What is the Rarest Personality Type?

Of all the 16 possible personality types, you might be curious to know which is least common and where your type ranks. Here’s everything you need to know about the rarest personality type, including traits, gender differences and other uncommon types.

Overall, the rarest personality type is INFJ

The rarest personality type is the INFJ personality type, known as ‘The Counselor’. INFJ is the rarest personality type across the population, occurring in just 2% of the population. 

It is also the rarest personality type among men. 

INFJ stands for Introversion, Intuition, Feeling, and Judging. This unique combination is hard to find in most people.

The INFJ personality type is characterized by their deep sense of integrity and their natural intuition. INFJs are skilled at interpreting the emotions and motivations of others and they work hard to help the people around them. This personality type tends to be idealistic and seeks out deep, meaningful connections with people. They can often come across as quiet and gentle.

However, the situation is not clear cut

While INFJs are generally understood to be the rarest personality type, there are some other factors to bear in mind. Personality types can vary geographically with some personality types occurring more frequently and more rarely depending on the country, region or environment. 

There are also some differences between the rarest personality type for men and women.

The rarest personality type for men

Like the general population, the rarest personality type among men is INFJ. Among men, INFJs make up just 1% compared to 2% of the general population.

There are some questions about why this might be. The INFJ type includes some personality traits that Western society typically views as feminine traits such as high levels of emotional intelligence and empathy. INFJs are known to be sensitive and quiet, often spending time listening to the concerns of others rather than sharing their own thoughts. 

It’s possible that boys are raised in a way that encourages them to subdue these aspects of their personality.  Maybe they are making choices or exhibiting behaviors that give them a different type on a personality test. We don’t really know why, but the data shows that INFJ is the rarest personality type for men.

The rarest personality type for women

For women, however, the rarest personality type is INTJ and ENTJ. Just 1% of women type as INTJ and ENTJ respectively.

Among women, INFJ is only the third rarest personality type with approximately 2% of women categorized as INFJ. 

Both INTJ women and ENTJ women are extremely rare in the general population. It is not clear why this would be. However, the INTJ and ENTJ personality types are associated with being strategic, assertive and analytical. They tend to be less capable at reading their own emotions and the emotions of others. These traits are not typical of women in general, and it could be that – as with INFJ men – INTJ/ ENTJ women are changing their reported behaviors or honing their weaker skills to fit in. 

The top 5 rarest personality types ranked

Curious to know the other rarest personality types? INFJ isn’t the only personality type that’s hard to find! There’s actually a large group of personality types that are pretty uncommon in the general population. 

Read on to find out the top 5 rarest personality types, ranked from rarest to most common.

1. INFJ

The INFJ personality type is the undisputed top 1 rarest personality type in the general population coming in at just 2%. INFJs are especially rare among men with only 1% of men qualifying as this personality type. It is slightly more common in women at around 2%.

2. INTJ

Known as ‘The Mastermind, INTJ is the next rarest personality type in the general population and the rarest personality type among women. INTJs make up just 2% of the general population and account for 3% of men and just 1% of women.

3. ENTJ

Sharing the top spot for the rarest personality type among women, ENTJ is also one of the rarest personality types in the general population. Like the closely related INTJ, ENTJs come in at just 2% of the general population, 3% of men and 1% of women.

4. ENFJ

Another of the rarest personality types is ENFJ which can be found in just 3% of the general population. ENFJ is the second rarest personality type among men, occurring in just 2% of men. For women, the rate is a little higher at 3%.

5. ENTP

ENTP snags the 5th spot for the top 5 rarest personality types. This personality type can be found in 3% of the general population. It is slightly more common in men, with 4% of men categorized as ENTP. For women, the personality type is rarer at just 2%, making it one of the rarest personality types.

Understanding the rarest personality types

Looking at the top 5 rarest personality types, it is possible to pick out some patterns in their style of thinking and behaving. The rarest personality types tend to be Intuitives and Judgers, rather than Sensors and Perceivers.

So what does that mean?

Intuition

All the rarest personality types have one thing in common: they are Intuitives rather than Sensors. This is interesting because Intuitives tend to be more abstract in their way of thinking and processing information. They like to look for patterns and theories and are generally more concerned with the future than the present.

The more common personality types tend to be Sensors. Sensors process information differently than Intuitives, preferring to focus on what they can see, hear and feel. They are often described as more practical and they look to understand the world in a more hands-on way.

Judging

There is also a high prevalence of Judging rather than Perceiving types among the top 5 rarest personality types. The Judging/Perceiving dimension of the 16 type system describes how people prefer to structure their lives. Judgers tend to look for order and structure and will prioritize planning over spontaneity. 

It is more common to find people who fit into the Perceiving personality type in the general population. Unlike Judgers, Perceivers prefer things a little less predictable. They value flexibility and prefer to adapt rather than plan.

How does your type compare?

While INFJ is the rarest personality type, that doesn’t make it any better or worse than the other personality types. Each personality type has its own strengths and weaknesses, whether it is more common or harder to find in the general population.

To find out more about the 16 type system, read this next or take the test to find out your personality type!