Education of Disadvantaged Children in OIC:
The Key to Escape from Poverty
122
North Region, the Central Region or the South Region. Socially, the population centres of Amman,
Salt, Zarqa and Madaba together form a large metropolitan area in which business interactions in
these cities are under the influence of Amman while the cities of Jerash, Ajloun, and Mafraq are
mostly under the influence of the city of Irbid.
Table 12 Jordan Basic Indicators
Indicator 1990s 2010s exact
year
for
1990s
exact
year
for
2010s
Population Population, total 3,358,453 7,594,547 1990 2015
Population growth (annual %) 4.5 2.4 1990 2015
Population ages 0-14 (% of total) 46.2 35.5 1990 2015
Urban population (% of total) 73.3 83.7 1990 2015
GDP GDP growth (annual %) 1.0 2.4 1990 2015
GDP per capita, PPP (constant 2011 international $) 6,661.4 10,239.7 1990 2015
Poverty &
Inequality
Poverty headcount ratio at $1.90 a day (2011 PPP) (%
of population)
- - - -
Income share held by lowest 20% - - - -
GINI index (World Bank estimate) - - - -
Other
developme
nt
indicators
Mortality rate, under-5 (per 1,000 live births) 36.6 17.9 1990 2015
Prevalence of stunting, height for age (% of children
under 5)
20.5 7.8 1990 2012
Improved water source (% of population with access) 96.3 96.9 1990 2015
Improved sanitation facilities (% of population with
access)
97.3 98.6 1990 2015
Access to electricity (% of population) 94.8 99.5 1990 2012
Education Gross enrolment ratio, pre-primary, both sexes (%) 19.4 32.2 1990 2015
Gross enrolment ratio, primary, both sexes (%) 101.6 97.3 1990 2014
Gross enrolment ratio, lower secondary, both sexes
(%)
90.0 86.5 1996 2014
Gross enrolment ratio, upper secondary, both sexes
(%)
72.2 73.8 1996 2014
Pupil-teacher ratio in primary education (headcount
basis)
26.5 19.9 1991 2003
Pupil-teacher ratio in lower secondary education
(headcount basis)
- 19.9 - 2003
Government expenditure on education as % of GDP
(%)
7.5 - 1996 -
Expenditure on education as % of total government
expenditure (%)
21.6 - 1996 -
Source: UNESCO Institute of Statistics Database and World Bank World Development Indicators Database
Demography: According to the 2015 population census332, Jordan has a young population with 4
million (42%) out of 9.5 million below the age of 18. The adult literacy rate is high at 98% and
332 Government of Jordan (2016) “2015 Jordan Population and Housing Census”