# Which is the rarest personality type??



## redmanXNTP (May 17, 2011)

I've heard INFJ's are. That's been the most consistent statement I've come across to that effect, but I have no idea whether it's true. 

If you break it down by gender, my understanding is INTP is the least common among women, no more than 1%. 

I believe INFP men are the rarest for men, again around that 1% number. 

Introverts supposedly make up only 25%-30% of the population, so the rarest type overall and by gender almost certainly are I's. 



KrystRay said:


> This entire site is crawling with INFJ's, INFP's and IXFX... I don't know how they would be rare...


How's that sample size and distribution treating you?


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## kristle (Oct 21, 2010)

The last statistic graph I saw for it had INFP men as the least common of all followed by INTJ women. But the numbers were pretty slight and could have easily shifted since then (roughly a year ago). 

The numbers for the INFP men were pretty low, but the next three personalities were almost tied. I liked this graph since it split not just the 16 types but it also had male and female divisions. Since men tend to dominate T and women F, it turned out to be a wonderful way to view the relevant info.


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## Swordsman of Mana (Jan 7, 2011)

MBTI: INFJ
Enneagram: 4s (specifically 4w5)
Instinct Variant: Sx (specifically Sx/So)


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## Kharyzmatiq (Nov 9, 2011)

Aristobulus said:


> I don't think any type is rare. I am an INFJ and I have run into other INFJs in public and they tend to terrify me! The reason for this seems to be my fear of being "seen" as I tend to "see" others--flaws and all, by converting my inner modality into "pure emotion." When I do that, I can learn things about people through osmosis. But, as I said, my guess is that this is not a rare type. Maybe very few INFJs take the test because they have specific interests and values that steer them away from such pursuits.


I like the way you've written this post, but you are way off as far as reasoning. First of all, I doubt that you know for certain that these people you "run into" are truly INFJs. And even if you did, personal experience would not prove that INFJs are not the most rare. Second, INFJs are perhaps the_* most*_ likely of all the types to be interested in MBTI. INFJs are the most gifted when it comes to intuiting the inner workings of the human mind. A model that logically enumerates the functions behind human behavior is definitely one of the specific interests and values of the INFJ, thus explaining why this site is teeming with them.

I'll forgive you for your ignorance, however, cuz I like that inner modality --> pure emotion thing. I love the way INFJs write.


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## DarkWarrior (Sep 21, 2011)

I've been told us INFJ's are the rarest, and other than my father I haven't met another INFJ. I know there is an INFJ who lives and went to the same high school as me because magically he is on this site. He just now about a week ago found another INFJ in our area, so between our two experiences with people we have found one other. It's a shame though.

For those who comment on the amount of rare types on these forums, this is the internet, an I's haven, not to mention this is a site about personality types so those who are rare come and stay here because otherwise they don't get to talk with many others similar to them.

I think Ni is pretty awesome.


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## AmberJorr (Sep 23, 2009)

Well, intuition is pretty uncommon in general. Which makes sense, since being an N probably doesn't help till fields or hunt game. Aside from that I'll go with the statistics I'm familiar with and say INTJ females and INFJ males are the least common types.

It is important to note that you can't exactly base your ideas of how common other types are based on your own interactions. After all, if you go to an investment bank you will meet only ESTJs, ESTPs, maybe some ISTJs and the INTPs they chained to desks to do research. If you go to a university you'll meet science departments filled to the brim with NTs and English departments filled with NFs...and art/music departments filled with SFPs. (Stereotyping here, in case it wasn't obvious.) If you're looking in the right place you can find any type you want, though of course some are more common than others. People do actually choose environments that fit their personalities and preferences as they grow older and tend to find places where they fit. Consequently finding an unbiased sample is difficult.


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## JungyesMBTIno (Jul 22, 2011)

In my experience, INFJ males are the rarest, since I have met none yet, while for females, ENTJs are the rarest, since I've only met two (my super brilliant Environmental Science teacher from High School and this girl I met for one day only at my volunteer job, who had a knack for deconstructive experimentation with technical equipment XD ). Overall though, INFJs are the rarest in my experience, which makes me pretty comfortable with the typical statistic for them by far.


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## RayStormX (Oct 19, 2011)

Both of my twin brothers and two of my closest friends are INFP. coincidence? probably. I'm sure in the grand scheme of things, INFP's may really be the rarest type. I'm the only INTP I know.


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## SoulfulEyes (Apr 29, 2012)

KrystRay said:


> This entire site is crawling with INFJ's, INFP's and IXFX... I don't know how they would be rare...


That's because we're so rare, we're looking for people like us.


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## Le9acyMuse (Mar 12, 2010)

I've run into a theory that said Sensation and Intuition is about even in the world. Maybe with Jung's approach much intuition is mistaken for something else. Who knows?


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## hazzacanary (Mar 28, 2012)

Rarest type? Depends on what you mean. Granted, INFP men are the lowest as a percentage of the population, but in IRL, you're less likely to find introverts compared to extroverts. It also changes from environment to environment as well. For example, my school has a n abnormally large amount of feelers and extroverts, and hardly any ISTP/INTP's, or introverted types in general! There is of course the possibility that I just don't notice the introverts though...


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## ibage (May 5, 2012)

I really don't think you'll get a set of statistics that are that reliable. If you poll folks in person, you're going to be more likely to find extroverts. If it's done on the internet, I'd say you'd get more introverts. That being the case, I have no idea what the rarest type is. I always have issues trusting statistics in general. There's so many ways they could be off or the data could be skewered. 

That being said, of the few people I've talked to who understand the MBTI typing, none of them were INxx. I've heard xxFx males were rare to begin with and considering the way western society is, I'm inclined to believe it. Same goes for xxTx females. I think INFP is the rarest personally but I have nothing to back that up. I think you'll find more INFJs and INFPs here because it's easier to communicate larger thoughts here than it is in person. Not to mention it's easier to find people to have a discussion with about your own thoughts who understand a tad more deeply. 

I don't think we'll ever know for sure what the rarest type is but I still find that a fragile merit of thought. I'm not discrediting Jung's work by any means but it is still a theory. I think people place too much importance on typing around here


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## daguerrotypes (May 19, 2012)

INTJ, irl. but they seem very common online.


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## Dark NiTe (Mar 5, 2012)

daguerrotypes said:


> INTJ, irl. but they seem very common online.


A direct result of being the least common IRL 

From what I've seen, INFJ seems to be the most common choice for rarest male; INTJ for rarest female. So, evidently being Ni-dom is the factor.


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## Le Beau Coeur (Jan 30, 2011)

INFJs I believe.


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## Zero11 (Feb 7, 2010)

male INFJs, female xNTJs


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## MNiS (Jan 30, 2010)

INFJ and INTJ. Especially true for INFJ males and INTJ females. I think INFJs are slightly more rare than INTJ though. There're numerous studies and statistics on the web if one is so inclined to google it.


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## BeauGarcon (May 11, 2011)

ENTP and INTJ because nobody wants to be them. Most common types are ISTJ's and ISFJ's, but I do think there is some bias, you know everybody wants to be the 'cool' type, so a lot of ISTJ's are actually the 'boring' INTJ's.


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## Chascoda (Jul 12, 2012)

It seems almost like the rarity of types is reversed online. I hardly ever see ISFJs or ISTJs here, and yet they're supposedly the two most common types. Online polls will probably yield higher in introverts than a poll taken "irl".


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## knightingling (Oct 15, 2013)

I can't say for certain, but I think the rarest would be INFJs, INTJs, and INTPs.
Or maybe just INxx's in general.


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## Damagedfinger (Oct 27, 2013)

Every year I move from place to place and I haven't met a single INTJ or INTP.

It bothers me.


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## StElmosDream (May 26, 2012)

Damagedfinger said:


> Every year I move from place to place and I haven't met a single INTJ or INTP.
> 
> It bothers me.


I doubt I've ever seen or known a male INFx with strongly empathic tendencies or HSP traits thus far.


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## Damagedfinger (Oct 27, 2013)

So do you want to meet one or are you one?


Seriously, I'm not saying I need to see people like them but it would be good if I could at least talk to one face to face.


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## stiletto (Oct 26, 2013)

I've been told both my brother and I are rare types.
He is INFP and I am ENTJ. We both get a long smashingly. =)


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## Lakigigar (Jan 4, 2016)

*Females:*

Most common in my views/perception:
ESFP
ESFJ
ESTJ
ISFJ

Less common:
ENTJ
INTJ
INTP
ENTP

*Males:*

Most common in my views/perception:
ESTP
ESTJ
ISTP
ISTJ
ENTP

Less common in my views/perception
INFP
INFJ
ENFJ
ENFP

I'm male INFP, and i don't know anyone who is male INFP. My best friend is clearly INTP. (with great Ne-usage like me  / and a strong P :laughing: ). Could be INFP also (i can't rule it out). But not a stereotypical INFP (however nearly anyone isn't a stereotypical INFP, look at me ). It is difficult to know if a male is a INTP or INFP. Can be tricky sometimes. But most likely INTP, so i'm going for that. I don't see any signs of a Te/Ti-inferior function. Absolutely not critical. But you'll have to know, a male INFP (that isn't aware of his personality) is going to deny a lot. Males aren't supposed to show their tears/fears, so they are not going to show them (some of them), and that's why a male INFP could be easily mistyped for another type, while females INFP's are most likely too much mistyped for INFP (because ENFP is the most introverted E and an ENFP could easily be mistyped for INFP, esp. if it is a E with an introverted enneagram type.) But like i said, no exact science.

My cousin (but we don't know each other well), is most likely also INFP, but she's young (15 yrs) and has to developed herself. But i think INFP/INFJ for now, with possible strong Se/Si characterics (but nearly every child has that, and if you don't use, you will eventually going to be bullied). Just like male F's or female T's are going to be excluded in a group (logically, you don't fit to them). That's why it could be a very hard world sometimes for females INTx's en male INFx's, or anyone who is xNxx. (in that aspect, S's could also have a very hard time but it's different from type or type, and know this isn't exact science. Everyone is going to have troubles when his/her grandfather died for example (if they know them well). She is a clear example of someone who is popular but though an INxx and getting herself into trouble (she is very beautiful & popular with boys (1000 likes for her profile photo). She wants to be accepted, but i have a feeling that a part of her doesn't care and she always seeks the underdog situation or more situations where she is vulnerable.

In all other cases, popular girls were more likely E-types (ES most likely), who have good looks mainly because of their self-confidence (or self-confidence and popularity and therefore more likely to develop an E and/or S-personality? Who knows.

I have friends who are studying for the moment (a couple, not sure of exact type, but female most likely INFx (70 percent sure INFJ, 30 percent INFP). And the male probably INFP also (or INTP), but here i think it is an INFP because of a close conversation we had. (and maybe this is until now the only male INFP i've ever met). Also someone who is interested in a lot of scientific subjects (maybe under pressure), but definitely is F-dominating. Funny part of her (the girl) is that i thought she was a beautiful girl (i didn't know her), and i wanted to talk to her but i couldn't because of the shyness and i was very young (14 yrs). And on school, it is just scary if you don't have common friends. But for an unknown reason, i'm now a friend of her (not that we see each other many times), but i don't know how i did it. It is so scary to see how you make friends when it's not the intention and otherwise, if you want to know someone better, you always fails. Guess, people don't like my clunging behavior sometimes.

Believe me if i say that people like me are not common. If the INFP-personality is common, i don't know. I think with females rather uncommon then common (but although not that extremely rare). But male INFP's are so hard to find (esp. here) or it is harder to type them (also possibility) and INFP's can range/vary in how they behave. Maybe the enneagram type is also a possible explanation, or is it just me?


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## ctrlfeelings (Feb 5, 2016)

Female NTs are the rarest.


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## Valeria (Feb 18, 2016)

INFJ, they represent less than the 1% of the population, one of my best friends is INFJ and she has a very deep and interesting personality. INTP's are not rare, I have at least 5 close friends that are INTP, they are often the smartest in the classroom.


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