Jordan

Jordan is an upper-middle income country. It has the second highest share of refugees per capita in the world, hosting over 745,000 refugees, the majority of whom are Syrians. This rapid increase in population has placed heavy strains on Jordan’s resources and economy.

The service sector, including tourism, accounts for a large part of Jordan’s GDP. This is complemented by development aid and remittances. Agriculture makes up just 5.5 per cent of GDP.

The unemployment rate is decreasing slowly but youth unemployment remains high at 40.8 per cent. Women’s labour-force participation rate is very low at just 15.5 per cent.

Less than one in ten people live in rural areas where poverty is highest. Over 15 per cent of the population live below the poverty line.

Rural poverty has resulted from rapid population growth, degraded natural resources and a chronic water shortage. The influx of refugees and the impacts of climate change amplify these challenges, further reducing prospects for viable rain-fed agriculture and livestock production.

IFAD aims to increase rural incomes, expand job opportunities, and empower women and youth to develop small enterprises. We do this by enhancing the climate resilience of small-scale farmers and by facilitating access to financial services and markets.

IFAD projects in Jordan also assist Syrian refugees and host communities so they can graduate out of poverty and enhance food security.

• Jordan ranks 98th out of 204 countries on the Human Development Index.
• Jordan is the second most water scarce country in the world.
• Jordan has a high gender gap, ranking 126th out of 146 countries on the Global Gender Gap Index.
• Jordan's economy is among the smallest in the region and lacks natural resources.