| Economy | Central African Republic |
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Economy - overview:
 | Subsistence agriculture, together with forestry, remains the backbone of the economy of the Central African Republic (CAR), with more than 70% of the population living in outlying areas. The agricultural sector generates more than half of GDP. Timber has accounted for about 16% of export earnings and the diamond industry, for 40%. Important constraints to economic development include the CAR's landlocked position, a poor transportation system, a largely unskilled work force, and a legacy of misdirected macroeconomic policies. Factional fighting between the government and its opponents remains a drag on economic revitalization. Distribution of income is extraordinarily unequal. Grants from France and the international community can only partially meet humanitarian needs. |
GDP (purchasing power parity):
 | $3.299 billion (2009 est.) $3.222 billion (2008 est.) $3.152 billion (2007 est.) note: data are in 2009 US dollars |
GDP - per capita (PPP):
 | $700 (2009 est.) $700 (2008 est.) $700 (2007 est.) note: data are in 2009 US dollars |
GDP (official exchange rate):
 | $1.983 billion (2009 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate:
 | 2.4% (2009 est.) 2.2% (2008 est.) 3.7% (2007 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector:
 | agriculture: 55% industry: 20% services: 25% (2001 est.) |
Investment (gross fixed):
 | void |
Population below poverty line:
 | NA% |
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
 | lowest 10%: 2.1% highest 10%: 33% (2003) |
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
 | 61.3 (1993) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
 | 0.9% (2007 est.) |
Central bank discount rate:
 | 4.75% (31 December 2008) 5.25% (31 December 2007) |
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
 | NA% (31 December 2008) 15% (31 December 2007) |
Stock of money:
 | $NA (31 December 2008) $218.3 million (31 December 2007) |
Stock of money - per capita:
 | 1 USD per capita |
Stock of quasi money:
 | $NA (31 December 2008) $47.58 million (31 December 2007) |
Stock of quasi money - per capita:
 | void |
Stock of domestic credit:
 | $NA (31 December 2008) $320.2 million (31 December 2007) |
Stock of domestic credit - per capita:
 | void |
Labor force:
 | 1.926 million (2007) |
Labor force participation rate:
 | 42.69 % of population |
Labor force - by occupation:
 | void |
Unemployment rate:
 | 8% (2001 est.) note: 23% unemployment for Bangui |
Budget:
 | revenues: $334 million expenditures: $362 million (2007 est.) |
Budget revenues per capita:
 | 75 USD per capita |
Public debt:
 | void |
Industries:
 | gold and diamond mining, logging, brewing, textiles, footwear, assembly of bicycles and motorcycles |
Industrial production growth rate:
 | 3% (2002) |
Electricity - production:
 | 115 million kWh (2007 est.) |
Electricity - production per capita:
 | 26 kWh per capita |
Electricity - consumption:
 | 107 million kWh (2007 est.) |
Electricity - consumption - per capita:
 | 24 kWh per capita |
Electricity - exports:
 | 0 kWh (2008 est.) |
Electricity - imports:
 | 0 kWh (2008 est.) |
Oil - production:
 | 0 bbl/day (2008 est.) |
Oil - production per capita:
 | void |
Oil - consumption:
 | 2,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) |
Oil - consumption - per capita:
 | 0.16 bbl/year per capita |
Oil - exports:
 | 0 bbl/day (2007 est.) |
Oil - imports:
 | 2,203 bbl/day (2007 est.) |
Oil - proved reserves:
 | 0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) |
Natural gas - production:
 | 0 cu m (2008 est.) |
Natural gas - production per capita:
 | void |
Natural gas - consumption:
 | 0 cu m (2008 est.) |
Natural gas - consumption - per capita:
 | void |
Natural gas - exports:
 | 0 cu m (2008 est.) |
Natural gas - imports:
 | 0 cu m (2008 est.) |
Natural gas - proved reserves:
 | 0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) |
Agriculture - products:
 | timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco, manioc (tapioca), yams, millet, corn, bananas; timber |
Current account balance:
 | $-77 million (2007 est.) |
Current account balance - per capita:
 | -17 USD per capita |
Exports:
 | $146.7 million (2007 est.) |
Exports per capita:
 | 33 USD per capita |
Exports - commodities:
 | diamonds, timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco |
Exports - partners:
 | Japan 40.4%, Belgium 9.8%, China 8.2%, Morocco 6%, Indonesia 5.6%, France 4.4%, Italy 4.1%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 4% (2008) |
Imports:
 | $237.3 million (2007 est.) |
Imports per capita:
 | 53 USD per capita |
Imports - commodities:
 | food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals |
Imports - partners:
 | South Korea 20.2%, France 13.6%, Cameroon 7.7%, Netherlands 5.8%, US 5.3% (2008) |
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
 | void |
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold - per capita:
 | void |
Debt - external:
 | $1.153 billion (2007 est.) |
Debt - external - per capita:
 | 256 USD per capita |
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
 | void |
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home - per capita:
 | void |
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
 | void |
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad - per capita:
 | void |
Market value of publicly traded shares:
 | $NA |
Market value of publicly traded shares - per capita:
 | void |
Economic aid - donor:
 | void |
Economic aid - recipient:
 | $95.29 million |
Economic aid - recipient per capita:
 | 22 USD per capita |
Currency (code):
 | Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States |
Exchange rates:
 | Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) per US dollar - 481.35 (2009), 447.81 (2008), 481.8 (2007), 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005) note: since 1 January 1999, the Central African CFA franc (XAF) has been pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 CFA francs per euro; Central African CFA franc (XAF) coins and banknotes are not accepted in countries using West African CFA francs (XOF), and vice versa, even though the two currencies trade at par |
Fiscal year:
 | calendar year |
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