Jordan (Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan)

Jordan Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	106th best
Capital	Amman
Land Area	88 780km21
Location	Asia, The Middle East
Population	10.0m2
Life Expectancy	74.26yrs (2017)3
GNI	$9 924 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	JO, JOR, 4005
Internet Domain	.jo6
Currency	Dinar (JOD)7
Telephone	+9628

1. Overview
2. Jordan National and Social Development
3. Jordan's Demographics and Migration
4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
5. Jordan's Health
6. Jordan's Responsibility Towards The Environment
7. Jordan's Modernity and Learning
8. Jordan's Culture, Peace and Inequality
9. Religion and Beliefs
10. Links

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1. Overview

#islam #israel #UK #USA

“Following World War I and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, the UK received a mandate to govern much of the Middle East. Britain separated out a semi-autonomous region of Transjordan from Palestine in the early 1920s, and the area gained its independence in 1946; it adopted the name of The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in 1950. The country's long-time ruler was King HUSSEIN (1953-99). A pragmatic leader, he 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 war and defeated Palestinian rebels who attempted to overthrow the monarchy in 1970. King HUSSEIN in 1988 permanently relinquished Jordanian claims to the West Bank - called "The 1988 Disengagement Decision." In 1989, he reinstituted parliamentary elections and initiated a gradual political liberalization and legalized political parties in 1992. 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 February 1999. Since then, he has consolidated his power and implemented some economic and political reforms. Jordan acceded to the World Trade Organization in 2000, and began to participate in the European Free Trade Association in 2001. In 2003, Jordan staunchly supported the Coalition ouster of SADDAM Husayn in Iraq and, following the outbreak of insurgent violence in Iraq, absorbed thousands of displaced Iraqis. Municipal elections were held in July 2007 under a system in which 20% of seats in all municipal councils were reserved by quota for women. Beginning in January 2011 in the wake of unrest in Tunisia and Egypt, as many as several thousand Jordanians staged weekly demonstrations and marches in Amman and other cities throughout Jordan to push for political reforms and to protest against government corruption, rising prices, rampant poverty, and high unemployment. In response, King ABDALLAH replaced his prime minister four times and formed two commissions - one to propose specific reforms to Jordan's electoral and political party laws and the other to consider limited constitutional amendments. In a televised speech in June 2011, King ABDULLAH announced plans to work toward transferring authority for appointing future prime ministers and cabinet ministers to parliament; in a subsequent announcement, he outlined a revised political parties law intended to encourage greater political participation. Protesters and opposition elements generally acknowledged those measures as steps in the right direction, but many continue to push for greater limits on the king's authority and to fight against government corruption. A royal decree issued in September 2011 approved constitutional amendments passed by the parliament aimed at strengthening a more independent judiciary and established a constitutional court and independent election commission to oversee municipal and parliamentary elections. In October 2011, King ABDALLAH dismissed the Jordanian cabinet and replaced the prime minister in response to widespread public dissatisfaction with government performance and escalating criticism of the premier because of public concerns over his reported involvement in corruption. Parliamentary elections held in January 2013 were overseen by the newly established Independent Electoral Commission and resulted in the election of 150 members to the Lower House of Parliament.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“At the crossroads of history for more than 2000 years, the kingdom of Jordan is a treasure trove of world-class heritage sites and spectacular desert scenery. Jordan has welcomed high volumes of visitors since camel caravans plied the legendary King´s Highway transporting frankincense in exchange for spices. Nabataean tradesmen, Roman legionnaires, Muslim armies and zealous Crusaders have all passed through the land we now call Jordan, leaving spectacular monuments behind. In turn, these monuments have provoked a modern wave of visitors who, since the early 19th century, have been fascinated to discover this potent past or who have gone in search of the origins of their faith.

Thanks to its diversity and small size, Jordan repays even the shortest visit with world-class sights and activities. Petra, the ancient Nabataean city locked in the heart of Jordan´s sandstone escarpments, is the jewel in the crown of the country´s many antiquities, but it is far from the only reason to visit. Apart from the many other spectacular historical and biblical sites, the country offers striking desert landscapes, a salty sea at the lowest point on earth, and rural towns that keep continuity with the traditions of the past.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Jordan National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better Value11
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
100=	Suriname	0.730
101	Uzbekistan	0.727
102=	Dominica	0.720
102=	Jordan	0.720
104	Libya	0.718
105	Paraguay	0.717
106=	Palestine	0.715
106=	St Lucia	0.715
	Asia Avg	0.75
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $11
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
108	Tunisia	$10 258
109	Fiji	$9 980
110	Iraq	$9 977
111	Jordan	$9 924
112	Lebanon	$9 526
113	Bhutan	$9 438
114	Philippines	$8 920
115	Jamaica	$8 834
	Asia Avg	$22 215
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank12
1	Denmark	29.1
2	Norway	32.3
3	Sweden	34.1
	...
103	Russia	91.4
104	St Kitts & Nevis	91.6
105	St Lucia	92.0
106	Jordan	92.2
107	Botswana	93.1
108	Guatemala	93.4
109	Kyrgyzstan	94.2
110	Bahrain	94.9
	Asia Avg	92.0
	World Avg	88.9
q=199.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Jordan's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population:

Jordan's population is predicted to fall to 8 415 000 by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 2.79. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₃

Population2
Pos.		2018 Population2
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
86	Greece	10.5m
87	Portugal	10.3m
88	Sweden	10.0m
89	Jordan	10.0m
90	Azerbaijan	9.9m
91	Hungary	9.7m
92	UAE	9.6m
93	Honduras	9.6m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
63	Malaysia	74.9
64	Brunei	74.6
65	Hungary	74.5
66	Jordan	74.3
67	Serbia	74.2
68	Romania	74.2
69	Cape Verde	74.1
70	Morocco	74.0
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best14
Pos.		202214
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
134	Haiti	2.77
135	Mongolia	2.77
136	Swaziland	2.79
137	Jordan	2.79
138	Kyrgyzstan	2.80
139	Aruba	1.18
140	China	1.18
141	Algeria	2.83
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better15
Pos.		2016 Per 10015
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
50	Botswana	07.7
51=	UAE	07.7
52	Oman	07.8
53	Jordan	08.0
54	Laos	08.1
55	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	08.2
56	Belize	08.3
57	Gabon	08.5
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

• The Population of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

Migration:

Immigrants16
Pos.		2017 %16
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
10	Oman	44.7%
11	Hong Kong	39.1%
12	Saudi Arabia	37.0%
13	Jordan	33.3%
14	Nauru	32.7%
15	Lebanon	31.9%
16	Switzerland	29.6%
17	Australia	28.8%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants17
Pos.		2010 %17
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
54	Nicaragua	12.5%
55	Latvia	12.3%
56	Luxembourg	11.8%
57	Jordan	11.3%
58	Kyrgyzstan	11.2%
59	Tajikistan	11.2%
60	Cuba	10.9%
61	Mauritius	10.9%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #islam #jordan #jordan_slavery #morals #politics #prejudice #slavery #tolerance

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)18
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank18
1	Sweden	6.1
2	Denmark	8.6
3	Norway	9.0
	...
140	Maldives	110.2
141	Madagascar	110.4
142	Zambia	111.0
143	Jordan	111.1
144	Vietnam	111.6
145	Haiti	111.9
	Asia Avg	103.00
	World Avg	86.55
q=199.

Jordan is very poor at ensuring human rights and freedom compared to the rest of the world, and it has cultural issues when it comes to tolerance and equality. Jordan does better than average in terms of eliminating modern slavery₁₉. When it comes to most other metrics, Jordan does not do well. It does worse than average for the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₂₀, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₁, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₂, LGBT equality₂₃ (still good for Asia), its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₄, opposing gender inequality₂₅, its average Freedom in the World rating, supporting press freedom₂₆ and in freethought₂₇. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 when it comes to its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₂₈. "In 2017, Jordan continued to violate human rights, including restrictions on free expression, free assembly, and women´s rights"₂₉. Jordan does not accept basic human rights regarding religion; only Islam is acceptable₂₉.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

• Human Rights and Freedom in Jordan

5. Jordan's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #jordan #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #suicide #vaccines

Compared to Asia (2025)30
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank30
1	Japan	41.2
2	Hong Kong	48.2
3=	S. Korea	49.9
	...
42	Tajikistan	110.6
43	Laos	115.8
44	Pakistan	117.2
45	Jordan	119.8
46	Palestine	124.3
47	Syria	126.1
48	Yemen	131.0
49	Afghanistan	137.7
50	Iraq	144.5
	Asia Avg	80.90
q=50.

Health (2025)30
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank30
1	Monaco	14.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Isle of Man	32.1
	...
149	Botswana	118.5
150	Vanuatu	118.8
151	Solomon Islands	119.7
152	Jordan	119.8
153	Honduras	121.0
154	Sao Tome & Principe	121.3
155	Lesotho	121.4
156	Palau	121.6
	World Avg	97.60
q=213.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and The Isle of Man₃₁. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are The Cook Islands, The Marshall Islands and Niue₃₁.

25 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Balkans₃₁, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Australasia₃₁.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2020).

Health:

Jordan does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Jordan comes in the best 20 in terms of its suicide rate₃₂ (the lowest in Asia) and in its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₃ (amongst the best in Asia). It does better than average in its alcohol consumption rate₃₄, its immunizations take-up₃₅, its average life expectancy₁₁ and in its adolescent birth rate₃₆. Jordan doesn't do so well in other areas. Jordan does worse than average for its fertility rate₁₄ and in the prevalence of overweight adults₃₇. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 in its smoking rate₃₈. In an attempt to improve its horrendous death rate from related illness, in 2020 smoking in indoor public spaces was finally banned₃₉. The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the past 40 years. Life expectancy in Jordan improved by +6.2yrs in the 30 years from 1990, less than the global average of +7.9yrs. Jordan is amongst only 41 countries who have seen their fertility rate drop by more than 4 since the 1960s. Its peak fertility rate was 8.13 in 1969.

In the buildup to the 2020 ban on smoking in indoor public spaces, Jordan was declared to be the heaviest user of tobacco by an international report, and its death rate from related diseases was 1 in 5 of all deaths (compared to 1 in 10 globally)₃₉.

“Larissa Al-Uar, from the activist group Tobacco Free Jordan, said the announcemenet was a "huge change". [...] She said previous efforts to curb the country's record-high smoking rates had suffered from weak enforcement as well as what health advocates claimed was widespread interference in policymaking by multinational tobacco companies. A Guardian investigation found that tobacco company lobbyists had been regularly invited to sit in on meetings to debate regulations on their products.”

The Guardian (2020)₃₉

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
63	Malaysia	74.9
64	Brunei	74.6
65	Hungary	74.5
66	Jordan	74.3
67	Serbia	74.2
68	Romania	74.2
69	Cape Verde	74.1
70	Morocco	74.0
	Asia Avg	73.48
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better34
Pos.		2016 Per Capita34
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
17=	Sudan	0.5
18	Bhutan	0.6
19=	Morocco	0.6
20	Jordan	0.7
21=	Senegal	0.7
22	Oman	0.8
23=	Indonesia	0.8
23=	Azerbaijan	0.8
	Asia Avg	3.9
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best14
Pos.		202214
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
134	Haiti	2.77
135	Mongolia	2.77
136	Swaziland	2.79
137	Jordan	2.79
138	Kyrgyzstan	2.80
139	Aruba	1.18
140	China	1.18
141	Algeria	2.83
	Asia Avg	2.17
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking Rates Lower is better38
Pos.		201438
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
163	Hungary	1 759
164	Estonia	1 775
165	Ukraine	1 854
166	Jordan	1 855
167	Austria	1 988
168	S. Korea	2 073
169	Greece	2 086
170	Azerbaijan	2 114
	Asia Avg	1 035
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Suicide Rate32
Pos.		2013 Per 100k32
1	Haiti	0
2	Grenada	0
3	Egypt	0.1
4	Jordan	0.2
5	Maldives	0.7
6	Azerbaijan	1.3
7	S. Africa	1.8
8	Bahamas	2.5
9	Peru	2.9
10	Kuwait	3.6
11	Armenia	3.9
12	Dominican Rep.	4.6
	Asia Avg	19.50
	World Avg	20.93
q=91.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better33
Pos.		2017 Rank33
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
15	Saudi Arabia	15
16	Belgium	16
17	New Zealand	17
18	Jordan	18
19	S. Korea	19
20	Kuwait	20
21	Japan	21
22	Spain	22
	Asia Avg	64.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better37
Pos.		1976 %37
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
156=	Iceland	40.6
156=	Canada	40.6
158	Poland	40.8
159	Jordan	41.0
160=	Lebanon	41.2
160=	Greece	41.2
162	Bulgaria	41.4
163=	USA	41.6
	Asia Avg	23.1
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better40
Pos.		2022 %40
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
162	Turkey	34.3%
163	Malta	34.6%
164	Uruguay	34.7%
165	Jordan	35.6%
166	Croatia	35.7%
167	Argentina	36.0%
168	Panama	36.1%
169	Mexico	36.1%
	Asia Avg	21.1%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better36
Pos.		2022 Per 100036
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
74	Djibouti	22.7
75	Chile	22.8
76	Mauritius	24.0
77	Jordan	24.9
78	Mongolia	25.0
79	Bahamas	25.1
80	Morocco	25.5
81	Fiji	26.1
	Asia Avg	25.9
	World Avg	43.8
q=195.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better35
Pos.		2015 Avg %35
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
36	Slovakia	97.0
37	Kyrgyzstan	96.7
38	Brazil	96.7
39=	Jordan	96.6
39=	Brunei	96.6
41	Spain	96.5
42	Poland	96.5
43	Libya	96.4
	Asia Avg	90.5
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

6. Jordan's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #environmentalism #food #internationalism #jordan #meat #over-exploitation #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Asia (2025)41
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank41
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Nepal	47.9
3	India	49.5
4	Philippines	49.6
5	Japan	57.4
6	Thailand	59.5
7	Vietnam	60.6
8	Indonesia	61.9
9	Jordan	63.1
10	Hong Kong	64.6
11	Cyprus	64.8
12	Bangladesh	69.7
13	Maldives	70.5
	Asia Avg	86.44
q=51.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)41
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank41
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
35	Indonesia	61.9
36	Cameroon	62.6
37	Italy	63.1
38	Jordan	63.1
39	Ireland	63.1
40	Burkina Faso	63.1
41	Gambia	63.3
42	Senegal	63.4
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

We have known for a long term that we must protect the environment from habitation destruction, over-exploitation, pollution, and the emissions that cause climate change. In 1998, Greenpeace wrote that "Environment can no longer be meaningfully separated from health, quality of life, democracy, education, economy or trade"₄₂. What countries have been doing the right thing, via legislation and national culture? All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

• " Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Jordan is 38th in the world with regard to its responsibility towards the environment. This rank is computed from 21 data sets. Jordan does better than average in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, its environmental performance₄₃, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₄, reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₅ and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₆. Jordan does not succeed in everything, however. Jordan does worse than average for energy to GDP efficiency₄₇ (still low for Asia).

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better46
Pos.		Total46
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
113=	Pitcairn Islands	0.0%
113=	Bermuda	0.0%
113=	Faroe Islands	0.0%
113=	Jordan	0.0%
113=	Andorra	0.0%
113=	Grenada	0.0%
113=	Aruba	0.0%
113=	Svalbard	0.0%
	Asia Avg	3.2%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

Environmental Performance Higher is better43
Pos.		201843
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
59	Azerbaijan	62.3
60	S. Korea	62.3
61	Kuwait	62.3
62	Jordan	62.2
63	Armenia	62.1
64	Peru	61.9
65	Montenegro	61.3
66	Egypt	61.2
	Asia Avg	54.5
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better47
Pos.		2022 Avg47
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
85	Namibia	1.07
86	Cambodia	1.07
87	Albania	1.08
88	Jordan	1.10
89	Mexico	1.10
90	Taiwan	1.10
91	Bolivia	1.11
92	Chile	1.11
	Asia Avg	1.50
	World Avg	1.23
q=165.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
31	Austria	70%
32	Venezuela	70%
33	Kazakhstan	70%
34	Jordan	69%
35	Portugal	69%
36	Costa Rica	69%
37	Mexico	69%
38	Uzbekistan	69%
	Asia Avg	55.4%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

Jordan was one of the 19 countries that signed the Basel Convention on its very first day.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better44
Pos.		2011 %44
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
60	Zambia	41.9%
61	Singapore	41.6%
62	Ukraine	41.5%
63	Jordan	41.4%
64	India	41.2%
65	Canada	41.2%
66	Serbia	41.1%
67	Ghana	40.4%
	Asia Avg	37.9%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Meat Consumption Lower is better45
Pos.		2021 kg45
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
64	Central African Rep.	34.4
65	Comoros	34.5
66	Venezuela	35.6
67	Jordan	36.0
68	Lebanon	36.3
69	Paraguay	36.4
70	Azerbaijan	37.1
71	Namibia	37.2
	Asia Avg	46.7
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

In the 2010s, meat consumption per person in Jordan was reducing.₄₅

7. Jordan's Modernity and Learning

#education #english #intelligence #maths #modernity #politics #religion #religiosity #research #science #secularisation #technology #the_internet

Compared to Asia (2020)48
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank48
1	S. Korea	22.2
2	Japan	24.7
3	Israel	29.5
	...
26	Sri Lanka	79.2
27	Lebanon	82.1
28	Philippines	85.1
29	Jordan	86.1
30	India	87.8
31	Oman	89.8
32	Palestine	91.6
33	Mongolia	91.7
34	Indonesia	93.3
	Asia Avg	78.26
q=49.

Modernity & Learning (2020)48
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank48
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
97	Bahamas	83.5
98	Dominica	84.0
99	Philippines	85.1
100	Jordan	86.1
101	St Lucia	86.3
102=	Dominican Rep.	87.1
102=	Panama	87.1
104	Andorra	87.1
	World Avg	86.31
q=190.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Belgium and Denmark₄₉. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone₄₉. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₅₀.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”

Bill Emmott (2017)₅₁

15 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Intellectual Endeavours, Maths, Science & Reading, Religiosity, IQ, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₄₉, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₉.

For more, see:

• "Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Modernity and Education:

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.2952
2	Israel	4.1152
3	Japan	3.5852
	...
64=	Cuba	0.4753
65	Macedonia	0.4453
66=	Puerto Rico	0.4453
67	Jordan	0.4354
68	Mozambique	0.4255
69	Thailand	0.3956
70=	Tanzania	0.3855
70=	Romania	0.3852
	Asia Avg	0.75
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education Higher is better57
Pos.		201857
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
51	Poland	85.3%
52	Belgium	84.8%
53	UK	84.5%
54	Jordan	84.0%
55	France	83.5%
56	Sri Lanka	82.8%
57	Bosnia & Herzegovina	81.2%
58	Malaysia	80.8%
	Asia Avg	66.0%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better58
Pos.		2021 Years58
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
154	Burundi	10.7
155	Kenya	10.7
156	Ivory Coast	10.7
157	Jordan	10.6
158	Guinea-Bissau	10.6
159	Guatemala	10.6
160	Liberia	10.4
161	Papua New Guinea	10.4
	Asia Avg	13.5
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better33
Pos.		2017 Rank33
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
62	Malta	62
63	Ghana	63
64	Samoa	64
65	Jordan	65
66	Namibia	66
67	India	67
68	Lebanon	68
69	Senegal	69
	Asia Avg	97.1
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Maths, Science & Reading Higher is better59
Pos.		2015 Score59
1	Singapore	1655
2	Hong Kong	1598
3	Japan	1586
	...
58	Colombia	1231
59	Qatar	1222
60	Georgia	1216
61	Jordan	1197
62	Indonesia	1186
63	Brazil	1185
64	Peru	1182
65	Lebanon	1129
	Asia Avg	1398
	World Avg	1389
q=70.

Religiosity Lower is better60
Pos.		2018 %60
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
75=	India	80
76	Iraq	82
77=	El Salvador	85
77=	Jordan	85
79	Palestine	86
80=	Uganda	86
80=	Chad	86
80=	Niger	86
	Asia Avg	55.8
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

IQ Higher is better61
Pos.		200661
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
75=	Cuba	85
76	Venezuela	84
77=	Colombia	84
77=	Jordan	84
77=	Afghanistan	84
77=	UAE	84
77=	Iran	84
77=	Pakistan	84
	Asia Avg	90.4
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users Higher is better62
Pos.		201662
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
104=	Fiji	47%
105	Tonga	47%
106	Nigeria	46%
107	Jordan	46%
108	Panama	45%
109	Mexico	45%
110=	Kenya	45%
110=	Belize	45%
	Asia Avg	48.7%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

Freedom On The Internet Lower is better63
Pos.		201263
1	Estonia	10
2	USA	12
3	Germany	15
	...
21	Indonesia	42
22=	Libya	43
22=	Malaysia	43
24	Jordan	45
25=	Turkey	46
25=	Tunisia	46
27	Venezuela	48
28	Azerbaijan	50
	Asia Avg	56.6
	World Avg	46.7
q=47.

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better64
Pos.		2017 Ratio64
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
169=	Cuba	0.0
169=	St Vincent & Grenadines	0.0
169=	Montenegro	0.0
169=	Libya	0.0
169=	Jamaica	0.0
169=	Fiji	0.0
169=	Jordan	0.0
169=	Barbados	0.0
	Asia Avg	2.11
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

Digital Quality of Life Higher is better65
Pos.		202465
1	Germany	77.9%
2	Finland	76.9%
3	France	73.9%
	...
75	Dominican Rep.	43.4%
76	Ecuador	43.3%
77	Mauritius	42.9%
78	Jordan	42.6%
79	Egypt	42.5%
80	Panama	41.6%
81	Paraguay	41.2%
82	Tunisia	40.4%
	Asia Avg	46.4%
	World Avg	48.4%
q=121.

8. Jordan's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#capitalism #charitability #charity #corruption #culture #economics #equality #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #life_expectancy #morals #peace #politics #poverty #religious_violence #social_development #terrorism

Compared to Asia (2020)66
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank66
1	Singapore	20.2
2	Taiwan	37.2
3	Hong Kong	40.5
	...
10	Malaysia	55.4
11	Oman	61.8
12	Mongolia	62.1
13	Jordan	65.4
14	Indonesia	65.9
15	Kuwait	66.3
16	Thailand	67.3
17	Israel	68.6
18	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	71.5
	Asia Avg	79.59
q=49.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2020)66
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank66
1	Denmark	11.2
2	Norway	13.9
3	Netherlands	14.4
	...
52	Mongolia	62.1
53	Trinidad & Tobago	62.1
54	Bulgaria	62.5
55	Jordan	65.4
56	Indonesia	65.9
57	Albania	66.0
58	Kuwait	66.3
59	Thailand	67.3
	World Avg	78.12
q=180.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 22 datasets, including multiple decades of data on World Giving Index, resisting corruption, overall happiness, Creativity and Culture, Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, Inequality in Life Expectancy, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

• "Which are the Countries for International Contributions, Creativity, Peace and Inequality?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

National Culture:

World Giving Index Higher is better67
Pos.		2022 %67
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
	...
101=	Tanzania	33.0
102	Spain	32.0
103=	Benin	32.0
103=	Jordan	32.0
103=	France	32.0
103=	Greece	32.0
107	Georgia	31.0
108=	Morocco	31.0
	Asia Avg	37.9
	World Avg	39.6
q=125.

Corruption Higher is better68
Pos.		2022 Points68
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
58	Mauritius	50.0
59	Namibia	49.0
60	Vanuatu	48.0
61=	Jordan	47.0
61=	Malaysia	47.0
63	Armenia	46.0
64=	Romania	46.0
65	China	45.0
	Asia Avg	39.98
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Happiness Higher is better69
Pos.		2024 Score69
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
125	Ghana	4.3
126	Myanmar (Burma)	4.3
127	Togo	4.3
128	Jordan	4.3
129	Liberia	4.3
130	Madagascar	4.2
131	Zambia	3.9
132	Ethiopia	3.9
	Asia Avg	5.41
	World Avg	5.58
q=147.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better33
Pos.		2017 Rank33
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
88	Indonesia	88
89	Cambodia	89
90	Peru	90
91	Jordan	91
92	Haiti	92
93	Tunisia	93
94	Papua New Guinea	94
95	Belarus	95
	Asia Avg	99.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better33
Pos.		2017 Rank33
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
21	Portugal	21
22	Moldova	22
23	Hungary	23
24	Jordan	24
25	Mauritius	25
26	Zimbabwe	26
27	Canada	27
28	Trinidad & Tobago	28
	Asia Avg	86.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Peace Versus Instability:

Global Peace Index Lower is better70
Pos.		2023 Score70
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
59	Gambia	1.89
60	Greece	1.89
61	Bosnia & Herzegovina	1.89
62	Jordan	1.90
63	Zambia	1.90
64	Cyprus	1.90
65	Serbia	1.92
66	Armenia	1.93
	Asia Avg	2.17
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better33
Pos.		2017 Rank33
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
28	Mongolia	28
29	Rwanda	29
30	Paraguay	30
31	Jordan	31
32	India	32
33	New Zealand	33
34	Malaysia	34
35	S. Korea	35
	Asia Avg	76.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better33
Pos.		2017 Rank33
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
108	Cape Verde	108
109	China	109
110	Kazakhstan	110
111	Jordan	111
112	Libya	112
113	Belize	113
114	Morocco	114
115	Iraq	115
	Asia Avg	92.2
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better71
Pos.		2019 Score71
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
84	Peru	2.84
85	Rwanda	2.95
86	Nicaragua	2.95
87	Jordan	3.09
88	Italy	3.11
89	Paraguay	3.12
90	Bahrain	3.20
91	Tanzania	3.27
	Asia Avg	3.60
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

Economic Inequality and Poverty:

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better72
Pos.		201972
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
81	Tonga	10.40
82	Mexico	10.50
83=	St Lucia	10.60
83=	Jordan	10.60
85	Colombia	10.70
86	Peru	10.80
87	Brazil	10.90
88	Belize	11.10
	Asia Avg	11.80
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better73
Pos.		2023 %73
1	Slovakia	24.1%74
2	Slovenia	24.3%74
3	Belarus	24.4%75
	...
66=	Georgia	33.5%76
67	Palestine	33.7%77
68=	Tunisia	33.7%74
68=	Jordan	33.7%78
68=	Switzerland	33.7%75
71	Spain	33.9%74
72=	Romania	33.9%74
73	Tajikistan	34.0%79
	Asia Avg	33.0%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

Income inequality data is rarely available for Jordan - only for 7 years between 1980 and 2019.

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better80
Pos.		2018 Severity80
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
4	Turkmenistan	.001
5	Jordan	.002
6	Kazakhstan	.002
7	Montenegro	.002
8	Trinidad & Tobago	.002
9	Maldives	.003
10	Albania	.003
11	Thailand	.003
12	Moldova	.004
	Asia Avg	.084
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#belief #buddhism #christianity #god #hinduism #islam #jordan #judaism #religion #religion_in_jordan #religiosity #secularisation

Religiosity (2018)60
Pos.		Lower is better %60
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
75=	India	80
76	Iraq	82
77=	El Salvador	85
77=	Jordan	85
79	Palestine	86
80=	Uganda	86
80=	Chad	86
80=	Niger	86
83	Kenya	87
84=	Mozambique	87
85	Congo, DR	88
86=	Nigeria	88
86=	Nicaragua	88
88	Djibouti	89
89=	Ghana	89
89=	Guatemala	89
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Disbelief In God (2007)81
Pos.		Higher is better %81
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
109=	Iraq	0
109=	Guinea	0
109=	Ghana	0
109=	Jordan	0
109=	Gambia	0
109=	Kenya	0
109=	Ethiopia	0
109=	Afghanistan	0
109=	Egypt	0
109=	Liberia	0
109=	Libya	0
109=	Ivory Coast	0
109=	Pakistan	0
109=	Niger	0
109=	Saudi Arabia	0
109=	Rwanda	0
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₈₂:

Christian	2.2%
Muslim	97.2%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.4%
Folk Religion	0.1%
Jewish	0.1%
Unaffiliated	0.1%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Sunni Muslim 92% (official), Christian 6% (majority Greek Orthodox, but some Greek and Roman Catholics, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, and Protestant denominations), other 2% (several small Shia Muslim and Druze populations) (2001 est.)₈₃.

Freedom of Religion and Belief: Jordan does not accept basic human rights regarding religion and belief₂₉. There is no official way to be non-religious, it is illegal to promote religions other than Islam, converting away from Islam is illegal, and, blasphemy laws are used to prevent any meaningful religious discussion except glorification of Islam₂₉. Muslims must abide by a particular interpretation of Sharia law₂₉.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?
• Human Rights and Freedom in Jordan: 4.3. Freedom of Thought