Jordan ranked 64th among best countries on international report

AMMAN - The fifth annual Best Countries Report, which lays stress on national policies that create opportunities and help stimulate development, has ranked Jordan in 64th place on its total index and in sixth place in terms of Arab states.

The report, conducted by US News and World Report, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and BAV Group, evaluated 73 nations according to a series of qualitative criteria, including economic influence, trade potential, travel and investment, education and quality of life and military strength.

The Kingdom was ranked due to its performance in a number of key indicators concerning quality of life, economy and business, raw numbers in terms of its gross domestic product, foreign direct investment inflows and the UN’s Human Development Index.

Despite the pressure on the Kingdom’s infrastructure and the number of challenges it faces including poverty and unemployment, it is nevertheless one of the safest and most liberal countries in the region, with a diversified economy largely depending on tourism, services and trade, the report indicated.

Furthermore, through its UN membership, Jordan has been involved in many peacekeeping operations. The report noted that it is also a member of other international organisations including the World Bank, the World Trade Organisation and the International Monetary Fund.

The 2020 best countries report included eight Arab countries; the United Arab Emirates was at the forefront of Arab nations, ranking 22nd on the scale, followed by Qatar in 30th place and Saudi Arabia in 31st place.

On the total index, Switzerland came in first in the report, followed by Canada in second and Japan in third.

The ranking gives businesspeople, citizens, stakeholders and decision-makers a better understanding of their nation’s position on a global scale. It also helps them make well-informed investments taking into account the policies, economies and politics of various countries, and serves as a tool for predicting the future of a nation.