Jordan has a population of approximately 11 million people.[1] The country is highly urbanised, with 92% of its population living in urban areas[2] and the 8%[3] remaining inhabiting rural areas. Agriculture represents 3% of the national workforce,[4] and the sector accounts for around 4,7% of the national GDP.[5]
Jordan is a small, relatively stable country that has become a refuge for large numbers of people fleeing conflict in Iraq and Syria. The inflows had raised Jordan’s population to 9.95 million by 2018, and 11.3 million in 2021, increasing pressure on the economy and services. Ranked as an upper-middle income country, Jordan has a market economy complemented by development aid and remittances, with the service sector, including tourism, accounting for more than half of the country's GDP, followed by the industry sector.[6]
The top produced commodities in Jordan are tomatoes, cattle milk, chicken meat, cucumbers and potatoes.[7] The country's top export commodities in terms of quantity are tomatoes, peaches and nectarines, eggs, wheat and maize.[8]
- ^ World Bank (2021). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL?locations=JO
- ^ World Bank (2021). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS?locations=JO
- ^ World Bank (2021). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.RUR.TOTL.ZS?locations=JO
- ^ World Bank (2021). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.AGR.EMPL.ZS?locations=JO
- ^ World Bank (2022). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NV.AGR.TOTL.ZS?locations=JO
- ^ [6] IFAD. Country Profiles: Jordan. https://www.ifad.org/en/web/operations/w/country/jordan
- ^ FAOSTAT (2021). http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#rankings/commodities_by_country
- ^ FAOSTAT (2021). http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#rankings/commodities_by_country_exports
Minimum wage
The national minimum wage in Jordan is 260.000 Jordanian Dinars (344 EUR) per worker per month[1]. The value is above the official individual poverty line. Although the country experience a big influx of migrant workers, the informal sector is not well regulated. Labour organisations stated that the Ministry of Labour does not consistently inspect and monitor all workplaces or apply all the protections of the labour code in the informal sector. This affects mostly freelancing agricultural workers, domestic workers, cooks, and gardeners, most of whom were foreign workers, and are not enrolled for social benefits from the Social Security Corporation because only salaried employees were automatically enrolled, and optional enrollment was limited to citizens.[2]
- ^ Wage Indicator Foundation (2023). Minimum Wage-Jordan. https://wageindicator.org/salary/minimum-wage/jordan
- ^ U.S. Department of State. 2022 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Jordan. https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/jordan/
Living wage
The Anker Living Wage Reference Value for urban Jordan is estimated at 365 Jordanian Dinars (483 EUR) per worker per month. This is the wage required for workers in a typical urban area of Jordan to afford a basic but decent standard of living. The value is 39% higher than the national minimum wage in 2022.[1]
- ^ Global Living Wage Coalition (2023). Anker Living Wage reference value: Urban Jordan. https://www.globallivingwage.org/countries/jordan/
Living Wage Reference Value, Urban Jordan 
Living wage estimate for workers to be able to afford a basic but decent living standard in urban areas of Jordan.