Discover 3 Rarest Enneagram Types [2024]

What would the world be like if Enneagram types were evenly distributed among the entire population? Would we live in peace and harmony or in an eternal struggle? While we can never find an exact answer to this question, we can at least determine what the rarest Enneagram types are.

However, we leave the answer to the question of why these types are rarer than others to your interpretation. What we know for sure is that, after reading this guide, you’ll be able to recognize the rarest Enneagram types instantly.

So, if you are curious to know more about this topic, stay tuned. We’ve analyzed the available data and statistics, and here is what we know.

Let’s dive right in!

What Are Enneagram Types?

The Enneagram is a personality theory that recognizes nine different personality types, shaped by instinctual variants that impact how each type sees the world. Or, more precisely, it describes how each of them adapted to the world in order to survive.

9 Enneagram Types - Quick Overview

Before we jump to the rarest Enneagram types, let’s just quickly list all the types and their distinct traits:

1. Enneagram 1 (The Perfectionist) is a person of principle and an idealist who strives to make the world a better place.
2. Enneagram 2 (The Helper) is empathetic, in touch with their feelings, and always there to help and support others.
3. Enneagram 3 (The Achiever) is the pragmatic, goal-oriented, ambitious type with their eyes on the prize.
4. Enneagram 4 (The Individualist) is an eccentric, emotional, creative type who is often artistically gifted.
5. Enneagram 5 (The Investigator) is a knowledge-thirsty intellectual endowed with a powerful, inquisitive mind and curiosity.
6. Enneagram 6 (The Loyalist) is a diligent, caring, hardworking, responsible, and highly organized family type.
7. Enneagram 7 (The Enthusiast) is a charming, energetic, and playful adventurer who is in love with the wonders of the world.
8. Enneagram 8 (The Challenger) is a charismatic, powerful, and energetic type who strives to be in control of their destiny.
9. Enneagram 9 (The Peacemaker) is an amiable, compassionate, and silently strong type who’ll do anything to keep harmony in their environment.

What’s also important to know is that each Enneagram type can acquire some traits of their neighboring types. Those types that are adjacent to your core Enneagram type on the Enneagram circumference are called Enneagram wings.

If, for example, you score the highest for Type Seven but your score for Type Eight is also very high, you will be described as Type Seven with an Eight wing. So, even if your Enneagram type is not among the rarest ones, your Enneagram wing may be. On top of that, you may also be the combination of the rarest Enneagram type and wing.

In fact, Enneagram and culture may also play a role in shaping which types are more or less common in different societies, as cultural values and expectations influence personality expression.

Rare Enneagram Type 8

Honest, strong-willed, and confrontational Eights make up approximately 8% of men and 6% of women, according to various Enneagram internet statistics.

Considering the fact that Eights have the most masculine energy of all types, it makes sense that men more often identify as this type. Having this in mind, it is also reasonable to anticipate that Eight is the rarest Enneagram type for females.

How to Recognize Enneagram Type 8

Eights aspire to be the masters of their own destinies, and in the process of doing so, they frequently also become the masters of the destinies of numerous other people, which can create a unique dynamic in an Enneagram 8 and 9 relationship.

Extraordinarily strong will and abundance of energy are the Eights’ core traits that separate them from others. They are people of action who dare to dream big and work hard to achieve those dreams.

Passionate, driven, and self-assured, they exude magnetic charisma. Due to their apparent confidence, sense of reality, and charm, those around them almost instinctively follow their lead. Moreover, Eights feel they are capable of remarkable achievements, and others intuitively react to their confidence.

What’s also unique about Eights is that they usually know exactly what they want from a very early age. Their focus is incredible—even though they, too, know how to enjoy life and have fun, they never lose sight of their ultimate goal.

Apart from their motivation and vision, what makes them so capable of big achievements is the fact that they do not avoid major responsibilities. Personal accountability and energy combined are what make them perfect for the authoritative roles they typically strive for. Those same traits also make them one of the rarest Enneagram types in general.

Enneagram Type 8 Core Conflicts

The childhood of Eights is often full of power struggles between them and their parents or siblings. Because their parents are either overly controlling or manipulative, Eights typically grow up with the desire to break free from their influence. Their experience tells them that if they are vulnerable, someone will take advantage of them.

Since they can’t trust their parents, they realize that trusting others is dangerous. Therefore, they are very suspicious of other people’s motives and have a strong drive to control everything and everyone.

For all those reasons, the core internal conflict of every Eight is how to stay in touch with their feelings and avoid being vulnerable at the same time. Even though they can show a wide range of emotions, letting other people see their soft side feels too dangerous.

One of the ways they solve this internal conflict is by standing up for others who seem weak. When someone is being treated unfairly, Eights will be the first to react.

Enneagram Type 8 Authentic Needs

While pursuing their goals, Eights may appear power-hungry, brash, and even aggressive at times. However, in reality, all they really want is to be in control of their own lives and protect themselves from being hurt or exploited by others. They want to trust others and trust life but feel the only way they can do that is through control and power struggles.

The more power they have, the safer they feel. They are not seduced by status, prestige, or social expectations, although they earn a lot of those. All these are just their means for satisfying a much deeper need—the need for security.

Since they have a lot of energy, Eights also crave challenges. They enjoy overcoming obstacles, taking part in debates, and fighting against injustice. In other words, being a hero is their ultimate fantasy.

Though they are fiercely independent and typically refuse help, they long for a relationship with someone they can absolutely trust. When they let their guard down, which takes a lot of time, they are generous, intense, and very protective.

Rare Enneagram Type 5

According to data available online, the endlessly curious Enneagram 5 takes about 7% of men and 3% of women. These rare individuals are the scientists, researchers, and inventors of this world who relentlessly follow their thirst for knowledge. Now, let’s see what makes them one of the rarest Enneagram types.

How to Recognize Enneagram Type 5

Fives are introverted, perceptive intellectuals who live in their heads. You’ll notice how detached and reserved they are in groups, especially when showing up somewhere for the first time. They are the quiet, perceptive observers who will discreetly stand in the corner, looking pensive and lost in their thoughts.

Powerful and logical mind, inquisitive spirit, and innocent curiosity are the Fives’ trademarks. Their way of dealing with the uncertainty of life is through gaining knowledge. They are capable of storing massive amounts of data without requiring any special effort, which is why understanding complex systems, concepts, and ideas comes naturally to them.

They are usually experts in at least one area of their interest and can talk a lot and in detail about the things they know. Otherwise, they don’t care about taking part in small talk at all. Still, when they are relaxed with someone, they show an irresistible sense of humor. For a humorous take on these characteristics, you can check out our Enneagram 5 memes article, with memes that display different enneagram 5 behaviors.

Enneagram Type 5 Core Inner Conflicts

Fives avoid feeling their emotions but rather stay preoccupied with their ideas and theories. Through childhood, they often experienced a lot of uncertainty while also being encouraged to suppress their emotional needs. As a result, they became stoics who find it hard to express their feelings.

The core inner conflict of the Type Five of the Enneagram is between their heads and their hearts. They are terrified of intense emotions, so in order to avoid being overwhelmed, they keep their distance in relationships, isolate themselves, and take time to think everything through.

Separating what they feel from what they think often leaves them confused. Feelings have a logic of their own, and that’s something a Five struggles with. They refuse to accept that they have needs just like all the other people and strive to keep their independence by avoiding getting close to others.

Enneagram Type 5 Authentic Needs

Fives’ curiosity is genuine and limitless, but what drives their desire to learn as much as possible about the world around them is even more profound. They actually hope that once they know everything, they will be able to predict outcomes, which ultimately means controlling their environment.

So, they keep collecting data, making theories and systems, and trying to figure out how life works and what it all means. Knowledge and understanding make them feel competent, and being competent for them means having power over their own fate.

While some may see their pursuit of knowledge as ambition, such a perception is completely false. They couldn’t care less about social status and prestige. They need time alone to gather their thoughts and organize their knowledge so that they can continue their quest for the ultimate meaning of everything.

Rare Enneagram Type 2

Enneagram Type 2, or the Helper, is often considered the personification of feminine strength. According to various resources, only 6% of men belong to this type, while 10% of women identify as Type Two. So, it is definitely safe to say that Type 2 is the rarest Enneagram type for males.

How to Recognize Enneagram Type 2

Serious but warm, Two's gentle eyes seem like they are always watching to see if everyone has everything they need. Naturally attuned to anticipating other people’s needs, Twos will know how you feel even before you do.

Helpers have exceptional interpersonal skills and make connections easily. They are empathic and sensitive, and they long for acceptance from others.

Even though they tend to be shy and subdued, they attract others magnetically due to their warmth and silent strength. They often have kind words for others and a subtle smile on their faces to make everyone feel welcome. In other words, these people are ready to give their best to help a perfect stranger and wear their hearts on their sleeves.

Friendly, expressive, and open, they are quick to offer advice and willing to listen carefully to anyone. Making others happy feels like a life mission to them. For this reason, when they are drained, they resort to people-pleasing patterns of behavior.

Enneagram Type 2 Core Conflict

Twos focus so much on the needs of others that they easily forget their own. Their childhood experiences usually taught them that they can only be accepted and loved if they take care of others and never put their own needs first.

Therefore, they see satisfying their own needs as conflicting with satisfying the needs of others. Since the only way for them to feel worthy is if they make others happy, this conflict is most often resolved at the expense of Two's personal needs and boundaries.

“How to keep others happy while putting my needs first” seems like an impossible puzzle for a Helper. As they mature, they inevitably learn more about establishing healthy boundaries and taking care of themselves.

Enneagram Type 2 Authentic Needs

Twos would do anything for their loved ones, and they dream of a peaceful, stable family life. While helping others brings them a lot of joy, they crave being loved and valued without having to earn it by doing things for others and self-sacrifice.

Despite the fact that they are usually popular in their surroundings and that many people love their company, Twos struggle to feel they are really loved. Because they do so much for others, they can never be sure if others love them truly or just out of gratitude.

For this reason, they long to know how it feels to be cherished, nurtured, and taken care of unconditionally. What they provide to others so generously is actually what they crave the most.

Key Takeaways

Even though Eights, Fives, and Twos make up the smallest percentage of the world's population, the distribution of these types in your immediate environment may be different from how it is in general.

Another factor that influences how often you’ll interact with certain types is Enneagram compatibility. It is natural that you want to be surrounded by people you are compatible with.

If you have already taken the Enneagram test, don’t let it disappoint you if your type is not among the rarest Enneagram types. No personality theory can ever truly capture what makes you unique, but it’s important to also recognize some prevalent Enneagram myths that can distort how people interpret their types. You cannot be reduced to just one category. We are all unique human beings made of our flaws, virtues, and experiences, and we are greater than the sum of our parts.

Looking to dive deeper into Enneagram insights? Check out our list of top Enneagram podcasts.