For the third consecutive month, food prices in Jordan have continued to rise, registering a 3.1% increase in January, according to the latest World Bank report. The country's General Statistics Department also reported an increase in the consumer price index (inflation) for the same period.
اضافة اعلان
The World Bank report highlighted that Jordan's price index had risen by 1.2% in December and 2.6% in November, following a slight decrease of 0.7% in October. Prior to that, prices had experienced minor increases in September (0.1%), August (2.8%), July (2.6%), June (2%), and May (2.1%).
Food Security Measures in Jordan
The report praised Jordan’s recent approval of its 2025-2027 Food Security Action Plan, endorsed by the Jordanian Food Security Council in late January 2025. The council recommended upgrading its status to the Supreme Food Security Council, under the Prime Minister’s leadership, to strengthen its strategic role.
Additionally, the council approved a food security development matrix and incorporated key indicators from global reports like SOFI and the Global Hunger Index. The council also discussed plans for establishing a regional emergency response center, based on a concept note prepared by the World Food Programme (WFP) at Jordan’s request.
The World Bank noted that the WFP is providing technical support to Jordan's Food Security Council, including a monitoring and evaluation framework to track progress in food security.
Inflation and Global Trends
According to the General Statistics Department, Jordan’s consumer price index (CPI) rose by 2.29% in January 2025 compared to January 2024 and 0.42% from December 2024. The CPI for January 2025 stood at 112.23, up from 109.72 in January 2024 and 111.76 in December 2024.
Global Economic Concerns
The World Bank’s latest Global Economic Outlook report (January 2025) warned of persistent economic stagnation, forecasting global growth at 2.7% until 2026. While this suggests some stability, the report states it is insufficient to significantly reduce poverty or address increasing food insecurity in low-income countries.
Key challenges include high inflation, rising debt, and trade disruptions, all of which are exacerbating food insecurity. Since the Russia-Ukraine war, global food prices have been further strained due to export restrictions on food and fertilizers.
As of February 2025, 17 countries have imposed 22 food export bans, while eight countries have implemented 12 export restriction measures.
Food Insecurity Hotspots
East Africa: 61.6 million people face food insecurity.
West & Central Africa: Nearly 50 million people are food insecure.
Global Inflation in Food Prices:
73.7% of low-income countries reported food inflation above 5% (up 1.5% from January 2025).
52.2% of lower-middle-income countries saw increases (up 8.7%).
38% of upper-middle-income countries remained unchanged.
5.6% of high-income countries saw a decrease in food inflation (down 1.8%).
Agricultural Commodity Prices
Corn and wheat prices rose by 3% and 5%, respectively.
Rice prices dropped 10%.
Annual trends:
Corn: +10%
Wheat: -6%
Rice: -19%
Since January 2020:
Corn: +27%
Wheat: -2%
Rice: +14%
The February 2025 "Market Monitor" report by the Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS) revealed that global wheat, rice, and soybean prices remain lower than a year ago, except for corn, which hit a 15-month high due to supply concerns.
Funding Gaps for Food Security
The "Food Crisis and Financial Flows 2024" report found that only 3% ($6.3 billion) of total development funding is allocated to food security, far below the 33% ($10.3 billion) dedicated to global humanitarian aid.
A recent World Bank blog post highlighted five alarming statistics demonstrating the urgency of global food security and the crucial role of data innovations in combating hunger worldwide.
