In a nutshell:
- Shocks are widespread in Jordan, with Syrian households facing dramatically higher exposure. One-third of Jordanian households reportedly experienced at least one shock in the last 12 months, compared to 55% of Syrian households. Camp-based Syrian refugees experience the highest vulnerability with 60% experiencing shocks.
- Nationality emerges as the strongest predictor of vulnerability, with Syrian households 20 percentage points more likely to experience shocks even after controlling for employment, education, and demographic factors.
- Shocks are accompanied by high levels of food insecurity: 12% of Jordanian households experienced some form of food insecurity in 2025. The figure is tripled for Syrian households (37%) and rises to 48% for camp-based Syrians.
- When confronted with shocks, households across Jordan predominantly employ negative coping strategies—eating less, cutting health and education spending, and relying on informal borrowing—likely reflecting constrained access to savings, credit, and employment opportunities.
- Assistance systems are highly segmented by nationality: 88% of camp-based Syrian households receive support almost entirely from UN agencies, while 28% of Jordanian households receive assistance primarily from government programs. Less than 1% of Syrian households receive assistance from the government. Clear socioeconomic disparities remain between Jordanian and Syrian households, in terms of their distribution across wealth quintiles, employment rates, and education levels.
Speakers
Beyza Gulmezoglu
PhD Economics Candidate, Department of Economics, London...
Speakers
Sarah Winton
PhD Candidate in Economics, London School of...