Jordan ranks 81st on global prosperity index

AMMAN — Jordan performed strongly in facilitating enterprise conditions and an investment environment, according to an international 2021 report.

The Legatum Prosperity Index 2021 revealed that Jordan’s ranking was 81 on the overall Prosperity Index rankings out of 150 countries globally, and eighth among 19 Middle Eastern countries.

The report stated that the Kingdom was “the weakest” in natural environment.

“The biggest improvement compared to a decade ago came in enterprise conditions,” according to the report.

Director of the Phenix Centre for Economics and Informatics Studies (PCEIS) Ahmad Awad said the ranking is “realistic since Jordan’s position is in the middle, especially in the Arab world”.

“The percentage for Jordan was in the mid-50s and this is due to the decline in freedoms, economic growth and education,” Awad told The Jordan Times.

This low percentage, Awad maintained, “should encourage decision and policy makers to strengthen the development process in Jordan to improve the life of Jordanians in all its aspects”.

Economist Musa Saket added that the numbers “do not come as a surprise since the assessment is based on 12 pillars”.

The pillars include safety, security, governance, health, education, investment, environment, among others, according to Saket.

“Unfortunately Jordan is not faring well on most of these pillars especially following the outbreak of COVID-19,” Saket told The Jordan Times.

The living conditions “have been worsening with poverty and unemployment almost doubling”, Saket said.

“The investment environment has been deteriorating because of high costs of production combined with the high cost of living,” Saket added.