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.
Bank net interest margin
Bahrain - 2015
Bahrain - 2015
Lending rate on consumer loans
Morocco - 2016
Morocco - 2016
Bank capital to assets ratio
Algeria - 2016
Algeria - 2016
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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.
Age dependency ratio
Saudi Arabia - 2016
Saudi Arabia - 2016
Child dependency ratio
Lebanon - 2015
Lebanon - 2015
Rural population, percentage of total population
Algeria - 2016
Algeria - 2016
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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.
Public spending on education, percentage of government expenditure
Lebanon - 2013
Lebanon - 2013
Expenditure per student, tertiary, percentage of GDP per capita
Morocco - 2009
Morocco - 2009
Drop-out rate
Jordan - 2015
Jordan - 2015
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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
Libya - 2014
Libya - 2014
Subsidization rate
Libya - 2014
Libya - 2014
Subsidization rate
Kuwait - 2014
Kuwait - 2014
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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.
Proportion of water abstracted, households
Egypt - 2010
Egypt - 2010
Proportion of water abstracted, households
Yemen - 2005
Yemen - 2005
Proportion of water abstracted, industry
Qatar - 2005
Qatar - 2005
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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.
Women in ministerial level positions
Oman - 2016
Oman - 2016
Women in ministerial level positions
Mauritania - 2016
Mauritania - 2016
Women in ministerial level positions
Jordan - 2016
Jordan - 2016
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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.
Immunization coverage, under one year infants, BCG
Oman - 2014
Oman - 2014
Measles vaccination coverage, percent of children ages 12-23 months
Kuwait - 2014
Kuwait - 2014
Prevalence of insufficient physical activity among adults aged 18+
Egypt - 2010
Egypt - 2010
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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 by economic activity, transport and communications
Yemen - 2006
Yemen - 2006
Employment distribution, age group 65+
Syria - 2016
Syria - 2016
Unemployment rate, age group 25-29
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
Morocco - 2018
Morocco - 2018
Cash surplus/deficit, percentage of GDP
Algeria - 2011
Algeria - 2011
Inflation, year-on-year percentage change of the consumer price index, annual average
Yemen - 2013
Yemen - 2013
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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.
Poverty gap at national poverty line, urban
Palestine - 2011
Palestine - 2011
Extreme poverty headcount ratio at national poverty line, as a percentage of the population, rural
Tunisia - 2015
Tunisia - 2015
Poverty gap at national poverty line
Sudan - 2009
Sudan - 2009
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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.
Manufactures imports, percentage of merchandise imports
Libya - 2010
Libya - 2010
Fuel imports, percentage of merchandise imports
Qatar - 2015
Qatar - 2015
Manufactures exports, percentage of merchandise exports
United Arab Emirates - 2014
United Arab Emirates - 2014
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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.
Municipal water withdrawal, percentage of total withdrawal
Algeria - 2012
Algeria - 2012
Irrigated agricultural land, percentage of agricultural land
Syria - 2013
Syria - 2013
Municipal water withdrawal, percentage of total withdrawal
Djibouti - 2000
Djibouti - 2000
