Khaberni - A recent international report showed a 4.7% decrease in poverty rates in Jordan over the last three decades.
According to the "Poverty in the World from a Broader Perspective" report issued by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), the poverty rate registered in Jordan at the end of last year was 21.4%, down from its rates recorded in 1995 which were around 26.1%, according to Al Ghad.
The report indicated that the poverty rate recorded last year in Jordan is lower than the average poverty rate in the Arab region at 34%.
The report revealed that poverty in Jordan is classified as the third level, which is moderate poverty and is less severe than the first two levels, destitute and extreme poverty.
Jordan has seen improvements in economic equity over the past three decades as the Gini coefficient fell from 39.1 in 1995 to 34.1 last year, reflecting a decrease in income and poverty disparity.
It should be noted that the Gini coefficient is a statistical measure used to measure inequality in income, wealth, or consumption among a population.
According to the report, Jordan ranks among the top 100 least impoverished countries in the world, ranking 77th, and also appears in the list of the top ten least impoverished Arab countries, ranking ninth among them (Qatar, UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Tunisia, Algeria, Jordan, Mauritania).
This report is being published for the first time in light of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)'s assessment of global progress in achieving the first goal of the Sustainable Development Goals, which is to eradicate poverty, as the end of the global Sustainable Development Plan approaches in 2030, which was launched in 2015 by the United Nations.
Global Assessment of Poverty and Ways to Address It
Turning to the global poverty situation, the report notes that 1 in every 4 people globally, approximately 2.2 billion, still live in poverty.
This includes nearly 300 million people in extreme poverty, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Arab countries.
The report highlighted that global poverty is taking on new forms, as the prevalence of extreme poverty has been halved since 1995, but, with the increasing prevalence of moderate poverty levels and exposure to the risk of poverty, half of the world's population remains either impoverished or at risk of poverty.
The report clarified that poverty rates range from less than 2% in high-income countries in Europe and the Arab region to more than 70% in the least developed countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Arab region.
ESCWA confirmed that economic growth is a fundamental factor in reducing poverty, especially in low-income countries.
The report noted that although efforts to reduce income inequality have contributed to alleviating poverty, they do not substitute for the crucial role that strong household income growth plays.
Therefore, low-income countries must develop strategies focused on growth, and high-income countries should pay greater attention to wealth redistribution policies.
ESCWA dismissed the possibility of the world's countries achieving the goal of reducing poverty rates by half of what they were in 2015 by 2030, indicating that the percentage of countries that have achieved the desired progress in this regard does not exceed 37%.
ESCWA considered that countries with strong health, education, and governance systems are better positioned to reduce poverty.
The report called for addressing poverty both in terms of income measures and multidimensional measures. Clear levels must also be determined to ensure the integration, effectiveness, and coverage of public policies to meet the requirements of different country contexts.
The report recommended the United Nations prioritize adopting broader measures of poverty, based on a global, multi-purpose poverty survey, in order to systematically and consistently monitor poverty in various local contexts and develop effective policies for targeting poverty. Finally, the report views reducing poverty as requiring bold local reforms and renewed global solidarity to mobilize the necessary resources to make real progress, especially in the poorest countries.
