GeoRealityMatch

The UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to parts of the country. FCDO travel advice, read 29 October 2026.

Majestic view of the Temple of Hercules ruins against Amman's sprawling cityscape.Explore the historic ruins of ancient Roman structures in Amman, Jordan, under a picturesque sky.

Jordan

Asia · Western Asia

High safetyAffordable cost of livingHigh development

Few locals speak English well.

BackpackerCombines affordable cost of living and high safety.RetireeCombines high life expectancy, high safety and affordable cost of living.
vs Egypt
Safety

67th most peaceful of 161

Global Peace Index
1.913lower is more peacefulHigh safety
#67 of 161
IEP GPI · 2026
Homicides
1.0per 100,000 people a yearLowUNODC / World Bank · 2023
Safety index
60.3Numbeo's safety index, higher is saferHighNumbeo · 2026
Money

Incomes below the median country

GNI per person
$5,260national income per person, US dollarsLow
World Bank · 2025
Rent index
7.9New York = 100Very affordableNumbeo · 2026
Property price to income
7.5years of median income to buy a median flatVery affordableNumbeo · 2026

Income and inflation over time

Income per person rose 128% in current dollars from 2006 to 2025, and fell 0% after inflation.

GDP per person, current US$At purchasing power parityInflation

$0$7.5K$15K$12,632 PPP$5,348Inflation, % a year15%0200620102015202020252006, $2,343 a person, $8,844 at PPP, inflation 6.3%2007, $2,506 a person, $9,251 at PPP, inflation 4.7%2008, $3,670 a person, $9,875 at PPP, inflation 14%2009, $3,845 a person, $10,222 at PPP, inflation -0.7%2010, $4,139 a person, $10,393 at PPP, inflation 4.8%2011, $4,363 a person, $10,649 at PPP, inflation 4.2%2012, $4,594 a person, $10,730 at PPP, inflation 4.5%2013, $4,739 a person, $10,791 at PPP, inflation 4.8%2014, $4,611 a person, $10,060 at PPP, inflation 2.9%2015, $4,442 a person, $9,852 at PPP, inflation -0.9%2016, $4,366 a person, $9,580 at PPP, inflation -0.8%2017, $4,449 a person, $10,140 at PPP, inflation 3.3%2018, $4,534 a person, $9,890 at PPP, inflation 4.5%2019, $4,558 a person, $10,306 at PPP, inflation 0.8%2020, $4,411 a person, $10,507 at PPP, inflation 0.3%2021, $4,582 a person, $10,057 at PPP, inflation 1.3%2022, $4,754 a person, $10,881 at PPP, inflation 4.2%2023, $4,906 a person, $11,451 at PPP, inflation 2.1%2024, $5,074 a person, $11,916 at PPP, inflation 1.6%2025, $5,348 a person, $12,632 at PPP, inflation 1.8%$0$7.5K$15KInflation, % a year15%0200620102015202020252006, $2,343 a person, $8,844 at PPP, inflation 6.3%2007, $2,506 a person, $9,251 at PPP, inflation 4.7%2008, $3,670 a person, $9,875 at PPP, inflation 14%2009, $3,845 a person, $10,222 at PPP, inflation -0.7%2010, $4,139 a person, $10,393 at PPP, inflation 4.8%2011, $4,363 a person, $10,649 at PPP, inflation 4.2%2012, $4,594 a person, $10,730 at PPP, inflation 4.5%2013, $4,739 a person, $10,791 at PPP, inflation 4.8%2014, $4,611 a person, $10,060 at PPP, inflation 2.9%2015, $4,442 a person, $9,852 at PPP, inflation -0.9%2016, $4,366 a person, $9,580 at PPP, inflation -0.8%2017, $4,449 a person, $10,140 at PPP, inflation 3.3%2018, $4,534 a person, $9,890 at PPP, inflation 4.5%2019, $4,558 a person, $10,306 at PPP, inflation 0.8%2020, $4,411 a person, $10,507 at PPP, inflation 0.3%2021, $4,582 a person, $10,057 at PPP, inflation 1.3%2022, $4,754 a person, $10,881 at PPP, inflation 4.2%2023, $4,906 a person, $11,451 at PPP, inflation 2.1%2024, $5,074 a person, $11,916 at PPP, inflation 1.6%2025, $5,348 a person, $12,632 at PPP, inflation 1.8%

World Bank: GDP per person in current US dollars and at PPP, real GDP per person, consumer price inflation. Observed years only.

Health

Above-average life expectancy

Life expectancy
78.0years, at birthHigh
#55 of 195
World Bank · 2024
Health coverage
74WHO universal health coverage index, 0 to 100ModerateWHO · 2023
Air pollution
23.5PM2.5, micrograms per cubic metre, national averageHighWHO · 2023
Work and internet

Very fast home internet

Unemployment rate
16.5%share of the labour force without a jobWorld Bank · 2025
Home internet
196 Mbpsmedian download speedVery fastOokla Speedtest · 2025
English proficiency
425EF English Proficiency Index scoreVery lowEF EPI · 2025

Internet speeds

Home internet196 MbpsVery fast
Mobile44 MbpsVery slow

Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median download speed, ranked among the countries Ookla lists.

Explore the historic ruins of ancient Roman structures in Amman, Jordan, under a picturesque sky.
How it changed

Jordan's Human Development Index

0.754High human development

100th of 193 in UNDP's 2023 ranking, 24th of 43 in Asia.

UNDP builds the index from three dimensions: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable, and a decent standard of living. They are measured by life expectancy at birth, mean and expected years of schooling, and gross national income per capita. UNDP Human Development Report 2025.

Nearest countries by HDI

  1. #99Paraguay0.756
  2. #100Egypt0.754
  3. #100Jordan0.754
  4. #102Lebanon0.752
  5. #103Saint Lucia0.748
Full HDI ranking, all 193 countries

HDI since 1990

Year by year

Human development rose from 0.619 in 1990 to 0.754 in 2023.

0.550.680.800.75419902000201020231990: 0.6191991: 0.6251992: 0.6381993: 0.6431994: 0.6471995: 0.6531996: 0.6571997: 0.6611998: 0.6641999: 0.6682000: 0.6722001: 0.6792002: 0.6862003: 0.6932004: 0.7052005: 0.7132006: 0.7192007: 0.7252008: 0.7332009: 0.7352010: 0.7322011: 0.7342012: 0.7402013: 0.7422014: 0.7422015: 0.7432016: 0.7452017: 0.7472018: 0.7472019: 0.7502020: 0.7432021: 0.7362022: 0.7512023: 0.7540.550.680.8019902000201020231990: 0.6191991: 0.6251992: 0.6381993: 0.6431994: 0.6471995: 0.6531996: 0.6571997: 0.6611998: 0.6641999: 0.6682000: 0.6722001: 0.6792002: 0.6862003: 0.6932004: 0.7052005: 0.7132006: 0.7192007: 0.7252008: 0.7332009: 0.7352010: 0.7322011: 0.7342012: 0.7402013: 0.7422014: 0.7422015: 0.7432016: 0.7452017: 0.7472018: 0.7472019: 0.7502020: 0.7432021: 0.7362022: 0.7512023: 0.754

UNDP Human Development Report, 2025 edition. 34 annual values, none interpolated.

Twenty years here

Year by yearThe world report
Life expectancy at birth
78 years2024at birthUp 5 years from 73 years in 2005
Internet users
96%2024of people onlineUp 82 points from 14% in 2006
Urban population
93%2025of people in towns and citiesUp 14 points from 79% in 2006
Births per woman
2.602024births per womanDown 1.05 from 3.65 in 2005
Renewable share of energy
12%2021of energy usedUp 10 points from 2% in 2004
Access to electricity
100%2024of people with electricityUp 1 point from 99% in 2005
Infant mortality
122024deaths before age one, per 1,000 birthsDown 8 from 20 in 2005
CO2 emissions per person
2.1 t2024of CO2 per person a yearDown 1.3 t from 3.4 t in 2005
Forest area
1%2023of land under forestLevel with 2004

World Bank, from the first to the last observed year of each indicator; each has its own window.

Our take

Stable and safe by regional standards; ancient Petra, a gateway to the Middle East. The case against is little English among locals, low incomes and polluted air.

About Jordan

Jordan is a Middle Eastern country of ancient ruins, desert landscapes, and warm Bedouin hospitality that has made it one of the region's most visitor-friendly destinations. Petra, carved into rose-red sandstone, is one of the great archaeological wonders of the world, and the Wadi Rum desert offers a landscape of silence and scale that feels otherworldly. The food, the tea, and the welcome in Jordanian homes are things most visitors remember long after they leave.

Practical facts

  • CapitalAmman
  • LanguagesArabic
  • CurrencyJordanian dinar (JOD)
  • Area88,794 km²
  • Plug typeType C/F/G
  • Drives on theright
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Borders

IraqIsraelSaudi ArabiaSyria

Side by side

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Quick answers

What is Jordan's Human Development Index?

Jordan's Human Development Index is 0.754 for 2023 (UNDP Human Development Report 2025), ranked #100 of 193 by UNDP.

Is Jordan safe?

Jordan scores 1.91 on the Global Peace Index (lower is more peaceful), ranked #67 of 161 countries by the Institute for Economics & Peace. That measures national-level peace, not street crime; both are covered below.

How expensive is Jordan?

Numbeo's cost-of-living index puts Jordan at 39.4 (New York = 100); that is #63 cheapest of 143 countries with data.

What is life expectancy in Jordan?

Life expectancy at birth in Jordan is 78.0 yrs (World Bank), ranked #55 of 195 countries.

What is the quality of life in Jordan?

Numbeo's quality-of-life index scores Jordan at 125.6, ranked #57 of 87 countries with data. It composites purchasing power, safety, healthcare, cost of living, commute and pollution from resident surveys, so it reflects what residents report rather than what an economy produces.