Banking and Finance
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The banking and financial markets in the Arab Region are one of the fastest growing worldwide. More than 330 Arab banking and financial institutions operate in the Arab region today, with total banking assets amounting to 140% of GDP, or USD 3.4 trillion, total deposits accounting for more than USD 2.2 trillion and total loans reaching USD 1.9 trillion by the end of 2016.
Capital Adequacy Ratio for Islamic Banks
Jordan - 2015
Jordan - 2015
Bank concentration
Kuwait - 2016
Kuwait - 2016
Life insurance premium to GDP
United Arab Emirates - 2015
United Arab Emirates - 2015
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Demography
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By 2018, the Arab region was home to 422.7 million inhabitants representing 5.5% of the world’s population and growing by 1.9% in 2018. The three most populous countries in the region are Egypt (99.3 million), Algeria (42 million) and Sudan (41.5 million), while the population in Comoros and Djibouti is less than one million in 2018.
Child dependency ratio
United Arab Emirates - 2008
United Arab Emirates - 2008
Urbanization rate
Oman - 2015
Oman - 2015
Age dependency ratio
Comoros - 2017
Comoros - 2017
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Education
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The Arab region has registered a remarkable trend of growing gains in educational attainment and more equitable access to formal education since the beginning of the millennium, with impressive progress towards gender parity across all stages of education. Gross primary enrolment reached 98.9% in 2016, up from 90.5% in 2000 and gross tertiary enrollment increased to 73.5% in 2016 up from 61% in 2000. Adult literacy rate also increased from 65% to 75.3% between 2000 and 2016.
Schools with access to computers for pedagogical purposes, public, primary
Tunisia - 2016
Tunisia - 2016
Proportion of students at the end of lower secondary education achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in mathematics, spoke the language of the test at home
Bahrain - 2015
Bahrain - 2015
Proportion of students in Grade 2 or 3 achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in reading, very poor socioeconomic background
Morocco - 2011
Morocco - 2011
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Energy
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The Arab region is one of the world’s richest regions in terms of oil and natural gas resources. According to recent estimates, 42% of the world proven oil reserves and 29% of the world’s proven natural gas reserves are located in the Arab region. Electricity production in the region relies heavily on conventional fuel sources, with a production amounting to 1,050 TWh in 2014, of which only 40 TWh were produced using renewable sources. The electrification rate in 15 Arab countries was above the World average of 85 percent in 2012, with 6 countries reaching 100 percent electrification rate.
Total subsidy, percentage of GDP
Iraq - 2017
Iraq - 2017
Subsidization rate
Qatar - 2017
Qatar - 2017
Subsidization rate
Libya - 2017
Libya - 2017
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Environment
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The Arab region comprises one of the largest deserts in the world making up around 18% of the total surface area of the Arab region. The region is characterized by an arid and semi-arid climate. The rapidly growing population and high urbanization rates exert increasing pressures on the available natural resources.
Average proportion of Terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) covered by protected areas, mid point
Somalia - 2018
Somalia - 2018
Proportion of population using improved sanitation facilities
Kuwait - 2016
Kuwait - 2016
Average proportion of Freshwater Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) covered by protected areas, mid point
Morocco - 2018
Morocco - 2018
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Gender
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By 2017, women made up almost half of the total Arab population and 22.6% of the total labor force in the region. With significant improvements made in health and education over the last 15 years, gender-based disparities continue in the labor markets and the political space remains the most challenging for women.
Female share of employment in managerial positions, total management
Morocco - 2008
Morocco - 2008
Women in ministerial level positions
Morocco - 2016
Morocco - 2016
Female share of employment in managerial positions, total management
Oman - 2016
Oman - 2016
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Governance
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Some Arab countries have made intense efforts to make their economies more open and to improve their level of competitiveness, such as the United Arab Emirates which ranked 17th, the highest in the region, among 137 countries on the Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) in 2017-18, followed by Qatar, ranking 25th.
Percentage of people who think that representatives in the legislature are involved in corruption
Lebanon - 2016
Lebanon - 2016
Percentage of people who say the government is doing well in fighting corruption
Lebanon - 2015
Lebanon - 2015
Positive public opinion on current economic situation
Bahrain - 2007
Bahrain - 2007
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Health
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The Arab region has made a clear progress in a number of health and health-related outcomes. The average life expectancy increased from 58.5 years in 1980 to 71 years in 2015. Under-five mortality has significantly decreased from an average of 81.2 per 1000 live births in 1990 to 38 per 1000 in 2016.
Anemia prevalence, percentage of pregnant women
Algeria - 2016
Algeria - 2016
Out-of-pocket health expenditure, percent of current health expenditure
Morocco - 2016
Morocco - 2016
Immunization coverage, DPT3, children 0-11 months
Mauritania - 2015
Mauritania - 2015
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I C T
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Mobile-cellular subscriptions have been substituting fixed-telephone subscriptions in the Arab region. In the former has increased by around 40% between 2010 and 2018 reaching a penetration rate of 103.1% in 2018, whereas fixed-telephone subscriptions have dropped by 7% during the same period reaching a penetration rate of 7.7% in 2018. The percentage of individuals (% of total population) using the internet in the Arab Region has more than doubled in 2018 at 54.7% up from 24% in 2010, with wide variations between the different Arab countries.
Proportion of businesses using computers, All activities
Qatar - 2015
Qatar - 2015
Proportion of businesses using the Internet for providing customer services, Information and communication
Qatar - 2015
Qatar - 2015
Educational institutions with access to the Internet, secondary
Egypt - 2012
Egypt - 2012
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Labor and Employment
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The Arab countries share common labor market features and challenges. The labor force participation rate in the region is the lowest worldwide at 48.6 % in 2017, with highest rates observed in the GCC countries. The unemployment rate in the Arab region remains one of the highest in the world registering 10.2% in 2017 compared to 5.7% worldwide. This rate is especially high among youth at 26.7% in 2017.
Employment distribution, age group 50-54
Oman - 2010
Oman - 2010
Children in employment, age group 12-14
Yemen - 2010
Yemen - 2010
Unemployment rate, age group 30-34
Saudi Arabia - 2016
Saudi Arabia - 2016
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Macroeconomy
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Macroeconomic performance tends to diverge across the Arab countries between major oil and natural gas exporting countries and other countries in the region, such as those plagued by protracted crises. For the Arab region, as a whole, the GDP (Purchasing Power Parity, constant 2011 prices) leveled at Int$ 6,302.6 billion in 2016, constituting 5.6% of the world’s GDP.
Total government expenditures, percentage of GDP
Kuwait - 2019
Kuwait - 2019
Taxes on goods and services, percentage of total revenues
Palestine - 2017
Palestine - 2017
Inflation, percentage change of the GDP deflator
Mauritania - 2017
Mauritania - 2017
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Poverty
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The Arab region witnessed an improvement in its Human Development Index (HDI), from 0.613 in 2000 to 0.699 in 2017, but it remained below the world average of 0.728. Despite this positive overall trend in human development, poverty remains one of the paramount challenges and major impediments to inclusive development in the region, and that’s why “Ending poverty in all its forms everywhere” was considered a top priority in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Extreme poverty headcount ratio at national poverty line, as a percentage of the population
Tunisia - 2015
Tunisia - 2015
Poverty gap, according to household monthly consumption, refugee camp
Palestine - 2017
Palestine - 2017
Income share held by second 20%
Morocco - 2013
Morocco - 2013
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Trade
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Arab countries’ total share of world exports has doubled since 2000, reaching 7% in 2014. Fuel exports, representing the vast majority of exports in the oil-producing countries, amounted to 73% of the region’s merchandise in 2015. When excluding fuel, the Arab region’s non-oil exports made up 2% of the world exports in 2013 up from 1% in 2000.
Expenditures, international tourism, percentage of total imports
Syria - 2010
Syria - 2010
Receipts, international tourism, percentage of total exports
Algeria - 2017
Algeria - 2017
Fuel exports, percentage of merchandise exports
Egypt - 2017
Egypt - 2017
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Water and Food Security
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In most Arab countries, water has become a critical natural resource. Most countries in the region are classified as arid or semiarid or, receiving less than 250 mm of rainfall annually. Renewable water resources per inhabitant reached 736 m3 in 2014, compared to a world average of about 6,000 m3 per inhabitant, placing 13 out of 22 Arab countries in the category of severe water scarcity at less than 500 m3 per capita.
Proportion of population using improved sanitation facilities, excluding shared, sewer connections
Saudi Arabia - 2015
Saudi Arabia - 2015
Municipal water withdrawal, percentage of total withdrawal
Djibouti - 2000
Djibouti - 2000
Proportion of population using improved sanitation facilities, excluding shared, sewer connections
Lebanon - 2015
Lebanon - 2015
