What are the 5 rarest MBTI types?

The Short Answer

In the most widely cited data, a US national sample reported in the MBTI Manual, the five rarest Myers-Briggs types are:

INTP is right behind at about 3.3%, so it’s effectively tied with ENTP for fifth place. Different samples can swap the order, especially among the top three. INFJ, ENTJ and INTJ are close enough that the “rarest” title changes hands depending on the dataset.

Why These Five Are Rare

All five share the letter N, for Intuition. In the same US data, people who prefer Sensing make up roughly 70–75% of the population, which leaves only about a quarter to 30% for Intuitive types. Spread that minority across eight types and each one ends up small. For what the S/N letter actually measures, see Sensing vs Intuition.

Among Intuitive types, the Judging ones (NJ) tend to come out rarer than the Perceiving ones (NP). That’s why INFJ, ENTJ and INTJ head the list, while ENFP, at around 8%, is one of the more common types overall.

A Closer Look at Each Type

The sketches below are general patterns, not descriptions every member of the type will recognise.

INFJ

INFJs combine Introversion, Intuition, Feeling and Judging. They are often described as insightful about people, idealistic and private, with a strong sense of purpose and a preference for depth over breadth in relationships. Because the type is so widely called “the rarest,” it’s also one people tend to identify with eagerly. That may make it more common on free online tests than in the general population.

ENTJ

ENTJs combine Extraversion, Intuition, Thinking and Judging. They are usually portrayed as decisive, strategic and comfortable taking charge. They focus on long-term goals and efficient ways of reaching them, and they can come across as blunt.

INTJ

INTJs combine Introversion, Intuition, Thinking and Judging. They are often described as independent, analytical planners who like to understand a system thoroughly and improve it. They hold themselves and others to high standards.

ENFJ

ENFJs combine Extraversion, Intuition, Feeling and Judging. They are typically warm, encouraging and good at bringing people together around a shared goal. Many are drawn to teaching, mentoring or helping roles.

ENTP (and INTP)

ENTPs combine Extraversion, Intuition, Thinking and Perceiving. They are known for quick thinking, curiosity and enjoying the back-and-forth of debate. INTPs share the love of ideas but tend to process them more quietly and internally. With the two so close in frequency, it’s reasonable to think of them as joint fifth.

For all 16 types with their strengths and weaknesses, see Myers-Briggs personality types explained.

Where the Numbers Come From

The figures above come from a US sample collected for the MBTI Manual published in the late 1990s. It was designed to be broadly representative of the US adult population. A few cautions apply:

• They are estimates from one country. Samples from other countries and later years can give somewhat different proportions.
• Online test data look different. Free quizzes such as 16Personalities draw people who choose to take a personality test, and that self-selected group skews toward Intuitive types. These sites also use their own questions and scoring, so their percentages aren’t directly comparable.
• Typing isn’t perfectly reliable. A share of people get a different type when they retake the test, which blurs the numbers further. If your result doesn’t feel right, our guide on how to tell if you’ve been mistyped may help.

Rarity by Gender

The same US data show notable differences between men and women for some types. That’s especially true on the Thinking/Feeling letter, where more women than men report a Feeling preference. As a result, types such as ENTJ and INTJ come out rarer among women than among men, and some Feeling types come out rarer among men. These are differences in reported preference within one sample, not fixed rules about any individual.

What Rarity Does and Doesn’t Mean

Being a rare type is a statistical fact about a sample, not a sign of being more gifted, more insightful or more “special.” The MBTI was designed on the principle that every type is equally valuable. Rarity can have practical effects, though. If your preferences are uncommon, you may meet fewer people who naturally think the way you do. You may also find that schools and workplaces are set up around the more common Sensing and Judging styles.

If you’re curious how rarity fits with the wider system, our overview of Carl Jung’s psychological types explains that Jung himself never ranked types by frequency. The rarity lists are entirely a product of later MBTI surveys.