Factbook dossier
Background
After World War I and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, the League of Nations awarded Britain the mandate to govern much of the Middle East. In 1921, Britain demarcated from Palestine a semi-autonomous region of Transjordan and recognized ABDALLAH I from the Hashemite family as the country's first leader. The Hashemites also controlled the Hijaz, or the western coastal area of modern-day Saudi Arabia, until 1925, when IBN SAUD and Wahhabi tribes pushed them out. The country gained its independence in 1946 and thereafter became the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The country has had four kings. Long-time ruler King HUSSEIN (r. 1953-99) successfully navigated competing pressures from the major powers (US, UK, and Soviet Union), various Arab states, Israel, and Palestinian militants, the latter of which led to a brief civil war in 1970 that is known as "Black September" and ended in King HUSSEIN ousting the militants. Jordan's borders have changed since it gained independence. In 1948, Jordan took control of the West Bank and East Jerusalem in the first Arab-Israeli War, eventually annexing those territories in 1950 and granting its new Palestinian residents Jordanian citizenship. In 1967, Jordan lost the West Bank and East Jerusalem to Israel in the Six-Day War but retained administrative claims to the West Bank until 1988, when King HUSSEIN permanently relinquished Jordanian claims to the West Bank in favor of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). King HUSSEIN signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994, after Israel and the PLO signed the Oslo Accords in 1993. Jordan…
Location
Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia, between Israel (to the west) and Iraq
Area
total : 89,342 sq km land: 88,802 sq km water: 540 sq km
Natural resources
phosphates, potash, shale oil
Natural hazards
droughts; periodic earthquakes; flash floods
Population
total: 11,312,507 (2025 est.) male: 5,908,853 female: 5,403,654
Ethnic groups
Jordanian 69.3%, Syrian 13.3%, Palestinian 6.7%, Egyptian 6.7%, Iraqi 1.4%, other 2.6% (2015 est.) note: data represent population by self-identified nationality in national census
Languages
Arabic (official), English (widely understood among upper and middle classes) major-language sample(s): كتاب حقائق العالم، المصدر الذي لا يمكن الاستغناء عنه للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Religions
Muslim 97.1% (official; predominantly Sunni), Christian 2.1% (majority Greek Orthodox, but some Greek and Roman Catholics, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, and Protestant denominations), Buddhist 0.4%, Hindu 0.1%, Jewish 0.1%, folk 0.1%, other 0.1%, unaffiliated 0.1% (2020 est.)
Environmental issues
limited natural freshwater resources; declining water table; salination; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; biodiversity and ecosystem damage/loss
Government type
parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Capital
name: Amman geographic coordinates: 31 57 N, 35 56 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: in the 13th century B.C., the Ammonites named their primary city Rabbath Ammon; rabbath meant "capital," so the name translated as "The Capital of [the] Ammon[ites];" over time, the name was shortened to Ammon, and then to Amman
Executive branch
chief of state: King ABDALLAH II (since 7 February 1999) head of government: Prime Minister Jafar HASSAN (since 15 September 2024) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch in consultation with the prime minister election/appointment process: prime minister appointed by the monarch
Legislative branch
legislature name: National Assembly (Majlis Al-Umma) legislative structure: bicameral
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$109.986 billion (2024 est.) $107.315 billion (2023 est.) $104.307 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita
$9,500 (2024 est.) $9,400 (2023 est.) $9,300 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
1.6% (2024 est.) 2.1% (2023 est.) 4.2% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Exports - partners
USA 21%, India 13%, Saudi Arabia 11%, China 7%, Iraq 6% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Imports - partners
China 17%, Saudi Arabia 14%, UAE 8%, India 6%, USA 5% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Military and security forces
Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF; aka Arab Army): Jordanian Army (Jordanian Ground Forces; includes Special Operations Forces, Border Guards, Royal Guard), Jordanian Air Force, Jordanian Navy) Ministry of Interior: Public Security Directorate (includes national police, the Gendarmerie, and the Civil Defense Directorate) (2025)
Military expenditures
4.5% of GDP (2024 est.) 4.5% of GDP (2023 est.) 4.8% of GDP (2022 est.) 5% of GDP (2021 est.) 5% of GDP (2020 est.)