Jordan - Economic Indicators

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Feb 02, 2024

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GDP Reference Last Previous Units Frequency
Private Consumption 2022 28,788,585,626 26,909,142,590 JOD Annual
Investment 2022 5,545,650,191 5,200,217,749 JOD Annual
Real Private Consumption 2017 8,733,928,964 8,275,340,884 NCU Annual
Real Government Consumption 2017 2,141,260,060 2,090,851,326 NCU Annual
Real Investment 2017 2,226,082,242 2,326,445,166 NCU Annual
Nominal Fixed Investment (gross fixed capital formation) 2017 5,676,945,578 5,894,666,506 NCU Annual
Real Fixed Investment (gross fixed capital formation) 2017 2,152,633,398 2,252,429,840 NCU Annual
Nominal Gross Domestic Product 2016 27,444 26,637 Mil. JOD Annual
Real Gross Domestic Product 2011 104.44 100 Index 2005=100 Annual
Government Consumption 2009 3,699 3,363 Mil. JOD Annual
Price Reference Last Previous Units Frequency
Consumer Price Index (CPI) Dec 2023 136.89 136.57 2010=100, NSA Monthly
Producer Price Index (PPI) Aug 2018 107.1 106.48 2010=100, NSA Monthly
Labor Reference Last Previous Units Frequency
Agriculture Employment 2017 90,878 86,517 # Annual
Labor Force 2017 2,446,266 2,378,153 # Annual
Unemployment Rate 2017 14.92 15.27 % of total labor force Annual
Trade Reference Last Previous Units Frequency
Exports of Goods and Services 2022 14,437,971,701 9,847,380,699 JOD Annual
Imports of Goods and Services 2022 21,267,758,315 16,558,167,545 JOD Annual
Imports of Goods 2022 Q4 5,686,163,380 6,844,912,676 USD, NSA Quarterly
Current Account Balance 2022 Q4 183,132,394 -1,196,461,971 USD, NSA Quarterly
Exports of Goods 2022 Q4 2,912,253,521 3,369,718,309 USD, NSA Quarterly
Balance of Goods 2022 Q4 -2,773,909,859 -3,475,194,366 USD, NSA Quarterly
Real Imports of Goods and Services 2017 5,456,396,928 5,147,634,552 NCU Annual
Real Exports of Goods and Services 2017 4,227,421,291 4,099,226,147 NCU Annual
Government Reference Last Previous Units Frequency
Outstanding Public Debt - Domestic Nov 2023 23,014 22,760 Mil. JOD, NSA Monthly
Government Revenues Nov 2023 578.4 643.2 Mil. JOD, NSA Monthly
Markets Reference Last Previous Units Frequency
Stock Market Index Feb 2024 80.74 81.04 Index Jan2010=100, NSA Monthly
Money Market Rate Mar 2023 6.85 6.6 % p.a., NSA Monthly
Lending Rate Apr 2017 2.5 2.5 % - End of period Monthly
Business Reference Last Previous Units Frequency
Capacity Utilization 2019 59.3 % Annual
Industrial Production Jan 2019 95.64 96.01 2010=100, NSA Monthly
Real Change in Inventories 2017 73,448,843 74,015,325 NCU Annual
Change in Inventories 2009 193,700,000 318,700,000 NCU Annual
Demographics Reference Last Previous Units Frequency
Population 2020 10,203,140 10,101,697 # Annual
Net Migration 2017 0 # Annual
Death Rate 2016 3.83 3.83 # per Ths. pop. Annual
Birth Rate 2016 26.47 27.04 # per Ths. pop. Annual

Factbook

Background

Background:
Following World War I and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, the League of Nations awarded Britain the mandate to govern much of the Middle East. Britain demarcated a semi-autonomous region of Transjordan from Palestine in the early 1920s. The area gained its independence in 1946 and thereafter became The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The country's long-time ruler, King HUSSEIN (1953-99), successfully navigated competing pressures from the major powers (US, USSR, and UK), various Arab states, Israel, and a large internal Palestinian population. Jordan lost the West Bank to Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. King HUSSEIN in 1988 permanently relinquished Jordanian claims to the West Bank; in 1994 he signed a peace treaty with Israel. King ABDALLAH II, King HUSSEIN's eldest son, assumed the throne following his father's death in 1999. He has implemented modest political reforms, including the passage of a new electoral law in early 2016 ahead of legislative elections held in September, and significant economic liberalization and reforms to promote growth and address chronic budget deficits. In 2016, the Islamic Action Front, which is the political arm of the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood, returned to parliament with 15 seats after boycotting the previous two elections in 2010 and 2013.

Geography

Location:
Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia, between Israel (to the west) and Iraq
Geographic coordinates:
31 00 N, 36 00 E
Map references:
Middle East
Area:
total: 89,342 sq km
land: 88,802 sq km
water: 540 sq km
country comparison to the world: 113
Area - comparative:
about three-quarters the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than Indiana
Area comparison map:
Land boundaries:
total: 1,744 km
border countries (5): Iraq 179 km, Israel 307 km, Saudi Arabia 731 km, Syria 379 km, West Bank 148 km
Coastline:
26 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate:
mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April)
Terrain:
mostly desert plateau in east, highland area in west; Great Rift Valley separates eastern and western banks of the Jordan River
Elevation:
mean elevation: 812 m
elevation extremes: lowest point: Dead Sea -431 m
highest point: Jabal Umm ad Dami 1,854 m
Natural resources:
phosphates, potash, shale oil
Land use:
agricultural land: 11.4%
arable land 2%; permanent crops 1%; permanent pasture 8.4%
forest: 1.1%
other: 87.5% (2011 est.)
Irrigated land:
964 sq km (2012)
Population - distribution:
population heavily concentrated in the west, and particularly the northwest, in and around the capital of Amman; a sizeable, but smaller population is located in the southwest along the shore of the Gulf of Aqaba
Natural hazards:
droughts; periodic earthquakes; flash floods
Environment - current issues:
limited natural freshwater resources; declining water table, salinity; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; biodiversity and ecosystem damage/loss
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
strategic location at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba and as the Arab country that shares the longest border with Israel and the occupied West Bank

People & Society

Population:
10,248,069
note: increased estimate reflects revised assumptions about the net migration rate due to the increased flow of Syrian refugees (July 2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89
Nationality:
noun: Jordanian(s)
adjective: Jordanian
Ethnic groups:
Arab 98%, Circassian 1%, Armenian 1%
Languages:
Arabic (official), English (widely understood among upper and middle classes)
Religions:
Muslim 97.2% (official; predominantly Sunni), Christian 2.2% (majority Greek Orthodox, but some Greek and Roman Catholics, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, and Protestant denominations), Buddhist 0.4%, Hindu 0.1%, Jewish <0.1, folk religionist <0.1, unaffiliated <0.1, other <0.1 (2010 est.)
religious affiliation:
Age structure:
0-14 years: 34.68% (male 1,827,554/female 1,726,691)
15-24 years: 20.07% (male 1,103,042/female 953,704)
25-54 years: 37.36% (male 2,073,211/female 1,755,290)
55-64 years: 4.44% (male 236,435/female 218,469)
65 years and over: 3.45% (male 174,470/female 179,203) (2017 est.)
population pyramid:
Dependency ratios:
total dependency ratio: 66.1
youth dependency ratio: 59.8
elderly dependency ratio: 6.2
potential support ratio: 16 (2015 est.)
Median age:
total: 22.5 years
male: 22.9 years
female: 22 years (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 178
Population growth rate:
2.05% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 43
Birth rate:
23.9 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 58
Death rate:
3.4 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 218
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 87
Population distribution:
population heavily concentrated in the west, and particularly the northwest, in and around the capital of Amman; a sizeable, but smaller population is located in the southwest along the shore of the Gulf of Aqaba
Urbanization:
urban population: 84.1% of total population (2017)
rate of urbanization: 1.26% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)
Major urban areas - population:
AMMAN (capital) 1.155 million (2015)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth:
24.7 years
note: median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2012 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio:
58 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 90
Infant mortality rate:
total: 14.2 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 15 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 13.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 104
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.8 years
male: 73.4 years
female: 76.3 years (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 119
Total fertility rate:
3.19 children born/woman (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 49
Contraceptive prevalence rate:
61.2% (2012)
Health expenditures:
7.5% of GDP (2014)
country comparison to the world: 66
Physicians density:
3.43 physicians/1,000 population (2015)
Hospital bed density:
1.4 beds/1,000 population (2015)
Drinking water source:
improved:
urban: 97.8% of population
rural: 92.3% of population
total: 96.9% of population
unimproved:
urban: 2.2% of population
rural: 7.7% of population
total: 3.1% of population (2015 est.)
Sanitation facility access:
improved:
urban: 98.6% of population
rural: 98.9% of population
total: 98.6% of population
unimproved:
urban: 1.4% of population
rural: 1.1% of population
total: 1.4% of population (2015 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
<.1% (2016 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
<500 (2016 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
<100 (2016 est.)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate:
35.5% (2016)
country comparison to the world: 13
Children under the age of 5 years underweight:
3% (2012)
country comparison to the world: 114
Education expenditures:
3.9% of GDP (2016)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95.4%
male: 97.7%
female: 92.9% (2015 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 13 years
male: 12 years
female: 13 years (2012)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24:
total: 29.3%
male: 25.2%
female: 48.8% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 36

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
conventional short form: Jordan
local long form: Al Mamlakah al Urduniyah al Hashimiyah
local short form: Al Urdun
former: Transjordan
etymology: named for the Jordan River, which makes up part of Jordan's northwest border
Government type:
parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Capital:
name: Amman
geographic coordinates: 31 57 N, 35 56 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Friday in March; ends last Friday in October
Administrative divisions:
12 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); 'Ajlun, Al 'Aqabah, Al Balqa', Al Karak, Al Mafraq, Al ?Asimah (Amman), At Tafilah, Az Zarqa', Irbid, Jarash, Ma'an, Madaba
Independence:
25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 25 May (1946)
Constitution:
history: previous 1928 (preindependence); latest initially adopted 28 November 1947, revised and ratified 1 January 1952
amendments: proposed by 10 or more members of the Senate or by the House of Representatives followed by referral to the relevant House committee for its review and opinion; if accepted, the proposal is referred to the government for restatement as a draft; passage requires two-thirds majority vote of both the Senate and the House and ratification by the king; amended several times, last in 2016 (2016)
Legal system:
mixed system developed from codes instituted by the Ottoman Empire (based on French law), British common law, and Islamic law
International law organization participation:
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship:
citizenship by birth: no
citizenship by descent only: the father must be a citizen of Jordan
dual citizenship recognized: yes
residency requirement for naturalization: 15 years
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: King ABDALLAH II (since 7 February 1999); Crown Prince HUSSEIN (born 28 June 1994), eldest son of King ABDALLAH II
head of government: Prime Minister Hani MULKI (since 1 June 2016)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the monarch
elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch
Legislative branch:
description: bicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-'Umma consists of the Senate, or the House of Notables or Majlis al-Ayan (65 seats; members appointed by the monarch to serve 4-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or House of Representatives or Majlis al-Nuwaab (130 seats; 115 members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by open-list proportional representation vote and 15 seats for women; 12 of the 115 seats reserved for Christian, Chechen, and Circassian candidates; members serve 4-year terms)
elections: Chamber of Deputies - last held on 20 September 2016 (next to be held in 2020)
election results: Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA
Judicial branch:
highest court(s): Court of Cassation or Supreme Court (consists of 15 judges including the court chairman; 5 judges generally hear each case; Constitutional Court (consists of 15 members including the court chairman)
judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the king; other judges nominated by the Judicial Council, an 11-member judicial policy-making body consisting of high-level judicial officials and judges, and approved by the king; judge tenure generally not limited; Constitutional Court members appointed by the king for 6-year non-renewable terms with one-third of the membership renewed every 2 years
subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; Major Felonies Court; Courts of First Instance; Magistrate Courts; religious courts; military courts; juvenile courts; Land Settelment Courts; Income Tax Court; Customs Court; special courts to include State Security Court
Political parties and leaders:
Ahrar al-Urdun (Free People of Jordan) Party [Samir al-ZU'BI]
Al-Awn al-Watani (National Aid) Party [Faysal al-AWAR]
Al-Balad al-Amin Party [Khalil al-SAYED]
Al-Itijah al-Watani (National Trend Party) [Ahmad al-KAYED]
Al-Mustaqbal (Future) Party [Salah al-QUDAH]
Al-Nida’ Party [Abd-al-Majid ABU-KHALID]
Al-Rayah Party (flag Party), [Bilal DHEISAT]
Al-Shahama Party [Mashhour ZREIQAT]
Al-Shura Party [Firas al-ABBADI]
Arab Socialist Ba’th Party [Zyad AL-HOMSI]
Conservatives Party [Hasan RASHID]
Democratic Popular Unity Party [Sa’eed DHIYAB]
Democratic Sha’b Party (HASHD) [Abla ABU-OLBEH]
Freedom and Equality Party [Hamad Abu ZEID]
Islamic Action Front [Muhammad AL-ZYOUD]
Islamic Centrist Party [Madallah AL-TARAWNEH]
Jordanian Al-Ansar Party [Awni al-RJOUB]
Jordanian Al-Hayah Party [Abd-al-Fattah al-KILANI]
Jordanian Communist Party [Faraj ITMIZYEH]
Jordanian Current Party [Abd-al-Hadi al-MAJALI]
Jordanian Democratic Socialist Party [Jamil al-NIMRI]
Jordanian Democratic Tabiy’ah (Nature) Party [Ali ASFOUR]
Jordanian Equality Party [Zuhair al-SHURAFA]
Jordanian Fursan (Cavaliers Party) [Ali al-DHWEIB]
Jordanian Justice and Development Party [Ali al-SHURAFA]
Jordanian National Action Party [Abd-al-Hadi al-MAHARMAH]
Jordanian National Constitutional Party [Ahmad al-SHUNNAQ]
Jordanian National Democratic Grouping Party [Shakir al-ABBADI]
Jordanian National Party [Muna ABU-BAKR]
Jordanian National Union Party [Zeid ABU-ZEID]
Jordanian Progressive Ba’th Party [Fu’ad DABBOUR]
Jordanian Promise Party [Mahmoud al-KHALILI]
Jordanian Reform Party [Eid DHAYYAT]
Jordanian Social Justice Party [Abd-al-Fattah al-NSOUR]
Jordanian Wafa’ (Loyalty) Party [Mazin al-QADI]
Justice and Reform Party [Sa’eed Nathir ARABIYAT]
Modernity and Change Party [Nayef al-HAMAYDEH]
National Renaissance Front Party [Isma’il KHATATBEH]
National Unity Party [Muhammad al-ZBOUN]
Pan Arab Movement Party [Dayfallah FARRAJ]
Partnership and Salvation Party [Muhammad al-HAMMOURI]
Reform and Renewal Party [Mazin RYAL]
Risalah Party [Hazim QASHOU’]
Stronger Jordan Party [Rula al-HROUB]
Unified Jordanian Front Party [Farouq AL-ABBADI]
Zamzam [Irhayil GHARAYBEH]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Anti-Normalization and Homeland Protection Committee—Engineers Association
Economic and Social Association of Retired Servicemen and Veterans or ESARV [Ahmad al-AJARMEH MG Ret.]
Enemies’ Gas is Occupation
Engineers Association [Majid al-TABBA']
Higher Coordination Committee of Opposition Parties [Sa'eed DHIYAB]
Higher National Committee for Military Retirees [Abdallah al-MOMANI]
Jordanian Bar Association [Samir KHIRFAN]
Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood [Sharaf al-QUDAH, Controller General]
Jordanian Press Association [Rakan al-SA'AYDAH]
National Campaign for Defending Rights of Students [Fakhir DA'AS]
Political Reform Committee (made up of 33 political parties)
Professional Associations Council [Majid al-TABBA']
Teachers Association [Basel FREIHAT]
The Civil Coalition [Marwan MUASHER, a founder]
International organization participation:
ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, CD, CICA, EBRD, FAO, G-11, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Dina Khalil Tawiq KAWAR (since 27 June 2016)
chancery: 3504 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 966-2664
FAX: [1] (202) 966-3110
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Henry T. WOOSTER (since 24 March 2017)
embassy: Abdoun, Al-Umawyeen St., Amman
mailing address: P. O. Box 354, Amman 11118 Jordan; Unit 70200, Box 5, DPO AE 09892-0200
telephone: [962] (6) 590-6000
FAX: [962] (6) 592-0163
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of black (top), representing the Abbassid Caliphate, white, representing the Ummayyad Caliphate, and green, representing the Fatimid Caliphate; a red isosceles triangle on the hoist side, representing the Great Arab Revolt of 1916, and bearing a small white seven-pointed star symbolizing the seven verses of the opening Sura (Al-Fatiha) of the Holy Koran; the seven points on the star represent faith in One God, humanity, national spirit, humility, social justice, virtue, and aspirations; design is based on the Arab Revolt flag of World War I
National symbol(s):
eagle; national colors: black, white, green, red
National anthem:
name: "As-salam al-malaki al-urdoni" (Long Live the King of Jordan)
lyrics/music: Abdul-Mone'm al-RIFAI'/Abdul-Qader al-TANEER
note: adopted 1946; the shortened version of the anthem is used most commonly, while the full version is reserved for special occasions

Economy

Economy - overview:
Jordan's economy is among the smallest in the Middle East, with insufficient supplies of water, oil, and other natural resources, underlying the government's heavy reliance on foreign assistance. Other economic challenges for the government include chronic high rates of unemployment and underemployment, budget and current account deficits, and government debt.
King ABDALLAH, during the first decade of the 2000s, implemented significant economic reforms, such as expanding foreign trade and privatizing state-owned companies that attracted foreign investment and contributed to average annual economic growth of 8% for 2004 through 2008. The global economic slowdown and regional turmoil contributed to slower growth from 2010 to 2017 - with growth averaging about 2.5% per year - and hurt export-oriented sectors, construction/real estate, and tourism. Since the onset of the civil war in Syria and resulting refugee crisis, one of Jordan’s most pressing socioeconomic challenges has been managing the influx of approximately 660,000 UN-registered refugees, more than 80% of whom live in Jordan’s urban areas. Jordan’s own official census estimated the refugee number at 1.3 million Syrians as of early 2016.
Jordan is nearly completely dependent on imported energy—mostly natural gas—and energy consistently makes up 25-30% of Jordan’s imports. To diversify its energy mix, Jordan has secured several contracts for liquefied and pipeline natural gas, developed several major renewables projects, and is currently exploring nuclear power generation and exploitation of abundant oil shale reserves. In August 2016, Jordan and the IMF agreed to a $723 million Extended Fund Facility that aims to build on the three-year, $2.1 billion IMF program that ended in August 2015 with the goal of helping Jordan correct budgetary and balance of payments imbalances.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$89.05 billion (2017 est.)
$87.04 billion (2016 est.)
$85.33 billion (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 89
GDP (official exchange rate):
$40.49 billion (2017 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2.3% (2017 est.)
2% (2016 est.)
2.4% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 143
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$12,500 (2017 est.)
$12,500 (2016 est.)
$12,500 (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 123
Gross national saving:
11.8% of GDP (2017 est.)
9.5% of GDP (2016 est.)
10.2% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 147
GDP - composition, by end use:
household consumption: 79.1%
government consumption: 19.3%
investment in fixed capital: 22.4%
investment in inventories: 1.9%
exports of goods and services: 32.7%
imports of goods and services: -55.4% (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture: 4.3%
industry: 28.9%
services: 66.8% (2017 est.)
Agriculture - products:
citrus, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, strawberries, stone fruits; sheep, poultry, dairy
Industries:
tourism, information technology, clothing, fertilizer, potash, phosphate mining, pharmaceuticals, petroleum refining, cement, inorganic chemicals, light manufacturing
Industrial production growth rate:
2.2% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 122
Labor force:
2.295 million (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 118
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 2%
industry: 20%
services: 78% (2013 est.)
Unemployment rate:
16.5% (2017 est.)
15.3% (2016 est.)
note: official rate; unofficial rate is approximately 30%
country comparison to the world: 177
Population below poverty line:
14.2% (2002 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.4%
highest 10%: 28.7% (2010 est.)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
39.7 (2007 est.)
36.4 (1997 est.)
country comparison to the world: 69
Budget:
revenues: $9.157 billion
expenditures: $11.81 billion (2017 est.)
Taxes and other revenues:
22.6% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 133
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
-6.5% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 182
Public debt:
86% of GDP (2017 est.)
87.7% of GDP (2016 est.)
note: data cover central government debt, and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data exclude debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions
country comparison to the world: 31
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.3% (2017 est.)
-0.8% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137
Central bank discount rate:
3.75% (31 December 2015 est.)
0.3% (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 100
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
8.5% (31 December 2017 est.)
7.83% (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 100
Stock of narrow money:
$14.98 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$14.63 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 72
Stock of broad money:
$47.29 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$46.3 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 70
Stock of domestic credit:
$44.59 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$41.87 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 70
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$24.25 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$25.45 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$25.55 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 63
Current account balance:
$-3.412 billion (2017 est.)
$-3.613 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 170
Exports:
$7.734 billion (2017 est.)
$7.509 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 98
Exports - commodities:
textiles, fertilizers, potash, phosphates, vegetables, pharmaceuticals
Exports - partners:
US 25.2%, Saudi Arabia 14.2%, India 8.4%, Iraq 6.8%, UAE 5.6%, Kuwait 5.1% (2016)
Imports:
$17.61 billion (2017 est.)
$17.03 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 79
Imports - commodities:
crude oil, refined petroleum products, machinery, transport equipment, iron, cereals
Imports - partners:
China 14%, Saudi Arabia 11.8%, US 7.4%, Germany 4.8%, Italy 4.7%, UAE 4.4% (2016)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$15.98 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$15.54 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 67
Debt - external:
$27.72 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$26.38 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 84
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$33.96 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$32.15 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 69
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$646.5 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$612.5 million (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 90
Exchange rates:
Jordanian dinars (JOD) per US dollar -
0.71 (2017 est.)
0.71 (2016 est.)
0.71 (2015 est.)
0.71 (2014 est.)
0.71 (2013 est.)

Energy

Electricity access:
population without electricity: 40,926
electrification - total population: 99.5%
electrification - urban areas: 99%
electrification - rural areas: 99.4% (2012)
Electricity - production:
17.76 billion kWh (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 80
Electricity - consumption:
16.13 billion kWh (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 74
Electricity - exports:
50 million kWh (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 87
Electricity - imports:
604 million kWh (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 78
Electricity - installed generating capacity:
4.382 million kW (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 83
Electricity - from fossil fuels:
96.3% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 47
Electricity - from nuclear fuels:
0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 117
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:
0.3% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 152
Electricity - from other renewable sources:
9.5% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 72
Crude oil - production:
22 bbl/day (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 100
Crude oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 144
Crude oil - imports:
63,220 bbl/day (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 50
Crude oil - proved reserves:
1 million bbl (1 January 2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99
Refined petroleum products - production:
65,150 bbl/day (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 76
Refined petroleum products - consumption:
160,000 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 64
Refined petroleum products - exports:
0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 166
Refined petroleum products - imports:
93,860 bbl/day (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60
Natural gas - production:
151 million cu m (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 79
Natural gas - consumption:
3.509 billion cu m (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 73
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 127
Natural gas - imports:
2.746 billion cu m (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 47
Natural gas - proved reserves:
6.031 billion cu m (1 January 2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 92
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:
19 million Mt (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 84

Communications

Telephones - fixed lines:
total subscriptions: 404,112
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 4 (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 102
Telephones - mobile cellular:
total: 9,818,446
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 96 (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 86
Telephone system:
general assessment: service has improved recently with increased use of digital switching equipment; microwave radio relay transmission and coaxial and fiber-optic cable are employed on trunk lines; growing mobile-cellular usage in both urban and rural areas is reducing use of fixed-line services
domestic: 1995 telecommunications law opened all non-fixed-line services to private competition; in 2005, monopoly over fixed-line services terminated and the entire telecommunications sector was opened to competition; currently multiple mobile-cellular providers with subscribership up to 185 per 100 persons
international: country code - 962; landing point for the Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) FEA and FLAG Falcon submarine cable networks; satellite earth stations - 33 (3 Intelsat, 1 Arabsat, and 29 land and maritime Inmarsat terminals); fiber-optic cable to Saudi Arabia and microwave radio relay link with Egypt and Syria; participant in Medarabtel (2016)
Broadcast media:
radio and TV dominated by the government-owned Jordan Radio and Television Corporation (JRTV) that operates a main network, a sports network, a film network, and a satellite channel; first independent TV broadcaster aired in 2007; international satellite TV and Israeli and Syrian TV broadcasts are available; roughly 30 radio stations with JRTV operating the main government-owned station; transmissions of multiple international radio broadcasters are available (2007)
Internet country code:
.jo
Internet users:
total: 5,099,674
percent of population: 62.3% (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 77

Transportation

National air transport system:
number of registered air carriers: 7
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 40
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 3,065,145
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 169.105 million mt-km (2015)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix:
JY (2016)
Airports:
18 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 140
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 16
over 3,047 m: 8
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2017)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2013)
Heliports:
1 (2012)
Pipelines:
gas 473 km; oil 49 km (2013)
Railways:
total: 509 km
narrow gauge: 509 km 1.050-m gauge (2014)
country comparison to the world: 114
Roadways:
total: 7,203 km
paved: 7,203 km (2011)
country comparison to the world: 144
Merchant marine:
total: 31
by type: general cargo 9, oil tanker 1, other 21 (2017)
country comparison to the world: 128
Ports and terminals:
major seaport(s): Al 'Aqabah

Military & Security

Military expenditures:
4.8% of GDP (2017)
4.58% of GDP (2016)
4.31% of GDP (2015)
4.32% of GDP (2014)
4.3% of GDP (2013)
country comparison to the world: 12
Military branches:
Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF): Royal Jordanian Land Force (RJLF), Royal Jordanian Navy, Royal Jordanian Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Malakiya al-Urduniya, RJAF), Special Operations Command (Socom); Public Security Directorate (normally falls under Ministry of Interior, but comes under JAF in wartime or crisis) (2017)
Military service age and obligation:
17 years of age for voluntary male military service; initial service term 2 years, with option to reenlist for 18 years; conscription at age 18 suspended in 1999; women are not conscripted, but can volunteer to serve in noncombat military positions in the Royal Jordanian Arab Army Women's Corps and RJAF (2013)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
2004 Agreement settles border dispute with Syria pending demarcation
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 2,175,491 (Palestinian refugees) (2017); 666,113 (Syria); 66,262 (Iraq) (2018)

Economic Indicators for Jordan including actual values, historical data, and latest data updates for the Jordan economy.