Jordan

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 poverty, unemployment, inflation, and a large budget deficit. Since assuming the throne in 1999, King ABDALLAH has implemented significant economic reforms, such as opening the trade regime, privatizing state-owned companies, and eliminating most fuel subsidies, which in the past few years have spurred economic growth by attracting foreign investment and creating some jobs. The global economic slowdown, however, has depressed Jordan’s GDP growth. Export-oriented sectors such as manufacturing, mining, and the transport of re-exports have been hit the hardest. The Government approved two supplementary budgets in 2010, but sweeping tax cuts planned for 2010 did not materialize because of Amman’s need for additional revenue to cover excess spending. The budget deficit is likely to remain high, at 5-6% of GDP, and Amman likely will continue to depend heavily on foreign assistance to finance the deficit in 2011. Jordan’s financial sector has been relatively isolated from the international financial crisis because of its limited exposure to overseas capital markets. Jordan is currently exploring nuclear power generation to forestall energy shortfalls.

$33.79 billion (2010 est.)

$32.74 billion (2009 est.)

$31.98 billion (2008 est.)

$27.13 billion (2010 est.)

3.2% (2010 est.)

2.4% (2009 est.)

5.8% (2008 est.)

$5,300 (2010 est.)

$5,200 (2009 est.)

$5,200 (2008 est.)

1.719 million (2010 est.)

13.4% (2010 est.)

12.9% (2009 est.)

14.2% (2002)

39.7 (2007)

36.4 (1997)

30.1% of GDP (2010 est.)

61.4% of GDP (2010 est.)

64.7% of GDP (2009 est.)

4.4% (2010 est.)

-0.7% (2009 est.)

4.75% (31 December 2009)

6.25% (31 December 2008)

9.25% (31 December 2009 est.)

9.03% (31 December 2008 est.)

$9.386 billion (31 December 2010 est)

$8.437 billion (31 December 2009 est)

$35.53 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$33.38 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$26.85 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$25.14 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$31.86 billion (31 December 2009)

$35.85 billion (31 December 2008)

$41.22 billion (31 December 2007)

citrus, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, strawberries, stone fruits; sheep, poultry, dairy

clothing, fertilizers, potash, phosphate mining, pharmaceuticals, petroleum refining, cement, inorganic chemicals, light manufacturing, tourism

2.7% (2010 est.)

12.21 billion kWh (2007 est.)

10.4 billion kWh (2007 est.)

176 million kWh (2007 est.)

200 million kWh (2007 est.)

0 bbl/day (2008 est.)

108,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

108,200 bbl/day (2007 est.)

1 million bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

250 million cu m (2008 est.)

2.97 billion cu m (2008 est.)

0 cu m (2008 est.)

2.72 billion cu m (2008 est.)

6.031 billion cu m (1 January 2010 est.)

-$975 million (2010 est.)

-$1.27 billion (2009 est.)

$7.333 billion (2010 est.)

$6.366 billion (2009 est.)

clothing, fertilizers, potash, phosphates, vegetables, pharmaceuticals

US 17.13%, Iraq 17%, India 13.59%, Saudi Arabia 10.56%, Syria 4.18%, UAE 4.09% (2009)

$12.97 billion (2010 est.)

$12.5 billion (2009 est.)

crude oil, machinery, transport equipment, iron, cereals

Saudi Arabia 17.3%, China 10.95%, US 6.94%, Germany 6.29%, Egypt 6.1% (2009)

$12.64 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$12.14 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$5.522 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$6.766 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$22.19 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$19.76 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$NA

Jordanian dinars (JOD) per US dollar - 0.709 (2010), 0.709 (2009), 0.709 (2008), 0.709 (2007), 0.709 (2006)