Overview: The Arab States

The Arab States region is home to some 320 million people living in 22 countries that stretch from Morocco and Algeria in the west to Yemen and Oman in the east. Diverse cultural, social, economic, ethnic and political dynamics co-exist within the region, and development progress has been uneven both between and within countries.

Some countries are advancing well toward meeting the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The least developed countries, which represent 22 per cent of the population of the region, and rural areas have generally fared poorly. Many countries lack relevant or reliable data. Better, and more standardized, statistics are needed to document progress, mobilize political will and design evidencebased reforms. A number of regional initiatives are underway or being planned to provide reliable and comparable data, including the World Health Survey and the Pan Arab Project for Family Health, which aims to make available a comprehensive and dynamic database on family health in the region.

Over the last few decades, literacy rates and life expectancy increased throughout much of the region. Infrastructure improvements brought safe water to more than 80 per cent of the population, and sanitation to most of those living in urban areas. However, progress slowed in the 1990s and in some countries has reversed. Since 1990 the percentage of people living below $1 per day has not improved, and the percentage living below $2 per day has increased from 21 to 23 per cent of the population. About one out of five people in the region lives on less than $2 a day, according to World Bank estimates.

Recent political upheavals, military conflicts and escalation of political instability have complicated development and poverty reduction. The Iraq war, the Palestinian-Israeli conflicts, the Sudan civil war and terrorist acts in many countries have resulted in considerable loss of life and property, generated psychological and economic insecurity, and increased the numbers of displaced persons. In many places, the conflict has undermined progress in civil liberties, reproductive health and the status of women. Violence against women has accelerated in areas of armed conflict.

The region once had the highest population growth rates in the world. Fertility declined significantly in the 1990s, but the growth rate is still high - about 2 per cent compared to 1.4 per cent for the less-developed world as a whole. Use of modern contraception has become more widespread. Nevertheless, because of its huge youth population, the region faces enormous growth in the coming years. The UN projects that the region will be home to some 372 million people by 2020 (compared to about 269 million in 2003, and 150 million in 1980). Concerted efforts will be needed if human progress is to keep pace.

Young people represent the fastest growing segment of Arab populations. Some 34 per cent of the region's population is below the age of 15 and the median age is 22 years. The high rates of unemployment, especially among these young people, is a key area of concern. Unemployment is generally high (at least 15 per cent of the workforce) throughout the region, according to the World Bank, and jobless rates among youth are twice the regional average in some countries. Issues related to their special needs are beginning to receive higher levels of attention and agencies (including UNFPA), governmental institutions, and civil society organizations have initiated various programmes to empower youth groups and build their capacities to influence development and population policies. Many of the Arab governments are working to expand and sustain employment opportunities by building up human capital. Many have increased spending on education, vocational training, expansion of markets and credits for small businesses.

The region as a whole has made progress on closing the gender gap in early education, one of the MDG targets. However, illiteracy and inequity persist. Some 10 million children, mostly girls, do not attend primary school. And although women's access to education has tripled since 1970, over half of adult women are illiterate. Women's participation in economic and political life is increasing, but slowly. Fewer than 20 per cent of women are employed in the non-agricultural sector, and women occupy only a small percentage (about 5 per cent) of legislative seats in the region. There is a growing acknowledgement of gender equality in constitutions, legislation and policies. Nevertheless, cultural, social and economic factors, as well as lack of political will, undermine their full implementation.

Tracking progress in some reproductive health areas, such as maternal mortality and HIV prevention, is difficult because of a lack of good data. Although these key issues are receiving more attention, the majority of Arab countries have not fully integrated reproductive health services within their basic health care systems. Because HIV prevalence appears to be fairly low, this is an opportune time for public awareness campaigns to keep the infection from gaining a foothold, and some countries are addressing HIV prevention among young people through training, educational materials, and establishment of youth networks.

Maternal deaths seem to diverge widely, from relative low rates in the more developed countries to more than 800 deaths per 100,000 live births in a few of the least developed Arab States. The continuing trend for women to marry and begin childbearing early may be a contributing factor to high maternal mortality. Female genital mutilation/cutting remains a common practice in a few countries of the region, although governments, religious leaders, national women's and youth groups, health professional organizations and the media are making steady progress in publicizing the health risks of and taking measures to end this harmful traditional practice.

Scarcity of water and arable land are two major resource concerns. Most of the countries below the World Bank's 'water poverty' line are in the Arab States. The amount of cultivated land per capita is declining as well, both because of population increase and desertification.

All of the Arab States still could meet the MDGs, according to UNDP, but that will demand immediate action, accelerated progress and clear development priorities. Arab governments and growing segments of civil society and the general population increasingly recognize that curbing rapid population growth, investing in girls' education and reducing high maternal mortality ratios contribute to socio-economic development and stronger families. Governments, regional organizations, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) and the Arab League are establishing population commissions and other entities to conduct research and studies responsive to specific population and cultural dynamics and economic conditions. Another promising sign is increased activity from civil society organizations, which are spearheading numerous service delivery and reform initiatives and interacting more closely with governments and ESCWA.

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