f
government agencies, streamline the regulatory process, create a
legal environment to encourage entrepreneurs, and enact a
comprehensive tax overhaul. Reforms in the more politically
sensitive areas of structural reform and land privatization are
still lagging. Outside institutions - particularly the IMF - have
encouraged Ukraine to quicken the pace and scope of reforms. GDP in
2000 showed strong export-based growth of 6% - the first growth
since independence - and industrial production grew 12.9%. The
economy continued to expand in 2001 as real GDP rose 9% and
industrial output grew by over 14%. Growth of 4.6% in 2002 was more
moderate, in part a reflection of faltering growth in the developed
world. In general, growth has been undergirded by strong domestic
demand, low inflation, and solid consumer and investor confidence.
Growth was a sturdy 9.3% in 2003 and a remarkable 12% in 2004,
despite a loss of momentum in needed economic reforms.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $260.4 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
9.4% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $5,400 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 18.8%
industry: 44.8%
services: 36.4% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
21% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line:
29% (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.7%
highest 10%: 23.2% (1999)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
29 (1999)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5.2% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
21.29 million (2003)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 24%, industry 32%, services 44% (1996)

Unemployment rate:
3.7% officially registered; large number of unregistered or
underemployed workers (2003)

Budget:
revenues: $14.1 billion
expenditures: $14.19 billion, including capital expenditures of NA
(2003 est.)

Public debt:
28.7% of GDP (2003)

Agriculture - products:
grain, sugar beets, sunflower seeds, vegetables; beef, milk

Industries:
coal, electric power, ferrous and nonferrous metals, machinery and
transport equipment, chemicals, food processing (especially sugar)

Industrial production growth rate:
15.8% (2003 est.)

Electricity - production:
164.7 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
152.4 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
800 million kWh (2001)

Electricit