continued with
the support of international organizations, notably the World Bank
and the IMF. The reform program came to a halt in June 1997 when
civil war erupted. Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, who returned to power when
the war ended in October 1997, publicly expressed interest in moving
forward on economic reforms and privatization and in renewing
cooperation with international financial institutions. However,
economic progress was badly hurt by slumping oil prices and the
resumption of armed conflict in December 1998, which worsened the
republic's budget deficit. The current administration presides over
an uneasy internal peace and faces difficult economic challenges of
stimulating recovery and reducing poverty.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$2.324 billion (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
3.7% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $800 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 7.4%
industry: 52%
services: 40.6% (2004 est.)

Labor force:
NA

Unemployment rate:
NA (2003)

Population below poverty line:
NA

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.8% (2004 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
25.8% of GDP (2004 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $870.1 million
expenditures: $1.102 billion, including capital expenditures of NA
(2004 est.)

Agriculture - products:
cassava (tapioca), sugar, rice, corn, peanuts, vegetables, coffee,
cocoa; forest products

Industries:
petroleum extraction, cement, lumber, brewing, sugar, palm oil,
soap, flour, cigarettes

Industrial production growth rate:
0% (2002 est.)

Electricity - production:
348 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 0.3%
hydro: 99.7%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
573.6 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports:
250 million kWh (2002)

Oil - production:
227,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption:
5,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA

Oil - imports:
NA

Oil - proved reserves:
93.5 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - prove