Survey notes decline in ‘economic optimism’ among Jordanians

AMMAN — The 2022 Arab Barometer survey in Jordan revealed that the economic situation is the top concern for Jordanians, with 63 per cent of citizens rating it as “the most critical” challenge facing the Kingdom. 

Arab Barometer is a nonpartisan research network that provides insight into the social, political, and economic attitudes and values of ordinary citizens across the Arab world, according to its website. 

The national survey, which was published in December 2022, included 2,399 randomly selected citizens from across all governorates.

Ratings of the economic situation have declined “dramatically” over the past 15 years with only 15 per cent of Jordanians rating it as being good or very good, according to the report. 

“This rating is eight points lower than in 2018, and far below the 55 per cent who rated the economy positively in 2006 during the first Arab Barometer survey in Jordan,” the survey said. 

The report also noted an “unsurprising” decline in “economic optimism” among Jordanians, with only 24 per cent of respondents predicting improvements in the near future, while 48 per cent are considering emigrating. 

Moreover, “socio-economic inequality represents an ongoing challenge facing Jordan”, as 83 per cent of participants in the survey say that inequality has increased over the past year.

It showed that an overwhelming majority of citizens, 72 per cent, blamed the wealth gap on the failure of government policies, saying that the government “is not fighting to protect the interests of the poor”. 

The report partly attributed this perception “to the struggles of many citizens to afford basic necessities”.

“Forty-eight per cent of citizens say that it is often [22 per cent] or sometimes [26 per cent] true that they their supply of food had run out before they were able to afford more,” the survey stated. 

As per the survey, citizens’ most common suggestions for ways the government can improve economic conditions involved creating more jobs, followed by raising wages and limiting the rising cost of living.

It also pointed out that the majority of Jordanians, 63 per cent, “are not satisfied with their government’s performance overall”.

Only three-in-ten Jordanians say they trust the government, marking a 41-point decrease since the Arab Spring in 2010, according to the survey.

The survey also showed that trust in parliament in 2022 stood at 16 per cent, marking a 39-point decrease since 2006.

Moreover, it noted that the continued decline in government trust is mainly driven by “its inability to solve Jordan’s economic challenges”. 

Only the armed forces recorded a high level of confidence, which stood at 93 per cent, the survey added. 

The survey further showed that 88 per cent of surveyed citizens believe that corruption is prevalent to “a large or medium extent in the national government”, and only 35 per cent are convinced that the government is working on tackling this issue. 

Economist Hosam Ayesh noted that current indicators show that the Jordanian economy is “teetering” on the brink of a recession.

Government expenditures continuously exceed revenues, which is “trapping” the general budget in a cycle of debt to cover the recurring deficit, he told The Jordan Times. 

According to Ayesh, long-term deficits can have a “detrimental” impact on economic growth and stability, as debts and rising interest rates consume the greater share of the budget, leaving no room for new investments to stimulate growth.

He added that the rising inflation rate is deepening the Kingdom’s levels of poverty and denting citizens’ standard of living by causing a drop in household spending power. 

“There is a general increase of the prices of goods, while wages remain low and unemployment rates continue to soar,” he said. 

“People are frustrated, and their decreased trust in their government’s ability to address these issues is justified and expected,” Ayesh continued. 

He also pointed out that the government’s fiscal policies are indicative of its reliance on taxes to generate public revenue with no “notable efforts” to motivate the development of productive sectors. 

Expanding the economy and stimulating its growth requires reducing direct and indirect taxes on both citizens and economic sectors, he said.