (Somalia) (refugees and asylum seekers), 26,092 (Rwanda), 22,843 (Eritrea) (2022)

Topic: UkraineIDPs: 1,461,700 (Russian-sponsored separatist violence in Crimea and eastern Ukraine) (2021); 6.48 million (Russian invasion), according to the UN (2022); note – the more recent invasion total may reflect some double counting, since it is impossible to determine how many of the recent IDPs may also include IDPs from the earlier Russian-sponsored violence in Crimea and eastern Ukraine

stateless persons: 35,875 (mid-year 2021); note - citizens of the former USSR who were permanently resident in Ukraine were granted citizenship upon Ukraine's independence in 1991, but some missed this window of opportunity; people arriving after 1991, Crimean Tatars, ethnic Koreans, people with expired Soviet passports, and people with no documents have difficulty acquiring Ukrainian citizenship; following the fall of the Soviet Union in 1989, thousands of Crimean Tatars and their descendants deported from Ukraine under the STALIN regime returned to their homeland, some being stateless and others holding the citizenship of Uzbekistan or other former Soviet republics; a 1998 bilateral agreement between Ukraine and Uzbekistan simplified the process of renouncing Uzbek citizenship and obtaining Ukrainian citizenship1,461,700 (Russian-sponsored separatist violence in Crimea and eastern Ukraine) (2021); 6.48 million (Russian invasion), according to the UN (2022); note – the more recent invasion total may reflect some double counting, since it is impossible to determine how many of the recent IDPs may also include IDPs from the earlier Russian-sponsored violence in Crimea and eastern Ukraine

Topic: United Arab Emiratesstateless persons: 5 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: United Kingdomrefugees (country of origin): 21,011 (Iran), 14,503 (Eritrea), 11,251 (Sudan), 11,412 (Syria), 9,469 (Afghanistan), 8,357 (Pakistan), 6,933 (Iraq), 5,200 (Sri Lanka) (2020)

stateless persons: 3,968 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: United Statesrefugees (country of origin): the US admitted 11,411 refugees during FY2021 including: 4,891 (Democratic Republic of the Congo), 1,246 (Syria), 872 (Afghanistan), 803 (Ukraine), 772 (Burma), 513 (Sudan)

stateless persons: 47 (mid-year 2021)

note: 72,722 Venezuelans have claimed asylum since 2014 because of the economic and political crisis (2018)

Topic: Uruguayrefugees (country of origin): 17,500 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum or have received alternative legal stay) (2021)

stateless persons: 5 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Uzbekistanstateless persons: 59,136 (mid-year 2021)

Topic: Venezuelarefugees (country of origin): 67,935 (Colombia) (2020)

note: As of December 2020, more than 800,000 Venezuelans have applied for asylum worldwide

Topic: Vietnamstateless persons: 30,581 (mid-year 2021); note - Vietnam's stateless ethnic Chinese Cambodian population dates to the 1970s when thousands of Cambodians fled to Vietnam to escape the Khmer Rouge and were no longer recognized as Cambodian citizens; Vietnamese women who gave up their citizenship to marry foreign men have found themselves stateless after divorcing and returning home to Vietnam; the government addressed this problem in 2009, and Vietnamese women are beginning to reclaim their citizenship

Topic: West Bankrefugees (country of origin): 871,537 (Palestinian refugees) (2020)

IDPs: 131,000 (includes persons displaced within the Gaza strip due to the intensification of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since June 2014 and other Palestinian IDPs in the Gaza Strip and West Bank who fled as long ago as 1967, although confirmed cumulative data do not go back beyond 2006) (2020)

data represent Gaza Strip and West Bank

Topic: Worldthe UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimated that as of year-end 2020 there were 82.4 million people forcibly displaced worldwide; this includes 48 million conflict IDPs, 26.4 million refugees, 4.1 million asylum seekers, and 3.9 million Venezuelans displaced abroad; the UNHCR estimates there are currently at least 10 million stateless personsthe UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimated that as of year-end 2020 there were 82.4 million people forcibly displaced worldwide; this includes 48 million conflict IDPs, 26.4 million refugees, 4.1 million asylum seekers, and 3.9 million Venezuelans displaced abroad; the UNHCR estimates there are currently at least 10 million stateless persons

Topic: Yemenrefugees (country of origin): 75,315 (Somalia), 17,407 (Ethiopia) (2022)

IDPs: 4,002,012 (conflict in Sa'ada Governorate; clashes between al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula and government forces) (2020)

Topic: Zambiarefugees (country of origin): 66,027 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers), 8,240 (Burundi) (2022)

Topic: Zimbabwerefugees (country of origin): 11,285 (Democratic Republic of Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers), 8,247 (Mozambique) (2022)


National estimates of the percentage of the population falling below the poverty line are based on surveys of sub-groups, with the results weighted by the number of people in each group. Definitions of poverty vary considerably among nations. For example, rich nations generally employ more generous standards of poverty than poor nations.

Topic: Afghanistan54.5% (2016 est.)

Topic: Albania14.3% (2012 est.)

Topic: Algeria5.5% (2011 est.)

Topic: American SamoaNA

Topic: Angola32.3% (2018 est.)

Topic: Anguilla23% (2002 est.)

Topic: Antigua and BarbudaNA

Topic: Argentina35.5% (2019 est.)

Topic: Armenia26.4% (2019 est.)

Topic: ArubaNA

Topic: Austria13.3% (2018 est.)

Topic: Azerbaijan4.9% (2015 est.)

Topic: Bahamas, The9.3% (2010 est.)

Topic: BahrainNA

Topic: Bangladesh24.3% (2016 est.)

Topic: BarbadosNA

Topic: Belarus5% (2019 est.)

Topic: Belgium14.8% (2018 est.)

Topic: Belize41% (2013 est.)

Topic: Benin38.5% (2019 est.)

Topic: Bermuda11% (2008 est.)

Topic: Bhutan8.2% (2017 est.)

Topic: Bolivia37.2% (2019 est.)

Topic: Bosnia and Herzegovina16.9% (2015 est.)

Topic: Botswana19.3% (2009 est.)

Topic: Brazil4.2% (2016 est.)

note: approximately 4% of the population are below the "extreme" poverty line

Topic: British Virgin IslandsNA

Topic: BruneiNA

Topic: Bulgaria23.8% (2019 est.)

Topic: Burkina Faso41.4% (2018 est.)

Topic: Burma24.8% (2017 est.)

Topic: Burundi64.6% (2014 est.)

Topic: Cabo Verde35% (2015 est.)

Topic: Cambodia16.5% (2016 est.)

Topic: Cameroon37.5% (2014 est.)

Topic: Canada9.4% (2008 est.)

note: this figure is the Low Income Cut-Off, a calculation that results in higher figures than found in many comparable economies; Canada does not have an official poverty line

Topic: Cayman IslandsNA

Topic: Central African Republic62% NA (2008 est.)

Topic: Chad42.3% (2018 est.)

Topic: Chile8.6% (2017 est.)

Topic: China0.6% (2019 est.)

Topic: Colombia35.7% (2019 est.)

Topic: Comoros42.4% (2013 est.)

Topic: Congo, Democratic Republic of the63% (2014 est.)

Topic: Congo, Republic of the40.9% (2011 est.)

Topic: Cook IslandsNA

Topic: Costa Rica21% (2019 est.)

Topic: Cote d'Ivoire39.5% (2018 est.)

Topic: Croatia18.3% (2018 est.)

Topic: CubaNA

Topic: Cyprus14.7% (2018 est.)

Topic: Czechia10.1% (2018 est.)

Topic: Denmark12.5% (2018 est.)

Topic: Djibouti21.1% (2017 est.)

Topic: Dominica29% (2009 est.)

Topic: Dominican Republic21% (2019 est.)

Topic: Ecuador25% (2019 est.)

Topic: Egypt32.5% (2017 est.)

Topic: El Salvador22.8% (2019 est.)

Topic: Equatorial Guinea44% (2011 est.)

Topic: Eritrea50% (2004 est.)

Topic: Estonia21.7% (2018 est.)

Topic: Eswatini58.9% (2016 est.)

Topic: Ethiopia23.5% (2015 est.)

Topic: European Union9.8% (2013 est.)

note: see individual country entries of member states

Topic: Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)NA

Topic: Faroe Islands10% (2015 est.)

Topic: Fiji29.9% (2019 est.)

Topic: Finland12.2% (2019 est.)

Topic: France13.6% (2018 est.)

Topic: French Polynesia19.7% (2009 est.)

Topic: Gabon33.4% (2017 est.)

Topic: Gambia, The48.6% (2015 est.)

Topic: Gaza Strip30% (2011 est.)

note: data exclude the West Bank

Topic: Georgia19.5% (2019 est.)

Topic: Germany14.8% (2018 est.)

Topic: Ghana23.4% (2016 est.)

Topic: GibraltarNA

Topic: Greece17.9% (2018 est.)

Topic: Greenland16.2% (2015 est.)

Topic: Grenada38% (2008 est.)

Topic: Guam23% (2001 est.)

Topic: Guatemala59.3% (2014 est.)

Topic: GuernseyNA

Topic: Guinea43.7% (2018 est.)

Topic: Guinea-Bissau67% (2015 est.)

Topic: Guyana35% (2006 est.)

Topic: Haiti58.5% (2012 est.)

Topic: Holy See (Vatican City)NA

Topic: Honduras48.3% (2018 est.)

Topic: Hong Kong19.9% (2016 est.)

Topic: Hungary12.3% (2018 est.)

Topic: Iceland8.8% (2017 est.)

Topic: India21.9% (2011 est.)

Topic: Indonesia9.4% (2019 est.)

Topic: Iran18.7% (2007 est.)

Topic: Iraq23% (2014 est.)

Topic: Ireland13.1% (2018 est.)

Topic: Isle of ManNA

Topic: Israel22% (2014 est.)

note: Israel's poverty line is $7.30 per person per day

Topic: Italy20.1% (2018 est.)

Topic: Jamaica17.1% (2016 est.)

Topic: Japan16.1% (2013 est.)

Topic: JerseyNA

Topic: Jordan15.7% (2018 est.)

Topic: Kazakhstan4.3% (2018 est.)

Topic: Kenya36.1% (2015 est.)

Topic: KiribatiNA

Topic: Korea, NorthNA

Topic: Korea, South14.4% (2016 est.)

Topic: Kosovo17.6% (2015 est.)

Topic: KuwaitNA

Topic: Kyrgyzstan20.1% (2019 est.)

Topic: Laos18.3% (2018 est.)

Topic: Latvia22.9% (2018 est.)

Topic: Lebanon27.4% (2011 est.)

Topic: Lesotho49.7% (2017 est.)

Topic: Liberia50.9% (2016 est.)

Topic: Libyanote: about one-third of Libyans live at or below the national poverty linenote: about one-third of Libyans live at or below the national poverty line

Topic: LiechtensteinNA

Topic: Lithuania20.6% (2018 est.)

Topic: Luxembourg17.5% (2018 est.)

Topic: MacauNA

Topic: Madagascar70.7% (2012 est.)

Topic: Malawi51.5% (2016 est.)

Topic: Malaysia5.6% (2018 est.)

Topic: Maldives8.2% (2016 est.)

Topic: Mali42.1% (2019 est.)

Topic: Malta17.1% (2018 est.)

Topic: Marshall IslandsNA

Topic: Mauritania31% (2014 est.)

Topic: Mauritius10.3% (2017 est.)

Topic: Mexico41.9% (2018 est.)

Topic: Micronesia, Federated States of41.2% (2013 est.)

Topic: Moldova7.3% (2018 est.)

Topic: MonacoNA

Topic: Mongolia28.4% (2018 est.)

Topic: Montenegro24.5% (2018 est.)

Topic: MontserratNA

Topic: Morocco4.8% (2013 est.)

Topic: Mozambique46.1% (2014 est.)

Topic: Namibia17.4% (2015 est.)

Topic: NauruNA

Topic: Nepal25.2% (2011 est.)

Topic: Netherlands13.6% (2019 est.)

Topic: New Caledonia17% (2008)

Topic: New ZealandNA

Topic: Nicaragua24.9% (2016 est.)

Topic: Niger40.8% (2018 est.)

Topic: Nigeria40.1% (2018 est.)

Topic: NiueNA

Topic: North Macedonia21.6% (2018 est.)

Topic: Northern Mariana IslandsNA

Topic: Norway12.7% (2018 est.)

Topic: OmanNA

Topic: Pakistan24.3% (2015 est.)

Topic: Palau24.9% NA (2006)

Topic: Panama22.1% (2016 est.)

Topic: Papua New Guinea37% (2002 est.)

Topic: Paraguay23.5% (2019 est.)

Topic: Peru20.2% (2019 est.)

Topic: Philippines16.7% (2018 est.)

Topic: Poland15.4% (2018 est.)

Topic: Portugal17.2% (2018 est.)

Topic: Puerto RicoNA

Topic: QatarNA

Topic: Romania23.8% (2018 est.)

Topic: Russia12.6% (2018 est.)

Topic: Rwanda38.2% (2016 est.)

Topic: Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da CunhaNA

Topic: Saint Kitts and NevisNA

Topic: Saint Lucia25% (2016 est.)

Topic: Saint Pierre and MiquelonNA

Topic: Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesNA

Topic: Samoa20.3% (2013 est.)

Topic: San MarinoNA

Topic: Sao Tome and Principe66.7% (2017 est.)

Topic: Saudi ArabiaNA

Topic: Senegal46.7% (2011 est.)

Topic: Serbia23.2% (2018 est.)

Topic: Seychelles25.3% (2018 est.)

Topic: Sierra Leone56.8% (2018 est.)

Topic: SingaporeNA

Topic: Slovakia11.9% (2018 est.)

Topic: Slovenia12% (2018 est.)

Topic: Solomon Islands12.7% (2012 est.)

Topic: SomaliaNA

Topic: South Africa55.5% (2014 est.)

Topic: South Sudan76.4% (2016 est.)

Topic: Spain20.7% (2018 est.)

Topic: Sri Lanka4.1% (2016 est.)

Topic: Sudan46.5% (2009 est.)

Topic: Suriname70% (2002 est.)

Topic: Sweden17.1% (2018 est.)

Topic: Switzerland16% (2018 est.)

Topic: Syria82.5% (2014 est.)

Topic: Taiwan1.5% (2012 est.)

Topic: Tajikistan26.3% (2019 est.)

Topic: Tanzania26.4% (2017 est.)

Topic: Thailand9.9% (2018 est.)

Topic: Timor-Leste41.8% (2014 est.)

Topic: Togo55.1% (2015 est.)

Topic: TokelauNA

Topic: Tonga22.5% (2010 est.)

Topic: Trinidad and Tobago20% (2014 est.)

Topic: Tunisia15.2% (2015 est.)

Topic: Turkey14.4% (2018 est.)

Topic: Turkmenistan0.2% (2012 est.)

Topic: Turks and Caicos IslandsNA

Topic: Tuvalu26.3% (2010 est.)

Topic: Uganda21.4% (2016 est.)

Topic: Ukraine1.1% (2019 est.)

Topic: United Arab Emirates19.5% (2003 est.)

Topic: United Kingdom18.6% (2017 est.)

Topic: United States15.1% (2010 est.)

Topic: Uruguay8.8% (2019 est.)

Topic: Uzbekistan14.1% (2013 est.)

Topic: VanuatuNA

Topic: Venezuela33.1% (2015 est.)

Topic: Vietnam6.7% (2018 est.)

Topic: Virgin Islands28.9% (2002 est.)

Topic: Wallis and FutunaNA

Topic: West Bank18% (2011 est.)

Topic: Yemen48.6% (2014 est.)

Topic: Zambia54.4% (2015 est.)

Topic: Zimbabwe38.3% (2019 est.)


Topic: Photos of Jordan

Topic: Introduction
Background: Following World War I and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, the League of Nations awarded Britain the mandate to govern much of the Middle East. Britain demarcated a semi-autonomous region of Transjordan from Palestine in 1921 and recognized ABDALLAH I from the Hashemite family as the country's first leader. The Hashemites also controlled Hijaz, or the western coastal area of modern day Saudi Arabia until 1925, when they were pushed out by Ibn Saud and Wahhabi tribes. The country gained its independence in 1946 and thereafter became The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The country has had four kings. Jordan's long-time ruler, King HUSSEIN (1953-99), successfully navigated competing pressures from the major powers (US, USSR, and UK), various Arab states, Israel, and Palestinian militants, which led to a brief civil war in 1970 referred to as "Black September" and ended in King HUSSEIN's ouster of the militants from Jordan. Jordan's borders also have changed. In 1948, Jordan took control of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, eventually annexing those territories in 1950 and granting its new Palestinian residents Jordanian citizenship. In 1967, Jordan lost the West Bank and East Jerusalem to Israel in the Six-Day War but retained administrative claims until 1988 when King HUSSEIN permanently relinquished Jordanian claims to the West Bank in favor of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). King HUSSEIN signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994 after Israel and the PLO signed the Oslo Accords in 1993.

Jordanian kings continue to claim custodianship of the holy sites in Jerusalem by virtue of their Hashemite heritage as descendants of Prophet Mohammad and agreements with Israel and Jerusalem-based religious and Palestinian leaders. After Israel captured East Jerusalem in the 1967 War, it authorized the Jordanian-controlled Islamic Trust, or Waqf, to continue administering affairs in the Al Haram ash Sharif/Temple Mount holy compound, and the Jordan-Israel peace treaty reaffirmed Jordan's "special role" in administering the Muslim holy shrines in Jerusalem.

King HUSSEIN died in 1999 and was succeeded by his eldest son, ABDALLAH II, who remains the current king. In 2009, King ABDALLAH II designated his son HUSSEIN as the Crown Prince. During his reign, ABDALLAH II has contended with a series of challenges, including the Arab Spring influx of refugees from neighboring states and a perennially weak economy.  Following World War I and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, the League of Nations awarded Britain the mandate to govern much of the Middle East. Britain demarcated a semi-autonomous region of Transjordan from Palestine in 1921 and recognized ABDALLAH I from the Hashemite family as the country's first leader. The Hashemites also controlled Hijaz, or the western coastal area of modern day Saudi Arabia until 1925, when they were pushed out by Ibn Saud and Wahhabi tribes. The country gained its independence in 1946 and thereafter became The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Visit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic.

Topic: Geography
Location: Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia, between Israel (to the west) and Iraq
Geographic coordinates: 31 00 N, 36 00 E
Map references: Middle East
Area: total: 89,342 sq km

land: 88,802 sq km

water: 540 sq km
Area - comparative: about three-quarters the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than Indiana
Land boundaries: total: 1,744 km

border countries (5): Iraq 179 km; Israel 307 km; Saudi Arabia 731 km; Syria 379 km; West Bank 148 km
Coastline: 26 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April)
Terrain: mostly arid desert plateau; a great north-south geological rift along the west of the country is the dominant topographical feature and includes the Jordan River Valley, the Dead Sea, and the Jordanian Highlands
Elevation: highest point: Jabal Umm ad Dami 1,854 m

lowest point: Dead Sea -431 m

mean elevation: 812 m
Natural resources: phosphates, potash, shale oil
Land use: agricultural land: 11.4% (2018 est.)

arable land: 2% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 1% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 8.4% (2018 est.)

forest: 1.1% (2018 est.)

other: 87.5% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land: 964 sq km (2012)
Major lakes (area sq km): Salt water lake(s): Dead Sea (shared with Israel and West Bank) - 1,020 sq km
note - endorheic hypersaline lake; 9.6 times saltier than the ocean; lake shore is 431 meters below sea level
Major watersheds (area sq km): Indian Ocean drainage: (Persian Gulf) Tigris and Euphrates (918,044 sq km)
Major aquifers: Arabian Aquifer System
Population distribution: population heavily concentrated in the west, and particularly the northwest, in and around the capital of Amman; a sizeable, but smaller population is located in the southwest along the shore of the Gulf of Aqaba
Natural hazards: droughts; periodic earthquakes; flash floods
Geography - note: strategic location at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba and as the Arab country that shares the longest border with Israel and the occupied West Bank; the Dead Sea, the lowest point in Asia and the second saltiest body of water in the world (after Lac Assal in Djibouti), lies on Jordan's western border with Israel and the West Bank; Jordan is almost landlocked but does have a 26 km southwestern coastline with a single port, Al 'Aqabah (Aqaba)

Topic: People and Society
Population: 10,998,531 (2022 est.)

note: increased estimate reflects revised assumptions about the net migration rate due to the increased flow of Syrian refugees
Nationality: noun: Jordanian(s)

adjective: Jordanian
Ethnic groups: Jordanian 69.3%, Syrian 13.3%, Palestinian 6.7%, Egyptian 6.7%, Iraqi 1.4%, other 2.6% (includes Armenian, Circassian) (2015 est.)

note: data represent population by self-identified nationality
Languages: Arabic (official), English (widely understood among upper and middle classes)

major-language sample(s):
كتاب حقائق العالم، المصدر الذي لا يمكن الاستغناء عنه للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Religions: Muslim 97.1% (official; predominantly Sunni), Christian 2.1% (majority Greek Orthodox, but some Greek and Roman Catholics, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, and Protestant denominations), Buddhist 0.4%, Hindu 0.1%, Jewish <0.1%, folk <0.1%, other <0.1%, unaffiliated <0.1% (2020 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 33.05% (male 1,837,696/female 1,738,935)

15-24 years: 19.77% (male 1,126,567/female 1,012,812)

25-54 years: 38.39% (male 2,250,328/female 1,903,996)

55-64 years: 5.11% (male 290,633/female 262,827)

65 years and over: 3.67% (male 194,464/female 202,386) (2020 est.)
Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio: 58.2

youth dependency ratio: 52

elderly dependency ratio: 6.3

potential support ratio: 16 (2020 est.)
Median age: total: 23.5 years

male: 23.9 years

female: 22.9 years (2020 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.81% (2022 est.)
Birth rate: 22.58 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Death rate: 3.45 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Net migration rate: -11.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Population distribution: population heavily concentrated in the west, and particularly the northwest, in and around the capital of Amman; a sizeable, but smaller population is located in the southwest along the shore of the Gulf of Aqaba
Urbanization: urban population: 91.8% of total population (2022)

rate of urbanization: 0.98% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population: 2.210 million AMMAN (capital) (2022)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.08 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 1.17 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 1.12 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female

total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2022 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth: 24.6 years (2017/18 est.)

note: median age at first birth among women 25-49
Maternal mortality ratio: 46 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 13.9 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 15.04 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 12.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2022 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 76.01 years

male: 74.51 years

female: 77.6 years (2022 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.96 children born/woman (2022 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate: 51.8% (2017/18)
Drinking water source: improved: urban: 99.2% of population

rural: 97.9% of population

total: 99.1% of population

unimproved: urban: 0.8% of population

rural: 2.1% of population

total: 0.9% of population (2020 est.)
Current Health Expenditure: 7.6% (2019)
Physicians density: 2.32 physicians/1,000 population (2017)
Hospital bed density: 1.5 beds/1,000 population (2017)
Sanitation facility access: improved: urban: 98.8% of population

rural: 97.8% of population

total: 98.7% of population

unimproved: urban: 1.2% of population

rural: 2.2% of population

total: 1.3% of population (2020 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: <.1% (2020 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: <1,000 (2020 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: <100 (2020 est.)
Major infectious diseases: note: widespread ongoing transmission of a respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is occurring throughout Jordan; as of 30 March 2022, Jordan has reported a total of 1,692,485 cases of COVID-19 or 16,587.89 cumulative cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 population with a total of 14,031 cumulative deaths or a rate of 137.51 cumulative deaths per 100,000 population; as of 29 March 2022, 45.91% of the population has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine
Obesity - adult prevalence rate: 35.5% (2016)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 3% (2012)
Child marriage: women married by age 15: 1.5% (2018)

women married by age 18: 9.7% (2018)

men married by age 18: 0.1% (2018 est.)
Education expenditures: 3% of GDP (2019)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 98.2%

male: 98.6%

female: 97.8% (2018)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): total: 11 years

male: 10 years

female: 11 years (2020)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24: total: 37.3%

male: 34.8%

female: 49.4% (2019 est.)

Topic: Environment
Environment - current issues: limited natural freshwater resources; declining water table; salinity; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; biodiversity and ecosystem damage/loss
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Air pollutants: particulate matter emissions: 32.09 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions: 25.11 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions: 6.04 megatons (2020 est.)
Climate: mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April)
Land use: agricultural land: 11.4% (2018 est.)

arable land: 2% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 1% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 8.4% (2018 est.)

forest: 1.1% (2018 est.)

other: 87.5% (2018 est.)
Urbanization: urban population: 91.8% of total population (2022)

rate of urbanization: 0.98% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Revenue from forest resources: forest revenues: 0.02% of GDP (2018 est.)
Revenue from coal: coal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)
Major infectious diseases: note: widespread ongoing transmission of a respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is occurring throughout Jordan; as of 30 March 2022, Jordan has reported a total of 1,692,485 cases of COVID-19 or 16,587.89 cumulative cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 population with a total of 14,031 cumulative deaths or a rate of 137.51 cumulative deaths per 100,000 population; as of 29 March 2022, 45.91% of the population has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine
Waste and recycling: municipal solid waste generated annually: 2,529,997 tons (2013 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually: 177,100 tons (2014 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 7% (2014 est.)
Major lakes (area sq km): Salt water lake(s): Dead Sea (shared with Israel and West Bank) - 1,020 sq km
note - endorheic hypersaline lake; 9.6 times saltier than the ocean; lake shore is 431 meters below sea level
Major watersheds (area sq km): Indian Ocean drainage: (Persian Gulf) Tigris and Euphrates (918,044 sq km)
Major aquifers: Arabian Aquifer System
Total water withdrawal: municipal: 456.9 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial: 32.5 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

agricultural: 554.7 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Total renewable water resources: 937 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Government
Country name: conventional long form: Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

conventional short form: Jordan

local long form: Al Mamlakah al Urduniyah al Hashimiyah

local short form: Al Urdun

former: Transjordan

etymology: named for the Jordan River, which makes up part of Jordan's northwest border
Government type: parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Capital: name: Amman

geographic coordinates: 31 57 N, 35 56 E

time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Friday in February; ends last Friday in October

etymology: in the 13th century B.C., the Ammonites named their main city "Rabbath Ammon"; "rabbath" designated "capital," so the name meant "The Capital of [the] Ammon[ites]"; over time, the "Rabbath" came to be dropped and the city became known simply as "Ammon" and then "Amman"
Administrative divisions: 12 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); 'Ajlun, Al 'Aqabah, Al Balqa', Al Karak, Al Mafraq, Al ‘Asimah (Amman), At Tafilah, Az Zarqa', Irbid, Jarash, Ma'an, Madaba
Independence: 25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)
National holiday: Independence Day, 25 May (1946)
Constitution: history: previous 1928 (preindependence); latest initially adopted 28 November 1947, revised and ratified 1 January 1952

amendments: constitutional amendments require at least a two-thirds majority vote of both the Senate and the House and ratification by the king; no amendment of the constitution affecting the rights of the king and the succession to the throne is permitted during the regency period; amended several times, last in 2016
Legal system: mixed system developed from codes instituted by the Ottoman Empire (based on French law), British common law, and Islamic law
International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICC jurisdiction
Citizenship: citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: the father must be a citizen of Jordan

dual citizenship recognized: yes

residency requirement for naturalization: 15 years
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: King ABDALLAH II (since 7 February 1999); Heir Apparent Crown Prince HUSSEIN (eldest son of the monarch, born on 28 June 1994)

head of government: Prime Minister Bisher AL-KHASAWNEH (since 7 October 2020)

cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch prime minister in consultation with the prime minister

elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch
Legislative branch: description: bicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-'Umma consists of:
Senate or the House of Notables or Majlis al-Ayan (65 seats; members appointed by the monarch to serve 4-year terms)
Chamber of Deputies or House of Representatives or Majlis al-Nuwaab (130 seats; 115 members directly elected in 23 multi-seat constituencies by open-list proportional representation vote and 15 seats for women; 12 of the 115 seats reserved for Christian, Chechen, and Circassian candidates; members serve 4-year terms)

elections:
Chamber of Deputies - last held on 10 November 2020 (next to be held in November 2024)

election results:
Chamber of Deputies - note - tribal, centrist, and pro-government candidates dominated in the 130-seat election; the Islamic Action Front, the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, garnered only 10 seats, down from 15 in the previous election; women, who are guaranteed 15 seats by Jordan’s legislative quota system, only won the requisite number, down from the 20 seats won in the previous election
Judicial branch: highest courts: Court of Cassation or Supreme Court (consists of 15 members, including the chief justice); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 members)

judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the king; other judges nominated by the Judicial Council, an 11-member judicial policymaking body consisting of high-level judicial officials and judges, and approved by the king; judge tenure generally not limited; Constitutional Court members appointed by the king for 6-year non-renewable terms with one-third of the membership renewed every 2 years

subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; Great Felonies Court; religious courts; military courts; juvenile courts; Land Settlement Courts; Income Tax Court; Higher Administrative Court; Customs Court; special courts including the State Security Court
Political parties and leaders: Jordan has 54 registered political parties, four of which currently have seats in the elected Chamber of Deputies including the Islamic Action Front, the Islamic Centrist Party, the United Jordanian Front Party, and the National Loyalty Party
International organization participation: ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, CD, CICA, EBRD, FAO, G-11, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, NATO (partner), OIC, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Dina Khalil Tawfiq KAWAR (since 27 June 2016)

chancery: 3504 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 966-2664

FAX: [1] (202) 966-3110

email address and website:
hkjconsular@jordanembassyus.org

http://www.jordanembassyus.org/
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Henry T. WOOSTER (since 8 October 2020)

embassy: Abdoun, Al-Umawyeen St., Amman

mailing address: 6050 Amman Place, Washington DC  20521-6050

telephone: [962] (6) 590-6000

FAX: [962] (6) 592-0163

email address and website:
Amman-ACS@state.gov

https://jo.usembassy.gov/
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), representing the Abbassid Caliphate, white, representing the Ummayyad Caliphate, and green, representing the Fatimid Caliphate; a red isosceles triangle on the hoist side, representing the Great Arab Revolt of 1916, and bearing a small white seven-pointed star symbolizing the seven verses of the opening Sura (Al-Fatiha) of the Holy Koran; the seven points on the star represent faith in One God, humanity, national spirit, humility, social justice, virtue, and aspirations; design is based on the Arab Revolt flag of World War I
National symbol(s): eagle; national colors: black, white, green, red
National anthem: name: "As-salam al-malaki al-urdoni" (Long Live the King of Jordan)

lyrics/music: Abdul-Mone'm al-RIFAI'/Abdul-Qader al-TANEER

note: adopted 1946; the shortened version of the anthem is used most commonly, while the full version is reserved for special occasions
National heritage: total World Heritage Sites: 6 (5 cultural, 1 mixed)

selected World Heritage Site locales: Petra (c), Quseir Amra (c), Um er-Rasas (Kastrom Mefa'a) (c), Wadi Rum Protected Area (m), Baptism Site “Bethany Beyond the Jordan” (Al-Maghtas) (c), As-Salt - The Place of Tolerance and Urban Hospitality (c)

Topic: Economy
Economic overview: Jordan's economy is among the smallest in the Middle East, with insufficient supplies of water, oil, and other natural resources, underlying the government's heavy reliance on foreign assistance. Other economic challenges for the government include chronic high rates of unemployment and underemployment, budget and current account deficits, and government debt.King ABDALLAH, during the first decade of the 2000s, implemented significant economic reforms, such as expanding foreign trade and privatizing state-owned companies that attracted foreign investment and contributed to average annual economic growth of 8% for 2004 through 2008. The global economic slowdown and regional turmoil contributed to slower growth from 2010 to 2017 - with growth averaging about 2.5% per year - and hurt export-oriented sectors, construction/real estate, and tourism. Since the onset of the civil war in Syria and resulting refugee crisis, one of Jordan’s most pressing socioeconomic challenges has been managing the influx of approximately 660,000 UN-registered refugees, more than 80% of whom live in Jordan’s urban areas. Jordan’s own official census estimated the refugee number at 1.3 million Syrians as of early 2016.Jordan is nearly completely dependent on imported energy—mostly natural gas—and energy consistently makes up 25-30% of Jordan’s imports. To diversify its energy mix, Jordan has secured several contracts for liquefied and pipeline natural gas, developed several major renewables projects, and is currently exploring nuclear power generation and exploitation of abundant oil shale reserves. In August 2016, Jordan and the IMF agreed to a $723 million Extended Fund Facility that aims to build on the three-year, $2.1 billion IMF program that ended in August 2015 with the goal of helping Jordan correct budgetary and balance of payments imbalances.Jordan's economy is among the smallest in the Middle East, with insufficient supplies of water, oil, and other natural resources, underlying the government's heavy reliance on foreign assistance. Other economic challenges for the government include chronic high rates of unemployment and underemployment, budget and current account deficits, and government debt.King ABDALLAH, during the first decade of the 2000s, implemented significant economic reforms, such as expanding foreign trade and privatizing state-owned companies that attracted foreign investment and contributed to average annual economic growth of 8% for 2004 through 2008. The global economic slowdown and regional turmoil contributed to slower growth from 2010 to 2017 - with growth averaging about 2.5% per year - and hurt export-oriented sectors, construction/real estate, and tourism. Since the onset of the civil war in Syria and resulting refugee crisis, one of Jordan’s most pressing socioeconomic challenges has been managing the influx of approximately 660,000 UN-registered refugees, more than 80% of whom live in Jordan’s urban areas. Jordan’s own official census estimated the refugee number at 1.3 million Syrians as of early 2016.Jordan is nearly completely dependent on imported energy—mostly natural gas—and energy consistently makes up 25-30% of Jordan’s imports. To diversify its energy mix, Jordan has secured several contracts for liquefied and pipeline natural gas, developed several major renewables projects, and is currently exploring nuclear power generation and exploitation of abundant oil shale reserves. In August 2016, Jordan and the IMF agreed to a $723 million Extended Fund Facility that aims to build on the three-year, $2.1 billion IMF program that ended in August 2015 with the goal of helping Jordan correct budgetary and balance of payments imbalances.
Real GDP (purchasing power parity): $100.16 billion (2020 est.)

$101.74 billion (2019 est.)

$99.79 billion (2018 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars
Real GDP growth rate: 2% (2019 est.)

1.94% (2018 est.)

2.12% (2017 est.)
Real GDP per capita: $9,800 (2020 est.)

$10,100 (2019 est.)

$10,000 (2018 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars
GDP (official exchange rate): $44.568 billion (2019 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.3% (2019 est.)

4.4% (2018 est.)

3.3% (2017 est.)
Credit ratings: Fitch rating: BB- (2019)

Moody's rating: B1 (2013)

Standard & Poors rating: B+ (2017)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture: 4.5% (2017 est.)

industry: 28.8% (2017 est.)

services: 66.6% (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption: 80.5% (2017 est.)

government consumption: 19.8% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 22.8% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories: 0.7% (2017 est.)

exports of goods and services: 34.2% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services: -58% (2017 est.)
Agricultural products: tomatoes, poultry, olives, milk, potatoes, cucumbers, vegetables, watermelons, green chillies/peppers, peaches/nectarines
Industries: tourism, information technology, clothing, fertilizer, potash, phosphate mining, pharmaceuticals, petroleum refining, cement, inorganic chemicals, light manufacturing
Industrial production growth rate: 1.4% (2017 est.)
Labor force: 731,000 (2020 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 2%

industry: 20%

services: 78% (2013 est.)
Unemployment rate: 19.1% (2019 est.)

18.61% (2018 est.)

note: official rate; unofficial rate is approximately 30%
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24: total: 37.3%

male: 34.8%

female: 49.4% (2019 est.)
Population below poverty line: 15.7% (2018 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: 33.7 (2010 est.)

36.4 (1997)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.4%

highest 10%: 28.7% (2010 est.)
Budget: revenues: 9.462 billion (2017 est.)

expenditures: 11.51 billion (2017 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-): -5.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Public debt: 95.9% of GDP (2017 est.)

95.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

note: data cover central government debt and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data exclude debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions
Taxes and other revenues: 23.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Current account balance: -$1.222 billion (2019 est.)

-$2.964 billion (2018 est.)
Exports: $16.29 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

$15.09 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)
Exports - partners: United States 21%, Saudi Arabia 13%, India 8%, Iraq 7%, United Arab Emirates 5%, China 5% (2019)
Exports - commodities: fertilizers, calcium phosphates, packaged medicines, clothing and apparel, phosphoric acid (2019)
Imports: $22.04 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

$22.92 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)
Imports - partners: China 17%, Saudi Arabia 15%, United States 6%, United Arab Emirates 6%, Egypt 5%, India 5% (2019)
Imports - commodities: cars, refined petroleum, natural gas, crude petroleum, clothing and apparel (2019)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $15.56 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$15.54 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Debt - external: $32.088 billion (2019 est.)

$29.916 billion (2018 est.)
Exchange rates: Jordanian dinars (JOD) per US dollar -

0.709 (2020 est.)

0.709 (2019 est.)

0.70925 (2018 est.)

0.71 (2014 est.)

0.71 (2013 est.)

Topic: Energy
Electricity access: electrification - total population: 100% (2020)
Electricity - production: 18.6 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - consumption: 16.82 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - exports: 50 million kWh (2015 est.)
Electricity - imports: 334 million kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - installed generating capacity: 4.764 million kW (2016 est.)
Electricity - from fossil fuels: 87% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Electricity - from nuclear fuels: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Electricity - from other renewable sources: 12% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Crude oil - production: 22 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil - exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil - imports: 67,980 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil - proved reserves: 1 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Refined petroleum products - production: 67,240 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Refined petroleum products - consumption: 139,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Refined petroleum products - exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Refined petroleum products - imports: 68,460 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Natural gas - production: 121.8 million cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: 5.238 billion cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - exports: 1.359 billion cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - imports: 6.456 billion cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves: 6.031 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)

Topic: Communications
Telephones - fixed lines: total subscriptions: 391,486 (2020)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3.84 (2020 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular: total subscriptions: 6,987,891 (2020)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 68.49 (2020 est.)
Telecommunication systems: general assessment: Jordan is host to a growing number of ICT companies and has emerged as a technology start-up hub for the Middle East; recently focused on telecom solutions to pandemic issues such as e-health and education; progress in the digital financial services; economic goals rely on digital economy, developed mobile sector, and extensive LTE infrastructure; preparation for 5G and e-commerce; importer of broadcasting equipment from Vietnam and China (2020)

domestic: 1995 a telecommunications law opened all non-fixed-line services to private competition; in 2005, the monopoly over fixed-line services terminated and the entire telecommunications sector was opened to competition; currently fixed-line stands at nearly 4 per 100 persons and multiple mobile-cellular providers with subscribership over 68 per 100 persons (2020)

international: country code - 962; landing point for the FEA and Taba-Aqaba submarine cable networks providing connectivity to Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Asia; satellite earth stations - 33 (3 Intelsat, 1 Arabsat, and 29 land and maritime Inmarsat terminals (2019)

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments
Broadcast media: radio and TV dominated by the government-owned Jordan Radio and Television Corporation (JRTV) that operates a main network, a sports network, a film network, and a satellite channel; first independent TV broadcaster aired in 2007; international satellite TV and Israeli and Syrian TV broadcasts are available; roughly 30 radio stations with JRTV operating the main government-owned station; transmissions of multiple international radio broadcasters are available
Internet country code: .jo
Internet users: total: 6.84 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 66.79% (2019 est.)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions: total: 625,657 (2020)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 6.13 (2020 est.)

Topic: Transportation
National air transport system: number of registered air carriers: 4 (2020)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 54

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 3,383,805 (2018)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 175.84 million mt-km (2018)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: JY
Airports: total: 18 (2021)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 16

over 3,047 m: 8

2,438 to 3,047 m: 5

1,524 to 2,437 m: 2

914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2021)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 2

under 914 m: 2 (2021)
Heliports: 1 (2012)
Pipelines: 473 km gas, 49 km oil (2013)
Railways: total: 1,596 km (2020)

narrow gauge: 509 km 1.050-m gauge (2014)
Roadways: total: 7,203 km (2011)

paved: 7,203 km (2011)
Merchant marine: total: 35

by type: general cargo 6, oil tanker 1, other 28 (2021)
Ports and terminals: major seaport(s): Al 'Aqabah

Topic: Military and Security
Military and security forces: Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF): Royal Jordanian Army (includes Special Operations Forces, Border Guards, Royal Guard), Royal Jordanian Air Force, Royal Jordanian Coast Guard; Ministry of Interior: Public Security Directorate (includes national police, the Gendarmerie, and the Civil Defense Directorate) (2021)
Military expenditures: 5% of GDP (2020 est.)

5.6% of GDP (approximately $5.18 billion) (2019 est.)

5.6% of GDP (approximately $5.14 billion) (2018 est.)

5.7% of GDP (approximately $5.18 billion) (2017 est.)

5.5% of GDP (approximately $4.91 billion) (2016 est.)
Military and security service personnel strengths: approximately 90,000 active JAF personnel (77,000 Army; 500 Navy; 12,500 Air Force); approximately 15,000 Gendarmerie Forces (2021)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions: the JAF inventory is comprised of a wide mix of imported equipment from Europe, some Gulf States, Russia, and the US; since 2010, the Netherlands and the US are the leading suppliers (2021)
Military service age and obligation: 17 years of age for voluntary male military service (women can volunteer to serve in noncombat military positions in the Royal Jordanian Arab Army Women's Corps and RJAF); initial service term 2 years, with option to reenlist for 18 years; conscription abolished in 1991; however, in 2020, Jordan announced the reinstatement of compulsory military service for jobless men aged between 25 and 29 with 12 months of service, made up of 3 months of military training and 9 months of professional and technical training; in 2019, announced a voluntary 4-month National Military Service program for men and women aged between 18-25 years who have been unemployed for at least 6 months; service would include 1 month for military training with the remaining 3 months dedicated to vocational training in the sectors of construction and tourism (2021)

note - most women serve in the medical service; outside the medical service, women comprised about 1.5% of the military as of 2019; the Jordanian Government intended to raise this to 3%
Military deployments: 325 Mali (MINUSMA) (Oct 2021)
Military - note: the Jordanian military traces its origins back to the Arab Legion, which was formed under the British protectorate of Transjordan in the 1920s due largely to its proximity to regional conflicts in Iraq and Syria, the presence of major terrorist organizations in both of those countries, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the highest priorities of Jordan’s military and security services in 2021 included securing its borders and the potential for domestic terrorist attacks; the terrorist group Hizballah and Iranian-backed militia forces were operating in southwestern Syria near Jordan’s border while fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) terrorist group continued operating in both Iraq and Syria; ISIS fighters included Jordanian nationals, some of whom have returned to Jordan; meanwhile, individuals and groups sympathetic to Palestine have planned and conducted terrorist attacks in Jordan Jordan has Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status with the US; MNNA is a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation; while MNNA status provides military and economic privileges, it does not entail any security commitments

Jordan signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994the Jordanian military traces its origins back to the Arab Legion, which was formed under the British protectorate of Transjordan in the 1920sdue largely to its proximity to regional conflicts in Iraq and Syria, the presence of major terrorist organizations in both of those countries, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the highest priorities of Jordan’s military and security services in 2021 included securing its borders and the potential for domestic terrorist attacks; the terrorist group Hizballah and Iranian-backed militia forces were operating in southwestern Syria near Jordan’s border while fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) terrorist group continued operating in both Iraq and Syria; ISIS fighters included Jordanian nationals, some of whom have returned to Jordan; meanwhile, individuals and groups sympathetic to Palestine have planned and conducted terrorist attacks in JordanJordan has Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status with the US; MNNA is a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation; while MNNA status provides military and economic privileges, it does not entail any security commitments

Jordan signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994

Topic: Terrorism
Terrorist group(s): Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)

Topic: Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: 2004 Agreement settles border dispute with Syria pending demarcation2004 Agreement settles border dispute with Syria pending demarcation
Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees (country of origin): 2,307,011 (Palestinian refugees) (2020); 674,268 (Syria), 66,665 (Iraq), 12,866 (Yemen), 6,013 Sudan (2021)

stateless persons: 63 (mid-year 2021)
Trafficking in persons: current situation: human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Jordan and Jordanians abroad; victims are primarily from South and Southeast Asia, East Africa, Egypt, and Syria; foreign migrants, many undocumented, working in construction, agriculture, textiles, and domestic work are the most vulnerable to trafficking because of informal work agreements and frequently changing employers; forced labor victims experience withheld or unpaid wages, confiscation of identity documents, restricted freedom of movement, unsafe living conditions, long hours without rest, isolation, and verbal and physical abuse; child labor and potential forced child labor increased; traffickers exploit Lebanese, North African, and Eastern European women who have migrated to Jordan to work in restaurants and nightclubs are subject to sex trafficking

tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List — Jordan does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so; the government increased the training of law enforcement personnel and victim advocates, maintained a trafficking shelter offering a wide range of services, partnered with civil society actors to proactively identify and protect trafficking victims, and conducted anti-trafficking awareness campaigns; the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts as fewer traffickers were investigated, prosecuted, and convicted; fewer victims were identified and assisted, and victims were still arrested, detained, and deported for unlawful acts traffickers compelled them to commit; under Jordan’s anti-trafficking law, penalties for sex trafficking offenses were not commensurate with penalties for other serious crimes (2020)human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Jordan and Jordanians abroad; victims are primarily from South and Southeast Asia, East Africa, Egypt, and Syria; foreign migrants, many undocumented, working in construction, agriculture, textiles, and domestic work are the most vulnerable to trafficking because of informal work agreements and frequently changing employers; forced labor victims experience withheld or unpaid wages, confiscation of identity documents, restricted freedom of movement, unsafe living conditions, long hours without rest, isolation, and verbal and physical abuse; child labor and potential forced child labor increased; traffickers exploit Lebanese, North African, and Eastern European women who have migrated to Jordan to work in restaurants and nightclubs are subject to sex trafficking
Illicit drugs: primarily a transshipment country for amphetamine tablets originating in Lebanon and Syria and destined for Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Gulf countries; the government is increasingly concerned about domestic consumption of illicit drugs