Policy Briefs
Syrian Refugees in Jordan: Progress on Education and Employment, Deteriorating Health
No.
PB 162
Publisher
ERF
Date
June, 2026
In a nutshell
- Syrian refugee children in Jordan experienced improvements in school enrollment rates from 2016 to 2025, supported by policies allowing them to enroll in the public school system without fees for basic and secondary education.
- Employment rates for Syrians increased from 19 percent in 2016 to 28 percent in 2025. Over the same time period, unemployment rates increased from 23 percent to 39 percent of the labor force.
- The increased scope of work permits may have supported Syrian refugees’ economic integration. However, more than half of the employed still lack work permits due to a variety of barriers, both on the employer side and in terms of costs and benefits of permits.
- Syrian refugees have worse health than Jordanians and deteriorating health over time. They are increasingly reliant on charitable care for health services in 2025 compared to 2016, likely due to changes in the prices they face for care in public facilities.
Authors
Caroline Krafft
Associate Professor, Humphrey School of Public Affairs,...
Speakers
Abdulrazzak Tamim
PhD Candidate, Economics, UC Berkeley