Assessment of the Jordanian Marketplace, 2018

The Syrian refugee crisis impacted all segments of the Jordanian market. The arrival of upwards of 655,000 refugees transformed Jordan’s communities and marketplace. The crisis closed traditional trade routes and shook investors’ confidence in the economy. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates that the Jordanian economy lost one percent of GDP per year of the crisis due to loss in exports and investment. 

UNHCR and the Norwegian Refugee Council, in coordination with the Basic Needs and Shelter Working groups, embarked on this Market Assessment to better understand how the Jordanian market functions and how the market has responded in the past five years to the Syrian refugee crisis. The Assessment specifically focused on the retail and shelter sectors. This second Market Assessment comes five years after the initial UNHCR Market Assessment and six years after the first cash assistance was provided to Syrian refugees. With the number of Syrian refugees entering Jordan stabilized, it is time to reassess market conditions and the continued appropriateness of cash-based interventions.