RISKY BUSINESS IN JORDAN

Frontier Markets Report | Jordan
Jordan is working hard to build its attractiveness to foreign investors, but regional instability presents a serious downside.

 
 
Source
Central bank

Central Bank of Jordan

International Reserves

USD 14.6 billion (2018)

International Monetary Fund (IMF), data retrieved October 2019

Gross Domestic Product - GDP

USD 42.4 billion (2018, estimate)

GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Intl$ 93.4 billion (2018, estimate)

Real GDP growth
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
8.2% 7.2% 5.5% 2.3% 2.6% 2.7% 2.8%
2014 2015 2016 2017* 2018*    
3.1% 2.4% 2% 2.1% 2%    

*Estimate

GDP per capita - current prices

USD 4,278.3 (2018, estimate)

GDP per capita - PPP

Intl$ 9,433.5 (2018, estimate)

GDP (PPP) - share of world total
1980 1990 2000 2010 2019*
0.06% 0.06% 0.06% 0.08% 0.07%

*Estimate

 
 
Source
GDP - composition by sector
  • agriculture: 5.6% 
  • industry: 27.6% 
  • services: 61.8%

(2018)

Gross domestic expenditure on R&D; (% of GDP)

N/A

Inflation
2015 2016 2017 2018* 2019*
-0.9% -0.8% 3.3% 4.5% 2%

*Estimate

Unemployment rate
2015 2016 2017 2018* 2019
13.1% 15.3% 18.1% 18.3 N/A

*Estimate

Household saving rates

N/A

Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP)
2015 2016 2017 2018* 2019*
92.4% 93.8% 94.3% 94.4% 94.6%

*Estimate

Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP)
2015 2016 2017 2018* 2019*
-8.5% -3.7% -3.7% -4.8% -3.4%

*Estimate

Government bond ratings

Standard & Poor's: B+

Moody's: B1

Standard & Poor's / Moody's

Market value of publicly traded shares
2016 2017 2018
USD 24.6 billion USD 24.0 billion USD 22.7 billion
Largest companies

Arab Bank

 
 
Source
Current account balance

USD -3.0 billion (2018 estimate)

Current account balance by percentage of GDP

-7.0 % (2018 estimate)

Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services)

35.6% (2018)

Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services)

0.04% (2018)

Shares in world total commercial services export

0.12% (2018)

Total exports

USD 15.0 billion (2018 estimate)

Export commodities

Textiles, fertilizers, potash, phosphates, vegetables, pharmaceuticals

Total imports

USD 22.5 billion (2018 estimate)

 
 
Source
Import commodities

Crude oil, refined petroleum products, machinery, transport equipment, iron, cereals

Exports - major partners

US 24.9%, Saudi Arabia 12.8%, India 8.2%, Iraq 8.2%, Kuwait 5.4%, UAE 4.6% (2017)

Imports - major partners

China 13.6%, Saudi Arabia 13.6%, US 9.9%, UAE 4.9%, Germany 4.4% (2017)

FDI inflows
2016 2017 2018
USD 1,553 million USD 2,030 million USD 950 million
FDI outflows
2016 2017 2018
USD 3.2 million USD 6.6 million USD -7.6 million
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser
2015 2016 2017 2018
N/A USD 17 million N/A N/A
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014

N/A

Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015

N/A

Best countries for doing business

Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.

Overall ranking:

75 out of 190 countries

​Subcategories:
Starting a Business: 120 out of 190 countries
Dealing with Construction Permits: 138 out of 190 countries
Getting Electricity: 69 out of 190 countries
Registering Property: 78 out of 190 countries
Getting Credit: 4 out of 190 countries
Protecting Minority Investors: 105 out of 190 countries
Paying Taxes: 62 out of 190 countries
Trading across Borders: 75 out of 190 countries
Enforcing Contracts: 110 out of 190 countries
Resolving Insolvency: 112 out of 190 countries

Global competitiveness ranking

70 out of 141 countries

(2019)

Index of Economic Freedom

Ranking: 53 / Score: 66.5 (Moderately free)

(100=totally free 0=totally repressed)

 
 
Source
Time zone

UTC+2

Total area

89,342 sq km

Capital

Amman

Currency

Jordanian dinars (JOD)

Government type

Parliamentary constitutional monarchy

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 <0.

Total population
1990 2000 2010 2015* 2020*
3.56 million 5.1 million 7.18 million 9.16 million 10.21 million

*Estimate

 
 
Source
Urban population as % of total population
1960 1980 2000 2018
50.9% 60% 78.3% 91%
Population median age

22.8 years 

Population growth rate

2.02% (2018 estimate)

Life expectancy

75 years 

Literacy

Total population: 95.4% 
Male: 97.7% 
Female: 92.9%
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)

% of population living on less than $3.10 a day

2.1% (last available estimate, 2010)

Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)

33.7 (last available estimate, 2010)

Freedom House rating

Partly Free
Political Rights: 5
Civil Liberties: 5 (2019)           

(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free rating)

Source
Total telephone subscribers as % of population

Fixed: 3.2% Mobile: 87.6% (2018) 
(fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers)

Internet users as % of total population

66.79 % (2017)

Mercer Cost of living index

Amman: 75th (2019)

CO2 emissions

2.97 metric tons per capita (2014)

World's Best Developed & Emerging Markets Banks

World's Best Islamic Financial Institutions

World's Best Internet Banks

World’s Best Treasury & Cash Management Providers

World's Best Subcustodian Banks

World’s Best Investment Banks

World’s Best Foreign Exchange Providers

World's Best Banks By Region

World's Best Banks

2013

World’s Best Trade Finance Banks

Best of…

World's Biggest Banks

Additional Awards