If you lived in Jordan instead of Afghanistan, you would:

Health

live 11.7 years longer

In Afghanistan, the average life expectancy is 66 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024. In Jordan, that number is 78 years (76 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 2.4 times more spent on your healthcare

Afghanistan spends $330 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Jordan spends $798 as of 2023.

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have 9.0 times more doctors per person

Afghanistan has 3.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Jordan has 28.5 as of 2022.

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have 58.5% more access to essential health services

Afghanistan scores 41 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Jordan scores 65 as of 2021.

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be 83.3% less likely to die by suicide

Afghanistan has a suicide rate of 3.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Jordan, it is 0.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 71.9% more likely to be obese

In Afghanistan, 20.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Jordan, that number is 35.4% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

be 66.7% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Afghanistan, 47.1% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Jordan, however, that number is 15.7% as of 2018.

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make 12.8 times more money

Afghanistan has a GDP per capita of $417 as of 2024, while in Jordan, the GDP per capita is $5,348 as of 2025.

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be 23.9% more likely to be unemployed

In Afghanistan, 13.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Jordan, that number is 16.5% as of 2025.

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Life

be 94.0% less likely to die during childbirth

In Afghanistan, approximately 521.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Jordan, 31.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 2.5 times more likely to be literate

In Afghanistan, the literacy rate is 37.3% as of 2021. In Jordan, it is 94.4% as of 2024.

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be 75.2% less likely to die during infancy

In Afghanistan, approximately 48.3 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Jordan, on the other hand, 12.0 children do as of 2024.

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have 41.6% fewer children

In Afghanistan, there are approximately 35.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Jordan, there are 20.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 17.2% more likely to have access to electricity

In Afghanistan, approximately 85% of people have electricity access (96% in urban areas, and 81% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Jordan, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 5.9 times more likely to have internet access

In Afghanistan, approximately 16.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Jordan, about 95.6% do as of 2024.

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be 22.8% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Afghanistan, approximately 81% of people have access to drinking water (97% in urban areas, and 75% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Jordan, that number is 99% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 98% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 48.9% less on healthcare

Afghanistan spends 15.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Jordan, that number is 7.7% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 75.4% less likely to be murdered

Afghanistan has a homicide rate of 4.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Jordan, that number is 1.0 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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be 43.6% less likely to die in a road accident

In Afghanistan, road accidents kill 24.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Jordan, they kill 13.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 87.7 times more home broadband

Afghanistan has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Jordan has 7.0 as of 2024.

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live with 92.1% more strain on fresh water

Afghanistan withdraws 55% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Jordan withdraws 105% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 73.4% less likely to die from air pollution

In Afghanistan, air pollution causes 143.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Jordan, it causes 38.0 as of 2019.

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emit 7.5 times more CO2

Afghanistan emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Jordan emits 2.1 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2018–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Jordan: At a glance

Jordan is a sovereign country in Middle East, with a total land area of approximately 88,802 sq km. Following World War I and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, the League of Nations awarded Britain the mandate to govern much of the Middle East. Britain demarcated a semi-autonomous region of Transjordan from Palestine in the early 1920s. The area gained its independence in 1946 and thereafter became The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The country's long-time ruler, King HUSSEIN (1953-99), successfully navigated competing pressures from the major powers (US, USSR, and UK), various Arab states, Israel, and a large internal Palestinian population. Jordan lost the West Bank to Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. King HUSSEIN in 1988 permanently relinquished Jordanian claims to the West Bank; in 1994 he signed a peace treaty with Israel. King ABDALLAH II, King HUSSEIN's eldest son, assumed the throne following his father's death in 1999. He implemented modest political and economic reforms, but in the wake of the "Arab Revolution" across the Middle East, Jordanians continue to press for further political liberalization, government reforms, and economic improvements. In January 2014, Jordan assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2014-15 term.
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