ESTJs are traditional and orderly, readily using their organisational focus to spearhead projects and people and to charge them on a course to what the ESTJ feels is right or wrong. ESTJs like to bring communities together, and they tend to embrace traditional values of honesty, industry, and conscientious dignity. They tend to have clear rules on how best to navigate oneself through the world, in a systematic, methodical way, following established processes. ESTJs are good at taking charge, and people tend to appreciate their role in organising for the communities and working hard to conserve traditional values.
ESTJ Principles
What are the core principles behind the ESTJ personality type?
ESTJs are masters of their own worlds. They are confident in their analysis of the world and derive comfort from their conviction of what's right and wrong. They appear self-confident because they stick to their principles of honesty, dignity, and order. ESTJs are natural decision-makers and have a well-developed executive function. Of the 16 MBTI types, they are the most conventionally masculine.
In general, all ESTJs display these traits:
They excel at organizing, managing, and regulating.
They have a strong predilection for structure and are chaos-averse.
They are meticulous in their thinking style and avoid intuitive jumps.
They are self-critical and fully committed to their own principles.
Traditionalists
ESTJs see things as they ought to be. To them, the world is not particularly random or ambiguous. By the ESTJ's account, there is a reason society functions as it does and it fits neatly into their visual model. They hold that it is people's moral responsibility to preserve the order that has ensured our collective success.
ESTJs tend to value tradition and are more likely to be politically conservative.
Rationalists
One of the ways through which ESTJs structure and make sense of the world is logic. They believe that sensory information is useful provided it is organized in a logically-meaningful way. They tend not to be keen on intuitive reasoning, which they tend to see as unfounded or tenuous.
When making decisions, ESTJs are less concerned with speed, and more with accuracy.
Principled
ESTJs tend to be categorical ethicists rather than consequentialists. They believe that there is little use in speculating on possibilities; what matters is having a robust system of principles that one follows consistently across all circumstances.
ESTJs tend to hold themselves to the same standards to which they hold other people, which often makes them come across as fair and just.
Decision Makers
ESTJs enjoy organizing facts and organizing packets of information. They have no reservations about imposing value judgements or instructing people on the best way to act in a certain situation. They can sometimes come across as harsh, but are most of the time seen as a great asset to people's personal and professional lives.
ESTJs are decisive and direct, and are sometimes said to have an unspecific urge to make decisions.
Data: ESTJ World Heatmap
What is the global distribution of the ESTJ personality type?
Which countries have the highest percentage of ESTJs? Is this type more common in certain countries? Use our research data to find out.
Figure 1: Percent of population with ESTJ type
What this chart shows
This heatmap shows the percent of each country's population who are ESTJ. This helps us to easily identify global distribution of this personality type. For example we see China has an above-average proportion of ESTJs and Latvia has a below-average proportion of ESTJs.
Notes:
1. Countries with less than 0.001% share of global population have not been included due to sample size.
2. n=27985
3. Population: all
4. Live dataset last updated:
Figure 2: Regions with highest and lowest percent of ESTJ types
Top ten countries with highest and lowest percent of respondents with ESTJ personality type
What this chart shows
This chart shows the top ten countries with the highest proportion of people with ESTJ personality type and ten countries with the lowest proportion of people with ESTJ personality type.
Notes:
Countries with less than 0.001% share of global population have not been included due to sample size.
1. Countries with less than 0.001% share of global population have not been included due to sample size.
2. n=27985
3. Population: all
4. Live dataset last updated:
ESTJ: The Four Letters Explained
What does ESTJ stand for?
The four letters of the ESTJ personality stand for: (E)xtraverted, (S)ensing, (T)hinking, and (J)udging. Let's consider each of these four traits.
Extraverted
(I)ntroverted vs (E)xtraverted
An extravert is a social, assertive, and energetic individual, who is comfortable interacting with the external world. They prefer exploring the wider environment than their own internal thought processes, and find alone time to be demotivating.
Prefer spending time with people
Full of energy and enthusiasm
Large social networks
Prefer talking to writing
Enjoys meeting new people
Introverts and extraverts can be separated based on how they regain energy. Introverts prefer minimally stimulating environments, and they need time alone to recharge. Extraverts refuel by being with others.
Sensing
I(N)tuitive vs (S)ensing
Sensing types are focused on the real-world, valuing concrete evidence, logic, and facts. They rely on their senses to navigate the world, rarely believing things they have not themselves personally experienced.
Pragmatic and realistic
Employs absolute thinking
Values lived experience
Prefers plain language
Less interested in abstractions
Sensing types pay attention to details, rather than the bigger picture. They prefer to work with raw and unadulterated information, refusing to make assumptions or draw conclusions until they have understood the crux of the issue.
Thinking
(T)hinking vs (F)eeling
Thinking types are objective. They make decisions based on facts. They are ruled by their head instead of their heart. Thinking people judge situations and others based on logic. They value truth over tact and can easily identify flaws.
Use logic and objectivity
Seek the truth
Value reason and rationality
Direct with people
Prefer facts to opinions
Thinking types are critical thinkers and oriented toward problem-solving. Thinking does not mean a person is without emotion.
Judging
(J)udging vs (P)erceiving
Judging types approach life in a structured, organized and carefully calibrated way, creating plans to help them achieve their goals. Schedules and to-do lists are comforting to them. They prefer knowing what they are getting into and feel frustrated in situations of ambiguity and change.
Act decisively
Organized and structured
Are finishers. They like plans and deadlines.
Like closure
Prefer structured setting
Judging types gain a sense of control by taking charge of their environment. They are self-disciplined and decisive, going for closure at the earliest possible opportunity to avoid stress.
Data: What percentage of people are ESTJ?
Which MBTI® type is the rarest and which is the most common?
Figure 3: Global distribution of ESTJ types
How does the percent of ESTJ type people compare with other types?
What this chart shows
We see that the ESTJ personality type is the most common at 9.3% of the population. This compares with the rarest type INTJ at 4.1% of the population.
Notes:
1. n=29746
2. Population: Global
3. Live dataset last updated:
Data: ESTJ Age Statistics
Are ESTJs more or less likely to be in a particular age group?
Figure 4: percentage of ESTJ types by age
How does the proportion of ESTJ types vary by age?
What this chart shows
This chart shows what percent of each age group are ESTJ.
Notes:
1. n=40574
2. Population: Global
3. Live dataset last updated:
Data: ESTJ Genders
Survey data on ESTJ types by genders
ESTJs are mostly male (62.0%) with 37.8% female and 0.2% other.
Figure 5: Type ESTJ by gender
What this chart shows
The split between genders across the ESTJ population is 37.8% female, 62.0% male, 0.2% other. Compared to the average population, ESTJs have a higher proportion of females.
Notes:
1. n=27985
2. Population: global
3. Dataset last updated:
4. Data is derived from users' self-report responses to the question "What is your gender?"
Ellie Simmonds, MSc
University of Bath, Psychology
Ellie Simmonds, MSc in Psychology from University of Bath. Ellie is an associate lecturer on psychometric assessments and has extensive knowledge of the 16-type model.
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