on subsistence
agriculture for its livelihood. Namibia normally imports about 50%
of its cereal requirements; in drought years food shortages are a
major problem in rural areas. A high per capita GDP, relative to the
region, hides the great inequality of income distribution; nearly
one-third of Namibians had annual incomes of less than $1,400 in
constant 1994 dollars, according to a 1993 study. The Namibian
economy is closely linked to South Africa with the Namibian dollar
pegged to the South African rand. Privatization of several
enterprises in coming years may stimulate long-run foreign
investment. Mining of zinc, copper, and silver and increased fish
production led growth in 2003-04.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$14.76 billion (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
4.8% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $7,300 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 11.3%
industry: 30.8%
services: 57.9% (2004 est.)

Labor force:
840,000 (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 47%, industry 20%, services 33% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate:
35% (1998)

Population below poverty line:
50% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
70 (2003)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.2% (2004 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
19.6% of GDP (2004 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $1.788 billion
expenditures: $1.956 billion, including capital expenditures of NA
(2004 est.)

Public debt:
38.5% of GDP (2004 est.)

Agriculture - products:
millet, sorghum, peanuts; livestock; fish

Industries:
meatpacking, fish processing, dairy products; mining (diamond,
lead, zinc, tin, silver, tungsten, uranium, copper)

Industrial production growth rate:
NA

Electricity - production:
1.167 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - production by source:
NA

Electricity - consumption:
1.92 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports:
65 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports:
900 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2002)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
13,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA

Oil - imports:
NA

Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
31.15 billion cu m (1 January 2002)