Economy—overview: Tajikistan has the lowest per capita GDP among the former Soviet republics. Agriculture dominates the economy, with cotton the most important crop. Mineral resources, varied but limited in amount, include silver, gold, uranium, and tungsten. Industry consists only of a large aluminum plant, hydropower facilities, and small obsolete factories mostly in light industry and food processing. The Tajikistani economy has been gravely weakened by five years of civil conflict and by the loss of subsidies from Moscow and of markets for its products. Tajikistan thus depends on aid from Russia and Uzbekistan and on international humanitarian assistance for much of its basic subsistence needs. Even if the peace agreement of June 1997 is honored, the country faces major problems in integrating refugees and former combatants into the economy. Moreover, constant political turmoil and the continued dominance by former communist officials have impeded the introduction of meaningful economic reforms. Still in a post-conflict status, the future of Tajikistan's economy and the potential for attracting foreign investment depend upon stability and progress in the peace process.

GDP: purchasing power parity—$6 billion (1998 est.)

GDP—real growth rate: 5.3% (1998 est.)

GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity—$990 (1998 est.)

GDP—composition by sector:
agriculture: 25%
industry: 35%
services: 40% (1997)

Population below poverty line: NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 46.3% (1998 est.)

Labor force: 1.9 million (1996)

Labor force—by occupation: agriculture and forestry 52%, manufacturing, mining, and construction 17%, services 31% (1995)

Unemployment rate: 5.7% includes only officially registered unemployed; also large numbers of underemployed workers and unregistered unemployed people (December 1998)

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

Industries: aluminum, zinc, lead, chemicals and fertilizers, cement, vegetable oil, metal-cutting machine tools, refrigerators and freezers

Industrial production growth rate: 8% (1998 est.)

Electricity—production: 13.555 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity—production by source:
fossil fuel: 4.09%
hydro: 95.91%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)

Electricity—consumption: 12.555 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity—exports: 3.8 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity—imports: 2.8 billion kWh (1996)

Agriculture—products: cotton, grain, fruits, grapes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, goats

Exports: $740 million (1998 est.)

Exports—commodities: cotton, aluminum, fruits, vegetable oil, textiles

Exports—partners: FSU 78%, Netherlands (1994)

Imports: $810 million (1998 est.)

Imports—commodities: fuel, chemicals, machinery and transport equipment, textiles, foodstuffs

Imports—partners: FSU 55%, Switzerland, UK (1994)

Debt—external: $1 billion (1997 est.)

Economic aid—recipient: $64.7 million (1995)

Currency: the Tajikistani ruble (TJR) = 100 tanga

Exchange rates: Tajikistani rubles (TJR) per US$1—998 (January 1999), 350 (January 1997), 284 (January 1996)

Fiscal year: calendar year

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