This paper investigates living and housing conditions in Jordan, comparing in-camp and out-of-camp refugees with Jordanians. The analysis is based on data from the Jordan Labor Market Panel Surveys (JLMPS) of 2010 and 2016. The author finds:
- Living and housing conditions for Jordanian households (both established and newly-formed) improved between 2010 and 2016. The share of home ownership and the share of households living in private houses, relative to flats, increased between 2010 and 2016.
- 91 percent of refugees live outside of camps, and only 9 percent live in refugee camps. Housing conditions for out-of-camp refugees are quite similar to that of locals and other foreigners, however in-camp refugees suffer from much worse conditions manifested in smaller living areas, worse access to public facilities, and less ownership of durable assets. The average living area per person is 38 square meters for non-refugee, 36 square meters for out-of-camp refugees, but only 11 square meters for in-camp refugees.
- Refugees’ heads of household, on average, have low levels of education, with more that 50 percent reporting less than basic education level.