rage annual growth in 1988-95. The official growth target for
1996 is 8.3%. This growth has resulted in a substantial reduction in
poverty and a marked rise in real wages. Manufactured goods exports
expanded rapidly, and foreign investors continued to commit large
sums in the economy. The government is aware of the inflationary
potential of this rapid development and is closely monitoring fiscal
and monetary policies.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $193.6 billion (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate: 9.5% (1995)

GDP per capita: $9,800 (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector:
agriculture: 8%
industry: 25%
services: 67%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.3% (1995)

Labor force: 7.627 million (1993)

Unemployment rate: 2.8% (1995 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $20.2 billion
expenditures: $19.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $4.8
billion (1995 est.)

Industries:
Peninsular Malaysia: rubber and oil palm processing and
manufacturing, light manufacturing industry, electronics, tin mining
and smelting, logging and processing timber
Sabah: logging, petroleum production
Sarawak: agriculture processing, petroleum production and refining,
logging

Industrial production growth rate: 12% (1994)

Electricity:
capacity: 6,700,000 kW
production: 31 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 1,528 kWh (1993)

Agriculture:
Peninsular Malaysia: natural rubber, palm oil, rice
Sabah: subsistence crops, rubber, timber, coconut, rice
Sarawak: rubber, pepper; timber

Illicit drugs: transit point for Golden Triangle heroin going to
the US, Western Europe, and the Third World despite severe penalties
for drug trafficking

Exports: $72 billion (1995)
commodities: electronic equipment, petroleum and petroleum products,
palm oil, wood and wood products, rubber, textiles
partners: Singapore 21%, US 20%, Japan 12%, UK 4%, Thailand 4%,
Germany 3% (1994)

Imports: $72.2 billion (1995)
commodities: machinery and equipment, chemicals, food, petroleum
products
partners: Japan 26%, US 17%, Singapore 14%, Taiwan 5%, Germany 4%,
UK 3%, South Korea 3% (1993)

External debt: $27.4 billion (1995 est.)

Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $45 million (1993)

Currency: 1 ringgit (M$) = 100 sen

Exchange rates: ringgits (M$) per US$1 - 2.5567 (January 1996),
2.5044 (1995), 2.6243 (1994), 2.5741 (1993), 2.5474 (1992), 2.7501
(1991)

Fiscal year: calendar year