ellow five-pointed
star on the hoist side of the blue band

Economy Central African Republic

Economy - overview:
Subsistence agriculture, together with forestry, remains the
backbone of the economy of the Central African Republic (CAR), with
more than 70% of the population living in outlying areas. The
agricultural sector generates half of GDP. Timber has accounted for
about 16% of export earnings and the diamond industry, for 54%.
Important constraints to economic development include the CAR's
landlocked position, a poor transportation system, a largely
unskilled work force, and a legacy of misdirected macroeconomic
policies. Factional fighting between the government and its
opponents remains a drag on economic revitalization, with GDP growth
at only 0.5% in 2004. Distribution of income is extraordinarily
unequal. Grants from France and the international community can only
partially meet humanitarian needs.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$4.248 billion (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
0.5% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 55%
industry: 20%
services: 25% (2001 est.)

Labor force:
NA

Unemployment rate:
8% (23% for Bangui) (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA (1993)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 0.7%
highest 10%: 47.7% (1993)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
61.3 (1993)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.6% (2001 est.)

Budget:
revenues: NA
expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA

Agriculture - products:
cotton, coffee, tobacco, manioc (tapioca), yams, millet, corn,
bananas; timber

Industries:
gold and diamond mining, logging, brewing, textiles, footwear,
assembly of bicycles and motorcycles

Industrial production growth rate:
3% (2002)

Electricity - production:
106 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 19.8%
hydro: 80.2%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
98.58 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2002)

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

Oil - consumption:
2,400 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA

Oil - imports:
NA

Exports:
$172 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
di