Bahrain Economy 1997

Economy - overview In Bahrain, petroleum production and processing account for about 60%of export receipts, 60% of government revenues, and 30% of GDP. Economic conditions have fluctuated with the changing fortunes of oil since 1985, forexample, during and following the Gulf crisis of 1990-91. With its highlydeveloped communication and transport facilities, Bahrain is home to numerousmultinational firms with business in the Gulf. A large share of exports consistsof petroleum products made from imported crude. Construction proceeds on severalmajor industrial projects. Unemployment, especially among the young, and thedepletion of both oil and underground water resources are major long-termeconomic problems.

GDP purchasing power parity - $7.7 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate 3% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $13,000 (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 1%
industry: 38%
services: 61% (1995)

Inflation rate - consumer price index 0% (1996 est.)

Labor force
total: 140,000
by occupation: industry and commerce 85%, agriculture 5%, services 5%, government 3%(1982)
note: 44.39% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (July1997 est.)

Unemployment rate 15% (1996 est.)

Budget
revenues: $1.49 billion
expenditures: $1.67 billion, including capital expenditures of $300 million (1995)

Industries petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, offshore banking,ship repairing; tourism

Industrial production growth rate 3.4% (1995)

Electricity - capacity 1.05 million kW (1994)

Electricity - production 4.28 billion kWh (1994)

Electricity - consumption per capita 7,102 kWh (1995 est.)

Agriculture - products fruit, vegetables; poultry, dairy products; shrimp, fish

Exports
total value: $4.2 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
commodities : petroleum and petroleum products 61%, aluminum 7%
partners: India 22%, Japan 12%, Saudi Arabia 6%, US 6%, UAE 5% (1995)

Imports
total value : $3.5 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
commodities: nonoil 63%, crude oil 37%
partners: Saudi Arabia 40%, US 13%, UK 7%, Japan 5%, Switzerland 5% (1995)

Debt - external $3.2 billion (1995)

Economic aid $NA

Currency 1 Bahraini dinar (BD) = 1,000 fils

Exchange rates Bahraini dinars (BD) per US$1 - 0.3760 (fixed rate)

Fiscal year calendar year

NOTE: The information regarding Bahrain on this page is re-published from the 1997 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Bahrain Economy 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Bahrain Economy 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.