Econom�a - descripci�n: Colombia is poised for moderate growth in the next several years, marking an end to the severe 1999 recession when GDP fell by about 5%. President PASTRANA's well-respected economic team is taking steps to keep the recovery on track, such as lowering interest rates and shoring up the financial system. In its loan agreement with the IMF, the administration has pledged to take additional steps to restore growth, reduce inflation, and improve the public sector's fiscal health. Many challenges to sustainable growth remain, however. Unemployment reached a record 20% in 1999 and may remain high, contributing to the extreme inequality in income distribution. Colombia's leading exports, oil and coffee, face an uncertain future: new exploration is needed to offset a pending decline in oil production, and the coffee harvest has dropped off because of aging plantations and natural disasters. The lack of public security is a key concern for investors, making progress in the government's peace negotiations with insurgent groups an important driver of economic performance. Colombia is looking for international financial assistance to boost economic recovery and peace prospects.

Producto Bruto Interno (PBI): purchasing power parity - $245.1 billion (1999 est.)

PBI - Indice de Incremento real: -5% (1999 est.)

PBI - por capital: purchasing power parity - $6,200 (1999 est.)

PBI - Composici�n por Sector:
agriculture: 19%
industry: 26%
services: 55% (1999 est.)

Poblaci�n bajo linea de pobertad: 17.7% (1992 est.)

Ingreso en casa o porcentage de consumci�n:
lowest 10%: 1%
highest 10%: 46.9% (1995)

Indice de Inflaci�n (precios del consumidor): 9.2% (1999)

Fuerza Laboral: 16.8 million (1997 est.)

Fuerza Laboral - por ocupaci�n: services 46%, agriculture 30%, industry 24% (1990)

Indice de desempleo: 20% (1999 est.)

Presupuesto:
revenues: $22 billion
expenditures: $24 billion including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)

Industrias: textiles, food processing, oil, clothing and footwear, beverages, chemicals, cement; gold, coal, emeralds

Industrial production growth rate: -7% (1999 est.)

Electricidad - Producci�n: 45.02 billion kWh (1998)

Electricidad - producci�n por fuente:
fossil fuel: 30.11%
hydro: 69.25%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0.64% (1998)

Electricidad - consumci�n: 41.963 billion kWh (1998)

Electricidad - exportaciones: 0 kWh (1998)

Electricidad - importaciones: 94 million kWh (1998)

Agricultura - productos: coffee, cut flowers, bananas, rice, tobacco, corn, sugarcane, cocoa beans, oilseed, vegetables; forest products; shrimp

Exportaciones: $11.5 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.)

Exporationes - comodidades: petroleum, coffee, coal, gold, bananas, cut flowers

Exportaciones - socios: US 39%, EU 24%, Andean Community 15%, Japan 2% (1998)

Importaciones: $10 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.)

Importaciones - comodidades: industrial equipment, transportation equipment, consumer goods, chemicals, paper products, fuels, electricity

Importaciones - socios: US 35%, EU 20%, Andean Community 15%, Japan 7% (1998)

Deuda - externa: $35 billion (1998 est.)

Ayuda economica - recipiente: $40.7 million (1995)

Moneda: 1 Colombian peso (Col$) = 100 centavos

Indice de intercambio: Colombian pesos (Col$) per US$1 - 1,925.63 (January 2000), 1,756.23 (1999), 1,426.04 (1998), 1,140.96 (1997), 1,036.69 (1996), 912.83 (1995)

A�o Fiscal: calendar year