began the transition from Communism in 1989 with a
largely obsolete industrial base and a pattern of output unsuited to the
country's needs. Over the past decade economic restructuring has lagged
behind most other countries in the region. Consequently, living standards
have continued to fall - real wages are down perhaps 40%. The country
emerged in 2000 from a punishing three-year recession thanks to strong
demand in EU export markets, and despite the global slowdown in 2001,
strong domestic activity in construction, agriculture, and consumption
led to 4.8% growth. A standby agreement with the IMF - covering the
period October 2001 to March 2003 - provides a key opportunity for
vigorous privatization, regulatory reform, deficit reduction, and the
curbing of inflation. The government in the past has not been able to
fully implement IMF agreements; its degree of success in this case will
affect prospects for joining the EU.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $152.7 billion (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 4.8% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $6,800 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 15% industry: 30% services:
55% (2000)

Population below poverty line: 44.5% (2000)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.7%
highest 10%: 22.7% (1994)

Distribution of family income - Gini index: 30.5 (1997)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 34.5% (2001 est.)

Labor force: 9.9 million (1999 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 40%, industry 25%, services 35%
(1998)

Unemployment rate: 9.1% (2001)

Budget: revenues: $11.7 billion expenditures: $12.4 billion, including
capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)

Industries: textiles and footwear, light machinery and auto assembly,
mining, timber, construction materials, metallurgy, chemicals, food
processing, petroleum refining

Industrial production growth rate: 6.5% (2001)

Electricity - production: 49.787 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 52.58% hydro: 36.92%
other: 0.01% (2000) nuclear: 10.49%

Electricity - consumption: 45.677 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports: 1.4 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports: 775 million kWh (2000)

Agriculture - products: wheat, corn, sugar beets, sunflower seed,
potatoes, grapes; eggs, sheep

Exports: $11.5 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)

Exports - commodities: textiles and footwear