This first Jordanian National Human Development Report focuses on the condition and role of young people in the country;; arguing that the capacity of young Jordanians to contribute to national development and to compete in the global economy will determine whether Jordan remains a low middle income country or joins the ranks of the world's advanced economies. The Report looks at young people's lives and aspirations in the three key areas of education;; employment and social integration;; finding for example that 60% of all unemployed people are below that age of 25. The Report concludes that although Jordan has made significant advances in building people's capabilities;; there is room for improvement in aspects of gender-equality;; employment;; income and quality and relevance of education;; and ends with a substantial section on policy recommendations suggesting strategies for addressing this shortfall

The report highlights the essential role played by micro;; small and medium enterprises in the promotion of human development in the country;; and through four main pillars;; namely economic growth;; that is inclusive and pro-poor;; social progress;; participation;; empowerment throw micro finance;; and environmental sustainability. The report consists of eight chapters dealing with: the concept of human development through small and medium enterprises;; human development in Jordan;; economic growth;; social progress;; empowerment;; the role of microfinance to empower less advantaged groups;; and a chapter on sustainable development.

Many reports talk about poverty and the poor;; but few actually provide the space for the poor themselves to take centre stage and to talk about their lives. Jordan’s second National Human Development Report redresses this imbalance. It places the poor at the centre of analysis and attempts to capture the diverse and dynamic characteristics of poverty through the eyes of the poor themselves. A major theme of the report is that the considerable human development gains that have been achieved at the macro-level in Jordan have yet to trickle down to many sub-groups among the poor. The report provides detailed recommendations to accelerate this process and to enhance positive outcomes for the poor.