Jordan's economy is among the smallest in the Middle East, with insufficient supplies of water, oil, and other natural resources, underlying the government''s heavy reliance on foreign assistance. Other economic challenges for the government include chronic high rates of poverty, unemployment, inflation, and a large budget deficit. Since assuming the throne in 1999, King ABDALLAH has implemented significant economic reforms, such as opening the trade regime, privatizing state-owned companies, and eliminating some fuel subsidies, which in the last decade spurred economic growth by attracting foreign investment and creating some jobs. The global economic slowdown and regional turmoil, however, have depressed Jordan''s GDP growth, impacting export-oriented sectors, construction, and tourism. In 2011 the government approved two economic relief packages and a budgetary supplement, largely to improve the living conditions for the middle and poor classes. Jordan''s finances have also been strained by a series of natural gas pipeline attacks in Egypt, causing Jordan to substitute more expensive heavy fuel oils to generate electricity. An influx of foreign aid, especially from Gulf countries, has helped to somewhat offset these extrabudgetary expenditures, but the budget deficit is likely to remain high, at nearly 10% of GDP excluding grants. Amman likely will continue to depend heavily on foreign assistance to finance the deficit in 2012. Jordan''s financial sector has been relatively isolated from the international financial crisis because of its limited exposure to overseas capital markets. Jordan is currently exploring nuclear power generation to forestall energy shortfalls.

Official rate; unofficial rate is approximately 30%

Data cover central government debt, and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data exclude debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions

$10.18 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$9.238 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$37.39 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$35.53 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$30.8 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$26.44 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$27.18 billion (31 December 2011)

$30.86 billion (31 December 2010)

$31.86 billion (31 December 2009)

Citrus, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, strawberries, stone fruits; sheep, poultry, dairy

Clothing, fertilizers, potash, phosphate mining, pharmaceuticals, petroleum refining, cement, inorganic chemicals, light manufacturing, tourism

1 million bbl (1 January 2011 est.)

6.031 billion cu m (1 January 2011 est.)

Clothing, fertilizers, potash, phosphates, vegetables, pharmaceuticals

Iraq 15.3%, US 14.7%, India 12.5%, Saudi Arabia 9.6%, Lebanon 4.4% (2011)

Crude oil, machinery, transport equipment, iron, cereals

Saudi Arabia 22.4%, China 10.6%, US 6.2%, Italy 5.1%, Germany 4.2%, Egypt 4.1% (2011)

$12.11 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$13.65 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$7.644 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$7.645 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$22.42 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$20.67 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

Jordanian dinars (JOD) per US dollar -