, white
border between the yellow and the green

Economy

Economy--overview: In 1997, Guyana, one of the poorest countries
in the Western Hemisphere, posted its sixth straight year of
economic growth of 5% or better, with the advance led by gold and
bauxite mining and by sugar growing. Favorable growth factors have
included expansion in the key agricultural and mining sectors, a
more favorable atmosphere for business initiative, a more realistic
exchange rate, a moderate inflation rate, and the continued support
of international organizations. However, a severe drought and
political turmoil following the 1997 elections contributed to a
negative growth rate for 1998. Serious underlying economic problems
will continue. Electricity has been in short supply and constitutes
a major barrier to future gains in national output. The government
must persist in efforts to manage its sizable external debt and
extend its privatization program.

GDP: purchasing power parity--$1.8 billion (1998 est.)

GDP--real growth rate: -1.8% (1998 est.)

GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$2,500 (1998 est.)

GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 37%
industry: 22%
services: 41% (1997 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.1% (1998)

Labor force: 245,492 (1992)

Labor force--by occupation: agriculture, hunting and forestry
30.2%, commerce 16%, manufacturing 11% (1992)

Unemployment rate: 12% (1992 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $253.7 million
expenditures: $304.1 million, including capital expenditures of
$108.8 million (1997 est.)

Industries: bauxite, sugar, rice milling, timber, fishing
(shrimp), textiles, gold mining

Industrial production growth rate: 7.1% (1997 est.)

Electricity--production: 325 million kWh (1996)

Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 98.46%
hydro: 1.54%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)

Electricity--consumption: 339 million kWh (1996)

Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)

Electricity--imports: 14 million kWh (1996)

Agriculture--products: sugar, rice, wheat, vegetable oils; beef,
pork, poultry, dairy products; forest and fishery potential not
exploited

Exports: $593.4 million (1997 est.)

Exports--commodities: sugar, gold, bauxite/alumina, rice, shrimp,
molasses

Exports--partner