Jordan's Jafar Hassan government after two years in office

• PM Jafar Hassan’s cabinet won parliamentary approval in late 2024 with a low 60% margin, but trust levels rose to 67% by mid-2026.
• Growth held at 2.8% in 2025 and inflation stayed under 2%, though public debt reached 109% of GDP and unemployment stalled at 21%.
• Deliverables included the "Ra'aya" national cancer insurance launch, 85.5% digitized public services, and major agreements on national water and railway projects.

Two years after taking office in September 2024, the administration of Prime Minister Jafar Hassan presents a mixed record defined by high public approval ratings, administrative progress on infrastructure projects, and persistent structural economic challenges.

Hassan, a veteran administrator who previously headed the Office of His Majesty King Abdullah II and served as Planning Minister, formed Jordan's 44th government holding both the premiership and the defense portfolio.

While the cabinet initially won a vote of confidence in December 2024 with 82 out of 138 votes—a 60% parliamentary margin that marked the lowest confidence level among the past four governments—subsequent polling by the University of Jordan’s Center for Strategic Studies reflected an increase in public trust, rising to 67% by April 2026, alongside an 83% approval rating for Hassan’s frequent field visits across the governorates.

Economic indicators 

Economic performance under the government has remained largely stable, though structural metrics show limited movement. According to IMF reviews, GDP growth reached 2.8% in 2025 and is projected at 2.7% for 2026, while inflation averaged 1.4% in early 2026.

However, gross public debt—inclusive of state utility liabilities—increased from 106.1% of GDP in 2024 to 109.0% in 2025, missing government targets. Net debt stood at 83.6% of GDP.

Unemployment among Jordanian citizens aged 15 and older saw minimal change, moving from 21.5% in the third quarter of 2024 to 21.0% in the second quarter of 2026. Female unemployment decreased over the same period, dropping to 30.3% from 33.3%.

To spur investment, the government launched the second executive program for the Economic Modernization Vision in January 2026, targeting 392 projects valued at approximately 10 billion Jordanian dinars ($14.1 billion) through 2029.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) hovered near 3.1% of GDP in 2025, while major trade and infrastructure deals were secured, including a 10% tariff cap agreement with the United States and a $2.3 billion agreement with the UAE for the Aqaba railway.

Social programs advance 

In the social sector, the government launched the "Ra'aya" national cancer insurance program in January 2026.

Funded primarily by the government at 124.1 million dinars ($175 million) out of a total 132.7 million dinars ($187 million) valuation, the initiative provides King Hussein Cancer Center coverage to approximately 4.1 million citizens, including elderly, youth, and welfare beneficiaries.

In education, the government merged the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Higher Education into a unified Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development. Construction updates indicate between 120 and 134 new school projects were completed within two years, trailing the initial pledge of 500 schools over five years.

Major strategic infrastructure projects moved closer to execution:

• National Water Carrier: Reached final technical and legal agreements in April 2026 for a $4.3 billion desalination and transport pipeline from Aqaba to Amman, backed by $1.8 billion in U.S. International Development Finance Corporation loans and insurance.
• Aqaba Railway: Advanced to a formal implementation agreement in April 2026, with financial close anticipated in early 2027.
• Digital Government: Met its baseline target ahead of schedule, placing 85.5% of automatable public services online by mid-2026 and establishing the Sanad digital ID system as a mandatory public utility with 2.88 million users.

Political climate

The government's tenure coincided with heightened scrutiny over political freedoms and legal measures against opposition groups.

In April 2025, authorities banned the Muslim Brotherhood following weapons-related arrests, while the Media Commission blocked 12 news websites in May 2025. Human rights groups also criticized the sentencing of political activists and the dissolution of the Teachers' Syndicate.

Internally, Hassan reshuffled his cabinet three times, notably in July 2026 following an ethics review involving former Labour Minister Khaled Bakkar, whose son had placed a bid on a government tender.

Hassan suspended the tender, requested Bakkar's resignation, and introduced stricter conflict-of-interest regulations for public officials.

A subsequent restructuring in August 2026 established two deputy prime ministerial roles to oversee economic modernization and public services, formalizing administrative management ahead of the government's third year in office.