Jordan Secures Third Place Worldwide in Sound Money While Ranking 50th in Overall Economic Freedom

Overall Ranking and Quartile Placement

Jordan ranked 50th out of 165 countries and territories in the 2026 Economic Freedom Index, scoring 7.38 out of 10 based on data from 2024. The Fraser Institute’s report, translated by Al‑Ghad, placed the kingdom in the second quartile globally, indicating an above‑average level of economic freedom.

Leadership in Sound Money

The kingdom’s strongest showing came in the “Sound Money” category, where it secured third place worldwide with a score of 9.59. Only Switzerland and Finland outperformed Jordan in this indicator. The category evaluates how well monetary policies maintain a stable currency by limiting money‑supply growth, curbing inflation swings and permitting residents to hold foreign‑currency‑denominated bank accounts.

Performance in Other Indicator Areas

In the “Regulation” category Jordan was 25th globally with a score of 7.38, reflecting comparatively flexible rules governing credit markets, labour markets and business activity. For “Freedom to Trade Internationally” the score was 8.13, good for 52nd place, supported by tariff levels and trade flows. The “Size of Government” category saw Jordan rank 56th with a score of 7.19.

Weakness in Legal Framework and Regional Context

The report identified a structural gap in the “Legal System and Property Rights” category, where Jordan fell to 107th worldwide with a score of 4.61, covering property protection and contract enforcement. This shortfall mirrors a common weakness among Middle East and North Africa economies and several developing states. The 2026 edition highlights a wide disparity among Arab states, noting that the MENA region exhibits the greatest variation in economic freedom worldwide, with Arab nations spread across all four quartiles and four of them among the ten least free economies.

Arab‑World Comparisons and Broader Implications

Among Arab countries, Bahrain led the region and stood 40th globally with a score of 7.49, the sole Arab nation in the top quartile. The United Arab Emirates followed at 46th place (score 7.42), Jordan ranked third in the Arab world and 50th globally (score 7.38), Saudi Arabia was fourth among Arabs and 60th worldwide (score 7.17), and Qatar came in at 70th place (score 6.97). All of these countries belong to the second quartile, denoting above‑average economic freedom, a group that also includes Oman and Kuwait. The remaining Arab states fall into the third quartile, signalling below‑average freedom. The report notes that global average economic freedom began a gradual recovery in 2024 after a sharp COVID‑19‑related decline, and it reaffirms the strong link between higher economic freedom and human well‑being: residents of the freest quartile enjoy average incomes roughly 6.9 times those of the least free quartile, experience lower poverty and have life expectancies about 14 years longer.