Amman, Dec. 29 (Petra) – Jordan has undergone a significant recalibration of its international standing in 2025, recording measurable progress across 22 global indices. The shift, detailed in a series of reports from high-credibility international monitoring bodies, underscores a period of disciplined, institutional execution of the Kingdom’s multi-sectoral reform agendas. According to a comprehensive review of the year’s performance by Petra, the findings suggest that the government’s commitment to its Economic Modernization Vision is translating into a qualitative leap in governance, digital infrastructure, and economic resilience.

The most striking advancements are found in the digital domain, where Jordan has effectively decoupled itself from regional averages. In the World Bank’s 2025 GovTech Maturity Index, the Kingdom climbed 10 places to rank 21st globally among 197 nations, securing the fourth position within the Arab world. This trajectory is supported by a maturity score of 0.914 – a significant rise from 0.829 in 2022 – which far exceeds the global mean of 0.589 and the West Asia/North Africa average of 0.590. Such gains are mirrored in the Public Service Delivery Index, where Jordan rose from 42nd to 26th globally. These figures reflect a concerted effort to enhance digital portals and integrate seamless e-payment systems, effectively reducing the friction between the state and its citizens.

Intellectual capital and innovation have also emerged as primary drivers of this upward trend. On September 17, 2025, the World Intellectual Property Organization confirmed Jordan moved to 65th place globally in the Global Innovation Index, up from 73rd the previous year. Within the lower-middle-income bracket, Jordan now ranks 5th out of 37 nations. The internal mechanics of this rise are notable: innovation "inputs" climbed to 66th, while "outputs" surged from 74th to 66th. Perhaps most striking is the Kingdom's leap to 2nd place globally in published scientific and technical articles, alongside a 22-place jump in patent families and a rise from 85th to 58th in the "knowledge workers" index.

This progress in human capital is further validated by the Global Knowledge Index 2025. According to the Ministry of Education, Jordan ascended to 73rd place out of 195 countries, continuing a three-year rally from 88th in 2024 and 97th in 2023. These improvements are bolstered by a 10-place rise in E-Government services (now 63rd) and gains in creative exports (up 6 places), knowledge outputs (up 16 places), and creative outputs (up 5 places).

On the macroeconomic front, Jordan has demonstrated unexpected durability. The 2025 Global Resilience Index, published on July 7 by the Jordan Chamber of Commerce, saw the Kingdom rise to 67th place out of 130 countries, up from 72nd. Jordan’s resilience score improved by 4.3 points to reach 57.8%, with physical response indicators hitting 70.7% due to advancements in cybersecurity and climate change mitigation. Performance was particularly dominant in inflation control, where Jordan achieved a 99.7% efficiency score, ranking 31st globally. Environmental and resource metrics were equally resilient, with a 97.3% score in water stress management and 91.1% in greenhouse gas emission control.

The institutional fabric of the country also appears to be strengthening. Jordan maintained its position among the top 59 nations globally on the Corruption Perceptions Index, remaining sixth in the Arab world. This sense of momentum was further quantified on May 4, 2025, when the Future of Growth Index awarded Jordan scores of 45.1 for innovation, 53 for inclusivity, 58.2 for sustainability, and 55 for resilience. These pillars are supported by the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook, which saw Jordan’s overall standing improve from 56th in 2022 to 47th in 2025, driven by a 24% surge in business efficiency, a 13% improvement in government efficacy, and a 12% rise in infrastructure quality.

The Kingdom’s digital competitiveness, as tracked by the IMD in Switzerland, also saw a leap from 50th in 2024 to 44th in 2025. This was fueled by a rise in the "Knowledge" pillar (57th to 50th) and "Technology" pillar (52nd to 51st), reflecting deepened R&D focus and higher education attainment. Meanwhile, the sporting arena provided a "soft power" boost as FIFA noted a rise in the national team's ranking following their direct qualification for the 2026 World Cup and their runner-up finish in the 2025 Arab Cup among 16 participating nations.

While these benchmarks suggest a nation in the midst of a successful structural pivot, the Ministry of Labor is continuing its efforts to address employment gaps. Their current strategy involves integrating 1,000 workers into productive branches across the provinces and conducting analytical studies to refine the National Employment Program. Investor sentiment, as measured by the Jordan Strategy Forum on November 5, remains optimistic, with the majority of respondents agreeing that the Kingdom is moving in the right direction – a sentiment grounded in the 22-place improvement in business legislation rankings since 2022.

//Petra// AA