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Jordan
Women in decision-making positions
25%
Members of local deliberative bodies are women (333 elected women)
No woman is Head of Government
20%
Parliamentarians are women
15%
Ministers are women

Government organization

Spheres of government

Jordan is a unitary monarchy with two spheres of government: central and local.

One tier of central government and two or three tiers of local government: governorates, Municipalities (including the greater Amman municipality) and localities.

  • Head of Government: The Prime Minister is appointed by the King.
  • Legislative body: The National Assembly is a bicameral legislature, with an upper house (the Senate), and a lower house (the Chamber of Deputies). Members of the Senate are appointed by the King. Members of the Chamber of Deputies are directly elected by voters.
  • Executive body: The Council of Ministers consists of the Prime Minister and ministers appointed by the King, on the recommendation of the Prime Minister.

  • Organization: Local government is organized into two tiers. There is an upper tier of governorate-level local government units and a lower tier of 100 municipalities (including the Greater Amman Municipality).
  • Competencies: Local government possesses administrative autonomy. It is responsible for hiring and appointing staff, and approving the annual budget.
  • Ministerial oversight: Ministry of Local Administration

Overview of local government

Local government composition

Deliberative body: The governorate council is composed of directly, indirectly and appointed members. Directly elected members cannot account for less than 60% of all members. Indirectly elected members are the mayors of the municipalities within the Governorate. Appointed members include the Deputy Mayor of Amman (in the Capital Governorate Council); one of the commissioners of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (in the Aqaba Governorate Council); one of the commissioners of the Petra Tourism Development Region Authority (in the Ma'an Governorate Council); a member of the Chamber of Commerce's board of directors; a member of the Chamber of Industry's board of directors; a member of the Farmers Union branch; a member of the Board of Directors of the Voluntary Foundation for the Reconstruction of the Governorate Center and, potentially, two other members. These members are appointed by the Prime Minister on the recommendation of the Minister of Local Administration. A council president is elected by and from the governorate council to preside over it; the council president is not vested with executive powers.

Executive body: The executive council is composed of governor, a deputy governor, and other administrators appointed by the central government.

Deliberative body: The Greater Amman Municipality Council consists of elected and additional members appointed by the Primem Minister (33% of total council membership). The Secretary of Greater Amman Municipality is appointed to preside over the Greater Amman Municipality Council and is also vested with executive powers.

Executive body: The Secretary of Greater Amman Municipality, assisted by a Deputy Secretary, is appointed by the Council of Ministers from amongst the members of the Greater Amman Municipality Council.

Deliberative body: municipal councils consist of a mayor and elected members. A mayor is elected to preside over the municipal council; the mayor is also vested with executive powers.

Executive body: The mayor, assisyed by a deputy, is the executive at the municipal level of government.

Local government elections

Electoral system for local deliberative bodies: Majority/plurality (block vote).

  • For the governorate council, the voter has two votes if the electoral district has more than one seat. The winner in the election is the candidate who has received the highest number of votes in their electoral district. If there is a tie between two or more candidates, then the head of the elections committee shall draw lots between them.
  • For municipal councils, these elections shall take place at the same time in one polling process using two separate ballot papers. The voter shall have a number of votes equal to the number of members in their constituency. If the Municipality is not divided into constituencies, the voter shall have a number of votes equal to the number of members of the Municipal Council.

Electoral system mayors: Mayors are directly elected by voters.

Sources: Decentralization Law, 2021, articles 37 and 41

Gender quotas: reserved seats

  • At least 25% of the elected members must be women. These seats will be distributed to the unsuccessful women candidates with the most votes. If there are not enough women candidates, then women are appointed by the Minister from among the female candidates registered in the voters lists for the provincial council.

Additional quotas: No

Sources: Decentralization Law, 2021, articles 3C1, 3C2, 13D1 and 13D2; Amman Municipality Law, 2021, article 4B

  • Term length: 4 years
  • Last local elections: 2022
  • Next local elections: 2026

Independent Election Commission

National legal framework on local government

  • Constitution of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, 1952 (amended through 2016);
  • Decentralization Law, 2021;
  • Amman Municipality Law, 2021;
  • Petra Region Tourism Development Authority Act, 2009; 
  • Aqaba Economic Zone Law, 2000.

There are constitutional provisions that establish local government in Jordan. According to Articles 120 and 121 of the Constitution of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan of 1952 (amended through 2016), “the administrative divisions of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the establishment of the Government Departments, their classification, designations, the plan of operations and the manner of the appointment of civil servants, their dismissal, their discipline, supervision and the limits of their competence and powers shall be determined by regulations issued by the Council of Ministers with the approval of the King. Municipal and local councils’ affairs shall be administered by municipal or local councils in accordance with special laws.”

The National Assembly is responsible for establishing the national legal framework on local government. The key pieces of legislation that regulate local government are the Decentralization Law of 2021 and the Municipalities Law of 2015. According to Article 3 of the Decentralization Law, “A council shall be formed in each governorate called (the governorate council) that enjoys legal personality and financial and administrative independence and is composed of the following members within the governorate.”

Sources:

1. UN Women: Data on share of women in local government as of 1 January 2025.

2. UN Women: Information on Head of State and Government as of 1 December 2025.

3. Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU): Data on share of women in the single/lower chamber of parliament as of 1 January 2025.

4. UN Women: Data on share of women Cabinet ministers as of 1 January 2025.

5. Information on local government organization as of 1 January 2023.