Choking growth one puff at a time: how tobacco is strangling Jordan’s economy

Tobacco use in Jordan is not merely a public health crisis; it is a significant economic challenge. Between 2019 and 2024, smoking prevalence increased from 65.3% to 71.2% among adult males, while the rate for adult females increased from 16.4% to 28.8%. 1 2 Jordan remains one of the highest tobacco consuming nations in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. The health repercussions are enormous, and the economic costs are equally alarming.3 As the country seeks to strengthen its economy, modernise its health infrastructure and elevate public well-being, the unchecked spread of tobacco addiction threatens to reverse progress on every front.