alt
blows to Gaza since August 1990. Worker remittances from the Gulf
states have dropped, unemployment has increased, and exports have
fallen. The withdrawal of Israel from the Gaza Strip in May 1994 has
brought a new set of adjustment problems. The stringent border
restrictions have held back economic growth in 1995 and 1996.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $1 billion (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate: 3%-4% (1995 est.)

GDP per capita: $1,200 (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector:
agriculture: 33%
industry: 7%
services: 60% (1995 est., includes West Bank)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 14% (1995 est.)

Labor force: NA
by occupation: construction 33.4%, agriculture 20.0%, commerce,
restaurants, and hotels 14.9%, industry 10.0%, other services 21.7%
(1991)
note: excluding Israeli settlers

Unemployment rate: 30%-45% (1995 est.)

Budget: $NA

Industries: generally small family businesses that produce
textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs;
the Israelis have established some small-scale modern industries in
an industrial center

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity: power supplied by Israel

Agriculture: olives, citrus, other fruits, vegetables; beef, dairy
products

Exports: $49 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
commodities: citrus
partners: Israel, Egypt

Imports: $339 million (c.i.f., 1994 est.)
commodities: food, consumer goods, construction materials
partners: Israel, Egypt

External debt: $NA

Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $NA
note: $410 million (est.) disbursed from international aid pledges
in 1995 (includes aid to West Bank)

Currency: 1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new agorot

Exchange rates: new Israeli shekels (NIS) per US$1 - 3.1295
(January 1996), 3.0113 (1995), 3.0111 (1994), 2.8301 (1993), 2.4591
(1992), 2.2791 (1991)

Fiscal year: calendar year (since 1 January 1992)

Transportation
--------------

Railways:
total: NA km; note - one line, abandoned and in disrepair, little
trackage remains

Highways:
total: NA km
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km
note: small, poorly developed road network

Ports: Gaza

Airports:
total: 1
with paved runways under 914 m: 1 (1995 est.)

Communications
--------------

Telephones: NA
note: 10% of Palestinian households have telephones (1992 est.)

Telephone system:
domestic: NA
international: NA

Rad