Western Sahara Economy 1997

Economy - overview Western Sahara, a territory poor in natural resources and having littlerainfall, depends on pastoral nomadism, fishing, and phosphate mining as theprincipal sources of income for the population. Most of the food for the urbanpopulation must be imported. All trade and other economic activities are controlledby the Moroccan Government. Incomes and standards of living are substantiallybelow the Moroccan level.

GDP purchasing power parity - $NA

GDP - real growth rate NA%

GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $NA

GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: 40%-45% (1996 est.)

Inflation rate - consumer price index NA%

Labor force
total: 12,000
by occupation: animal husbandry and subsistence farming 50%

Unemployment rate NA%

Budget
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Industries phosphate mining, handicrafts

Industrial production growth rate NA%

Electricity - capacity 56,000 kW (1995)

Electricity - production 85 million kWh (1995)

Electricity - consumption per capita NA kWh

Agriculture - products fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats(kept by the nomads)

Exports $NA
commodities: phosphates 62%
partners: Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners areincluded in overall Moroccan accounts

Imports $NA
commodities: fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs
partners : Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners areincluded in overall Moroccan accounts

Debt - external $NA

Economic aid
recipient : ODA, $NA

Currency 1 Moroccan dirham (DH) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates Moroccan dirhams (DH) per US$1 - 9.018 (January 1997), 8.716 (1996),8.540 (1995), 9.203 (1994), 9.299 (1993), 8.538 (1992)

Fiscal year calendar year

NOTE: The information regarding Western Sahara 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 Western Sahara Economy 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Western Sahara Economy 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.