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 billion (2017 est.)
$87.28 billion (2016 est.)
$85.56 billion (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 90
[see also: GDP country ranks ]

GDP (official exchange rate):
$40.13 billion (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP (official exchange rate) country ranks ]

GDP - real growth rate:
2% (2017 est.)
2% (2016 est.)
2.4% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 151
[see also: GDP - real growth rate country ranks ]

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$9,200 (2017 est.)
$9,200 (2016 est.)
$9,300 (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 144
[see also: GDP - per capita country ranks ]

Gross national saving:
9.1% of GDP (2017 est.)
9.3% of GDP (2016 est.)
10.2% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 165
[see also: Gross national saving country ranks ]

GDP - composition, by end use:
household consumption: 80.5% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - household consumption country ranks ]
government consumption: 19.8% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - government consumption country ranks ]
investment in fixed capital: 22.8% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in fixed capital country ranks ]
investment in inventories: 0.7% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in inventories country ranks ]
exports of goods and services: 34.2% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - exports of goods and services country ranks ]
imports of goods and services: -58% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - imports of goods and services country ranks ]

GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture: 4.5% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 28.8% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - industry country ranks ]
services: 66.6% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - services country ranks ]

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:
1.4% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 146
[see also: Industrial production growth rate country ranks ]

Labor force:
2.295 million (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 117
[see also: Labor force country ranks ]

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 2%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 20%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - industry country ranks ]
services: 78% (2013 est.)
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - services country ranks ]

Unemployment rate:
18.3% (2017 est.)
15.3% (2016 est.)
note: official rate; unofficial rate is approximately 30%
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 181
[see also: Unemployment rate country ranks ]

Population below poverty line:
14.2% (2002 est.)
[see also: Population below poverty line country ranks ]

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.4%
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10% country ranks ]
highest 10%: 28.7% (2010 est.)
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - highest 10% country ranks ]

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
39.7 (2007)
36.4 (1997)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 69
[see also: Distribution of family income - Gini index country ranks ]

Budget:
revenues: 9.462 billion (2017 est.)
[see also: Budget - revenues country ranks ]
expenditures: 11.51 billion (2017 est.)
[see also: Budget - expenditures country ranks ]

Taxes and other revenues:
23.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 124
[see also: Taxes and other revenues country ranks ]

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
-5.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 170
[see also: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) country ranks ]

Public debt:
95.9% of GDP (2017 est.)
95.1% 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 intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental 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 (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 22
[see also: Public debt country ranks ]

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.3% (2017 est.)
-0.8% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 138
[see also: Inflation rate (consumer prices) country ranks ]

Central bank discount rate:
3.75% (31 December 2015)
0.3% (31 December 2010)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 100
[see also: Central bank discount rate country ranks ]

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
8.65% (31 December 2017 est.)
7.83% (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 97
[see also: Commercial bank prime lending rate country ranks ]

Stock of narrow money:
$14.64 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$14.63 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 74
[see also: Stock of narrow money country ranks ]

Stock of broad money:
$14.64 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$14.63 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 75
[see also: Stock of broad money country ranks ]

Stock of domestic credit:
$42.7 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$41.87 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 68
[see also: Stock of domestic credit country ranks ]

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 (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 61
[see also: Market value of publicly traded shares country ranks ]

Current account balance:
-$4.257 billion (2017 est.)
-$3.693 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 180
[see also: Current account balance country ranks ]

Exports:
$7.511 billion (2017 est.)
$7.509 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 98
[see also: Exports country ranks ]

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

Exports - commodities:
textiles, fertilizers, potash, phosphates, vegetables, pharmaceuticals

Imports:
$18.21 billion (2017 est.)
$17.14 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 81
[see also: Imports country ranks ]

Imports - commodities:
crude oil, refined petroleum products, machinery, transport equipment, iron, cereals

Imports - partners:
China 13.6%, Saudi Arabia 13.6%, US 9.9%, UAE 4.9%, Germany 4.4% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$15.56 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$15.54 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 67
[see also: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold country ranks ]

Debt - external:
$29.34 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$26.38 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 82
[see also: Debt - external country ranks ]

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$33.83 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$32.15 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 69
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - at home country ranks ]

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 (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 95
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad country ranks ]

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.)