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Jordan drops 3 places on security and prosperity index

By Maria Weldali - Mar 29,2023 - Last updated at Mar 29,2023

According to the Gulf Studies and Research Centre, the decline in Jordan’s ranking was attributed to various factors related to the Kingdom’s socioeconomic situation  (File photo)

AMMAN — Jordan dropped three places on the Gulf Studies and Research Centre (CSRGULF) index measuring security and prosperity, declining from seventh place in 2022 to 10th in 2023.

According to CSRGULF, the decline in Jordan’s ranking was attributed to various factors related to the Kingdom’s socioeconomic situation.

The ranking was based on the study of various indicators such as personal safety, health security, social and economic security and environmental security, according to the CSRGULF website.

The index showed that continued debt crises, rising inflation and unemployment rates, limited natural resources and other issues reflected negatively on the country’s social and economic security and the shared prosperity of its citizens.

Weighing Jordan against other countries in the region, Qatar came first for the third consecutive year, followed by the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain, respectively. Sudan ranked 19th — the bottom spot on the index — due to poor performance in almost all categories.

Speaking with The Jordan Times, economist Mazen Marji noted that prosperity is related to much more than just economic development. 

“When a country is prosperous, people‘s standards of living are improved. They are empowered and have the opportunity to thrive,” Marji said.

Prosperity is an “umbrella term” for all forms of social welfare, and reaches far beyond economic self-sufficiency, Marji highlighted.

Since the 1990s, the path to Jordan’s prosperity has receded, given the country’s “weak” economic performance, the economist said, noting that GDP per capita has steadily declined. 

“High unemployment and growing debt have remained among the main challenges,” he added.

Despite the various challenges posed by global and domestic crises, Jordan’s GDP grew by 2.9 per cent in the second quarter of 2022. Nonetheless, Jordan’s unemployment rate went up by 0.5 per cent during the third quarter of 2022, standing at 23.1 per cent.

“There is a need for improvement across all metrics and constructive solutions to the various challenges that act as a brake on Jordan’s prosperity,” economist Mahmoud Abdullah told The Jordan Times on Wednesday. 

According to Abdullah, prosperity is achieved when both economic and social well-being are secured.

“The introduction of a more prosperous environment is vital. At the same time, decision makers should not narrow their focus to solely economic growth in order to form a prosperous Jordan,” he said.

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