The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan faces a complex and interconnected group of challenges amid its social and economic transformations, placing Jordanian families and population issues at the core of the national debate. With increasing demographic pressures, worsening economic difficulties, and changes in family structure and roles, a fundamental question arises about the sufficiency of the current institutional framework to address these issues.
This article seeks to provide a deep analysis of this issue, examining the different dimensions of population and family challenges in Jordan, assessing the effectiveness of the existing institutional framework, and drawing from international experiences, to ultimately present a set of recommendations for a move towards a more integrated and effective institutional work.
** Urgent Context: Jordan's Intersecting Challenges
The call to establish a Ministry of Family and Population cannot be understood apart from the field reality in which the Kingdom lives. Jordan stands today at a crossroads defined by three main dimensions of intertwined challenges.
A. Demographic and Population Challenges
Jordan experiences a unique demographic reality. According to the demographic status paper issued by the Higher Population Council for 2024, the population size doubled over the last two decades to approximately 12 million by the end of 2025, with expectations of continued growth. This rapid growth, exacerbated by successive waves of refugees, puts tremendous pressure on infrastructure and basic services such as education, health, and water.
A prominent feature of this reality is the "youthfulness" of the society, with the age group under 18 years constituting about 40% of the total population. While this youthfulness represents a demographic opportunity, it turns into a major challenge in the face of limited resources and difficulties in providing decent job opportunities, leading to a 21.4% unemployment rate in 2024, reaching 32.9% among females.
B. Challenges Faced by Jordanian Families
The family, historically the first line of defense for society, today faces unprecedented economic pressures, with a significant number of families suffering from the impact of poverty, which has increased from 15.7% to 24% over the past decade. This difficult economic situation not only affects the family's ability to meet its basic needs but is also directly linked to increased internal tensions and domestic violence.
Socially, the Jordanian family undergoes structural transformations, most notably the shift from extended family patterns to nuclear families, without adequate preparation for those about to marry to deal with new responsibilities. Official statistics show worrying indicators, such as a 15.2% drop in marriage contracts in 2022, a raw divorce rate that reached 28.6% in 2024, and that 18.4% of Jordanian families are headed by women, placing them under increased economic and social burdens. The Jordanian society also witnesses clear transformations in marriage patterns, role expectations between spouses, and intergenerational relationships. At the same time, traditional support networks (extended family, neighbors, community ties), especially in cities, are weakening.
In recent years, Jordanian families have faced a build-up of economic pressures: high cost of living, housing costs, education, and health, alongside the limited economic opportunities for broad segments of youth. These pressures not only remain outside the home; they seep into family relationships, weakening the parents' ability to provide psychological and educational support, and increasing tension and conflicts.
The family, which has historically been a space of safety and mutual support, has become for many a space of "ongoing crisis management", which directly reflects on children and adolescents.
With the digital world entering every room and every hand, many families feel helpless in the face of issues like screen addiction, cyberbullying, unsuitable content, and declining communication skills. Without institutional support for parents, these challenges turn into long-term developmental risks. There are also challenges related to the increasing cases of tobacco and sometimes drug addiction without adequate familial tools to manage these phenomena.
C. Governance Challenges
The distribution of responsibilities among multiple ministries (such as Health, Social Development, and Education and Training) in the absence of a comprehensive national strategy leads to weak governance regarding the desired outcomes for family and population issues, as each institution functions according to its separate tasks and budget. This administrative fragmentation creates conflicting priorities; while one entity may focus on direct caregiving aspects, another might overlook the developmental or long-term demographic sides. As a result, resources are wasted in repeated efforts or in covering gaps resulting from "grey areas" that are not clearly under any ministry's jurisdiction, weakening the state's efficiency in responding to the changing needs of the family and society.
The lack of cross-ministerial executive tools and high-level coordination powers makes population policies mere theoretical texts lacking accountability mechanisms. In this context, it is difficult to measure the real impact of programs aimed at the family, as there is no unified database or national performance indicators committed by all entities. This regulatory void leads to a decline in the ability to anticipate social crises before they occur and makes government interventions reactive rather than proactive and sustainable, depriving the state of exploiting the "demographic opportunity" and transforming it into a driving force for economic and social development.
** The Current Institutional Framework
To confront these challenges, Jordan relies on two main institutions: the National Council for Family Affairs and the Higher Population Council. Despite the efforts made by these institutions, their legal nature and structure limit their ability to bring about radical and sustainable change.
A thorough analysis of the councils' operations reveals a clear "governance gap". Both lack the executive powers necessary to translate policies and strategies into concrete work programs on the ground. Their roles are limited to recommending and coordinating, which are important yet insufficient in facing challenges of this magnitude in Jordan. Neither council can compel the Ministry of Health to expand reproductive health services, the Ministry of Education and Training to integrate population education concepts into curricula, or the Ministry of Labor to adopt family-friendly policies. This gap between "policy making" and "implementation" is at the heart of the problem.
It should be emphasized that Jordan possesses significant institutional experience in family and population issues, but the challenge often lies in the dispersal of responsibilities. When family issues are distributed among multiple ministries and entities without clear executive leadership, the results become slow and fragmented.
** Lessons from Abroad: The Ministerial Model
International experiences provide inspiring models for how to deal with family and population issues at a high governmental level. Many countries, both developed and developing, have realized that these strategic issues require a specialized ministry with executive authority and sufficient budget.
- United Arab Emirates:
Recently established a "Ministry of Family" in December 2024, with the aim of empowering families and providing direct services such as pre-marriage training and support for new families (newlyweds) and programs supporting people with disabilities, reflecting a qualitative leap from care to empowerment.
- Tunisia and Morocco:
Both have integrated ministries (Ministry of Family, Women, Childhood, and Seniors in Tunisia, and Ministry of Solidarity, Social Integration, and Family in Morocco) that encompass all societal groups and implement comprehensive national programs.
- Germany and France:
Considered among the most successful models globally, France spends approximately 3.6% of its Gross Domestic Product on family policies, which has helped maintain stable fertility rates. Meanwhile, the German ministry focuses on policies that balance work and family life in partnership with the private sector.
The common denominator among these successful experiences is having a single executive government entity, with a seat at the cabinet table, capable of unifying visions, allocating resources, and holding all entities accountable for implementing the national strategy for family and population.
** Royal Attention to the Jordanian Family
The family has always been a core element in His Majesty King Abdullah II's thoughts, serving as the foundational block from which Jordanian society launches toward development and modernity. In His Majesty's speeches, the family not only appears as a social entity but as the first school for instilling national values and ethics. The royal narrative provides a "comprehensive narrative" that perceives Jordanians as one family, linking cohesion with protection and dignity:
His Majesty has consistently emphasized in the discussion papers he writes and publishes that the values built within the small family unit (such as respect, cooperation, and selflessness) are the same that should govern citizens' relationships with each other. The family is the first place where a child learns the meaning of patriotism and pride in Jordanian identity. His Majesty has called on families to support their children's ambitions and inspire them toward creativity and leadership, considering that "investment in people" begins at home.
Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah is among the most prominent advocates for family and child rights, not only in Jordan but on a global scale. In her speeches, Her Majesty does not merely discuss the family as a social entity but as the "first school" where values of tolerance, responsibility, and belonging are built. Her Majesty Queen Rania has always emphasized that a nation's strength starts with a strong family. In her vision, the family is not just individuals living together, but the institution that plants the first seeds of national identity. She sees strong family ties as what protects children from deviance or the influence of extremist ideologies, with home dialogue being fundamental.
In a personal context, Her Majesty said: "My husband and my family are my motivation to achieve, and my children carry memories of the past and hope for the future," emphasizing the importance of family in a person's life. Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah also highlighted that faith, family, public work, and community service constitute the most important aspects of her life, pointing out the importance of family in human life.
These quotations are not merely symbolic; they serve as the foundation for a social/political contract that makes the "family" the focal point for protection and human development policies.
** Rationale and Recommendations: Towards a Ministry of Family and Population
Based on the previous analysis, the question is no longer "whether" Jordan needs a Ministry of Family and Population, but "how" such a ministry can be designed to be effective and responsive to challenges. The existence of the current councils does not negate the need for a ministry; on the contrary, they can be considered an excellent technical and research core upon which to build the missing executive arm.
** Reasons for Establishing the Ministry of Family and Population
Establishing a specialized ministry can be supported by multiple reasons, drawn from the Jordanian reality and other Arab experiences. Here are the main ones:
1. Addressing Demographic Pressures: Jordan suffers from rapid population growth (an annual rate of 2.2%), with an unbalanced distribution where 92% of the population resides in the central and northern regions, increasing pressure on resources and services. The ministry can focus on family planning programs to reduce fertility disparities between the poor and the wealthy, and improve access to reproductive health.
2. Enhancing Social and Family Protection: With more than 2.4 million families in Jordan, and rising rates of domestic violence and divorce, the state needs an apparatus that supports family cohesion. The ministry can provide programs to combat poverty, empower women, and support the elderly and children, as seen in other experiences where this led to reduced family-related crimes.
3. Supporting Economic and Social Development: Jordan needs economic growth equal to three times the population growth to provide job opportunities, especially with the high unemployment rate among youth (20% of the population between 15-24 years). The ministry can integrate population policies with development, such as family education and support for home-based women's projects.
4. Drawing on Arab Experiences: Countries like the UAE established a Ministry of Family to strengthen family ties and support stability, while in Egypt, the National Population Council focuses on family planning and reducing birth rates. In Syria, the Syrian Authority for Family and Population Affairs manages similar programs, proving the effectiveness of such structures in addressing shared challenges.
5. Responding to Royal Directives: The Jordanian Constitution emphasizes protecting the family as the foundation of society, and supporting childhood and old age. Establishing the ministry can reinforce these principles, especially with government programs like the Executive Program for 2026-2029 targeting 249,000 families with cash support.
6. Bridging the Governance Gap: Moving from recommendations to execution, and from coordination to enforcement.
7. Unifying the Vision and Efforts: Integrating population and family issues under one umbrella ensures integration and prevents duplication of work and resource dispersion among different ministries.
8. Executive Authority and Budget: Having the capability to enact and implement major national programs, allocating necessary resources, and effectively representing in the cabinet.
9. Achieving Accountability: Having one entity responsible before the Prime Minister and Parliament for achieving national goals related to family and population.
** Expected Framework for the Proposed Ministry:
- Vision: A secure, empowered, and productive Jordanian family in a thriving and sustainable society.
- Structure: The ministry can encompass specialized directorates such as: Directorate of Population Policies and Planning, Directorate of Economic Empowerment for Families, Directorate of Guidance and Family Cohesion, Directorate of Family and Child Protection, and Directorate of Senior Affairs.
- Strategic Role of the Ministry of Family and Population: The ministry is responsible for implementing the national population strategy and the national family strategy, ensuring unified national efforts to address population challenges and promote stability within the Jordanian family within a comprehensive developmental framework.
- Social Protection and Financial Support: The ministry takes on managing direct financial support programs for families, such as restructuring the National Aid Fund, to enhance social safety nets and ensure support reaches the neediest segments.
- Enhancing Family Counseling and Capacity Building: The ministry's tasks include supervising family counseling centers and expanding their scope, alongside developing and implementing pre-marriage training programs, parenting skills development, family mental health support, and mediation and protection services.
- Family and Workplace Environment and Childcare: The ministry works on coordinating with the private sector to encourage family-friendly work environments, as well as overseeing daycare centers and early childhood care services to ensure quality, protection, and healthy growth for children.
- Population Policies and Social Development: The ministry's work framework includes developing strategies for population growth regulation and reproductive health awareness and population distribution, in addition to integrating individuals into the economy through support for home-based projects, reducing unemployment, and improving education and health opportunities.
- Institutional Coordination and Evidence-Based Monitoring: The ministry undertakes establishing a unified national family registry, enhancing coordination with national and international entities, including cooperation with the United Nations, alongside developing a national family/population observatory linking indicators of violence, school dropout, early marriage, fertility, youth unemployment, and multidimensional poverty.
- Sustainable Financing and Implementation: Implementation is based on allocating clear budgets for support programs and social services, including cash support programs currently covering about 857,000 individuals, with enhanced partnerships with civil society organizations to ensure efficiency and sustainability.
