r in September 1998 destroyed 80% of the commercial
infrastructure in Maseru and two other major towns. Most firms were
not covered by insurance, and the rebuilding of small and medium
business will be a significant challenge in terms of both economic
growth and employment levels.

GDP: purchasing power parity--$5.1 billion (1997 est.)

GDP--real growth rate: 10% (1997 est.)

GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$2,400 (1997 est.)

GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 14%
industry: 42%
services: 44% (1996 est.)

Population below poverty line: 49.2% (1993 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 0.9%
highest 10%: 43.4% (1986-87)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8% (1997 est.)

Labor force: 689,000 economically active

Labor force--by occupation: 86% of resident population engaged in
subsistence agriculture; roughly 35% of the active male wage earners
work in South Africa

Unemployment rate: substantial unemployment and underemployment
effecting more than half of the labor force (1996 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $507 million
expenditures: $487 million, including capital expenditures of $170
million (FY96/97 est.)

Industries: food, beverages, textiles, handicrafts; construction;
tourism

Industrial production growth rate: 19.7% (1995)

Electricity--production: 0 kWh (1995)
note: electricity supplied by South Africa

Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: NA%
hydro: NA%
nuclear: NA%
other: NA%

Electricity--consumption: 335 million kWh (1996)

Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)

Electricity--imports: 335 million kWh (1996)

Agriculture--products: corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley;
livestock

Exports: $200 million (f.o.b., 1997 est.)

Exports--commodities: manufactures 65% (clothing, footwear, road
vehicles), wool and mohair 7%, food and live animals 7% (1996)

Exports--partners: South African Customs Union 66%, North America
26%, EU 4% (1996)

Imports: $880 million (f.o.b., 1997 est.)

Imports--commodities: food; building materials, vehicles,
machinery, medicines, petroleum products (1995)

Imports--partners: South African Customs Union 90%, Asia 6%, EU 2%
(1995)

Debt--external: $660 million (1997 est.)

Economic aid--recipient: $123.7 million (1995)

Currency: 1 loti (L) = 100 lisente
note: maloti (M) is the plural form of loti

Exchange rates: maloti (M) per US$1--5.9838