Zarqa: population, jobs, health and schools
Zarqa is a governorate of Jordan, number 3 of 12 by population. The Department of Statistics estimated the population of Zarqa Governorate at 1,704,500 at the end of 2025, 3rd highest of 12 governorates and 14.3% of the Kingdom's 11,937,000 people.
In depth
- Economy, jobs and prices in Zarqa: In 2025 the unemployment rate among Jordanian women aged 15 and over in Zarqa was 35.9%, 3rd highest of 12 governorates (Kingdom: 33.2%). The rate is the share of women in the labour force who are looking for work.
- Health in Zarqa: Zarqa had 72.7 hospital beds per 100,000 people in 2025, 2nd lowest of 12 governorates (Kingdom: 137.1).
- Education in Zarqa: 6.1% of Jordanian women aged 15 and over in Zarqa could not read and write in 2025, 3rd lowest of 12 governorates (Kingdom: 6.9%).
How many men and women live in Zarqa?
Of those, 901,800 are male (52.9%) and 802,700 are female (47.1%); across the Kingdom 52.9% are male.
Source: Department of Statistics, Jordan · saved copyHow many people in Zarqa live in rural areas?
96.4% of people in Zarqa (1,642,500) live in urban areas, meaning localities of 5,000 or more people as defined in the 2015 census, and 62,000 live in rural areas.
Source: Department of Statistics, Jordan · saved copyHow governorates are governed in Jordan
Governorates (12). Governor appointed by the government (Ministry of Interior); governorate council at least 60% directly elected, with mayors and appointed members making up the rest. Governor runs security and state services; the council reviews development plans and budgets.
Every tier of government in Jordan
Other governorates of Jordan
- Amman 5,004,600
- Irbid 2,210,500
- Mafraq 686,800
- Balqa 614,000
- Karak 395,400
- Jarash 296,000
- Aqaba 250,900
- Madaba 236,200
- Ajlun 219,900
- Ma'an 197,900
- Tafilah 120,300
Up a level: Jordan · government and power in Jordan · cities
Sources
- Department of Statistics, Jordan: Indicators of health by governorate, 2008-2025: hospital beds, medical facilities and mother and child health centres per 100,000 people, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 80dff5cada4b…)
- Department of Statistics, Jordan: Education indicators by governorate, 2009-2025: illiteracy rate and sex split of students by stage, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 aed8181e7756…)
- Department of Statistics, Jordan: Life expectancy at birth by governorate and sex, 2007-2023, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 684760b3cf46…)
- Department of Statistics, Jordan: Indicators of economy by governorate, 2008-2025 (Labour Force Survey): economic activity and unemployment rates of Jordanians aged 15+, by sex, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 582676f2bf9b…)
- Department of Statistics, Jordan: Estimated population of the Kingdom by governorate, sex, and urban and rural, at the end of 2025 (Tables 2.2 and 2.3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0917681306aa…)
- Department of Statistics, Jordan: Under-five mortality rate by governorate, 2007-2023 (Jordan Population and Family Health Survey), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 25da2979930a…)
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