The purpose of this research is to understand the barriers that prevent Arab Muslim youth from fulfilling their needs. In total, 1078 Jordanians aged 18–24 years were asked to rate the importance of various barriers via a structured questionnaire. Barriers to economic needs were found to be ranked highest, followed by barriers in the political, social, educational and health domains. Women were more likely than men to perceive barriers, particularly in the economic and social domains. Participants who reported a stronger wish to emigrate were more likely to rate economic barriers highly. A rights-based approach is used to interpret the findings, in order to inform strategies to assist youth to address life challenges and enhance well-being.