inancial sector is rudimentary. Moroccan authorities
understand that reducing poverty and providing jobs is key to
domestic security and development. In 2004, Moroccan authorities
instituted measures to boost foreign direct investment and trade by
signing a free trade agreement with the US, which entered into force
in January 2006, and sold government shares in the state
telecommunications company and in the largest state-owned bank.
Long-term challenges include preparing the economy for freer trade
with the US and European Union, improving education and job
prospects for Morocco's youth, and raising living standards, which
the government hopes to achieve by increasing tourist arrivals and
boosting competitiveness in textiles.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$147 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$56.72 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
6.7% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$4,400 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 13.3%
industry: 31.2%
services: 55.5% (2006 est.)

Labor force:
11.25 million (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 40%
industry: 15%
services: 45% (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate:
7.7% (2006 est.)

Population below poverty line:
19% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.6%
highest 10%: 30.9% (1998-99)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
40 (2005 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.8% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
21.7% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $15.85 billion
expenditures: $20.39 billion; including capital expenditures of
$2.19 billion (2006 est.)

Public debt:
70.9% of GDP (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products:
barley, wheat, citrus, wine, vegetables, olives; livestock

Industries:
phosphate rock mining and processing, food processing, leather
goods, textiles, construction, tourism

Industrial production growth rate:
4% (2004 est.)

Electricity - production:
18.48 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 95.4%
hydro: 4.6%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
18.89 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
1.7 billion kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
300 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:
170,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exp