onomic stability and strong growth
since a major economic downturn in 1996 led to the fall of the then
socialist government. As a result, the government became committed
to economic reform and responsible fiscal planning. A $300 million
stand-by agreement negotiated with the IMF at the end of 2001 has
supported government efforts to overcome high rates of poverty and
unemployment.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $57.13 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
4.3% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $7,600 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 11.4%
industry: 30%
services: 58.6% (2003)

Investment (gross fixed):
19.6% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line:
13.4% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 4.5%
highest 10%: 22.8% (1997)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
26.4 (2001)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.3% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
3.333 million (2003 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 26%, industry 31%, services 43% (1998 est.)

Unemployment rate:
14.3% (2003)

Budget:
revenues: $8.121 billion
expenditures: $8.121 billion, including capital expenditures of NA
(2003 est.)

Public debt:
48% of GDP (2003)

Agriculture - products:
vegetables, fruits, tobacco, livestock, wine, wheat, barley,
sunflowers, sugar beets

Industries:
electricity, gas and water; food, beverages and tobacco; machinery
and equipment, base metals, chemical products, coke, refined
petroleum, nuclear fuel

Industrial production growth rate:
6.3% (2003 est.)

Electricity - production:
41.38 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
32.52 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
6.79 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
830 million kWh (2001)

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

Oil - consumption:
94,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Current account balance:
$-1.666 billion (2003)