Economy - overview:
Haiti is a free market economy that enjoys the advantages of low labor costs and tariff-free access to the US for many of its exports. Poverty, corruption, vulnerability to natural disasters, and low levels of education for much of the population are among Haiti's most serious impediments to economic growth. Haiti's economy suffered a severe setback in January 2010 when a 7.0 magnitude earthquake destroyed much of its capital city, Port-au-Prince, and neighboring areas. Currently the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere with 80% of the population living under the poverty line and 54% in abject poverty, the earthquake further inflicted $7.8 billion in damage and caused the country's GDP to contract. In 2011, the Haitian economy began recovering from the earthquake. However, two hurricanes adversely affected agricultural output and the low public capital spending slowed the recovery in 2012. Two-fifths of all Haitians depend on the agricultural sector, mainly small-scale subsistence farming, and remain vulnerable to damage from frequent natural disasters, exacerbated by the country's widespread deforestation. US economic engagement under the Caribbean Basin Trade Preference Agreement (CBTPA) and the 2008 Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE II) Act helped increase apparel exports and investment by providing duty-free access to the US. Congress voted in 2010 to extend the CBTPA and HOPE II until 2020 under the Haiti Economic Lift Program (HELP) Act; the apparel sector accounts for about 90% of Haitian exports and nearly one-twentieth of GDP. Remittances are the primary source of foreign exchange, equaling one-fifth of GDP and representing more than five times the earnings from exports in 2012. Haiti suffers from a lack of investment, partly because of weak infrastructure such as access to electricity. Haiti's outstanding external debt was cancelled by donor countries following the 2010 earthquake, but has since risen to $1.1 billion as of December 2013. The government relies on formal international economic assistance for fiscal sustainability, with over half of its annual budget coming from outside sources. The MARTELLY administration in 2011 launched a campaign aimed at drawing foreign investment into Haiti as a means for sustainable development. To that end, the MARTELLY government in 2012 created a Commission for Commercial Code Reform, effected reforms to the justice sector, and inaugurated the Caracol industrial park in Haiti's north coast. In 2012, private investment exceeded donor assistance for the first time since the 2010 earthquake.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$13.42 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 148
$12.98 billion (2012 est.)
$12.62 billion (2011 est.)
note: data are in 2013 US dollars
[see also: GDP country ranks ]

GDP (official exchange rate):
$8.287 billion (2013 est.)
[see also: GDP (official exchange rate) country ranks ]

GDP - real growth rate:
3.4% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 102
2.8% (2012 est.)
5.6% (2011 est.)
[see also: GDP - real growth rate country ranks ]

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,300 (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 209
$1,200 (2012 est.)
$1,200 (2011 est.)
note: data are in 2013 US dollars
[see also: GDP - per capita country ranks ]

Gross national saving:
3.7% of GDP (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 148
[see also: Gross national saving country ranks ]

GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture: 24.1%
industry: 19.9%
services: 56% (2013 est.)

Agriculture - products:
coffee, mangoes, cocoa, sugarcane, rice, corn, sorghum; wood, vetiver

Industries:
textiles, sugar refining, flour milling, cement, light assembly using imported parts

Industrial production growth rate:
6% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 44
[see also: Industrial production growth rate country ranks ]

Labor force:
4.81 million
country comparison to the world: 81
note: shortage of skilled labor, unskilled labor abundant (2010 est.)
[see also: Labor force country ranks ]

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 38.1%
industry: 11.5%
services: 50.4% (2010)

Unemployment rate:
40.6% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 192
note: widespread unemployment and underemployment; more than two-thirds of the labor force do not have formal jobs
[see also: Unemployment rate country ranks ]

Population below poverty line:
80% (2003 est.)
[see also: Population below poverty line country ranks ]

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 0.7%
highest 10%: 47.7% (2001)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
59.2 (2001)
country comparison to the world: 7
[see also: Distribution of family income - Gini index country ranks ]

Budget:
revenues: $1.989 billion
expenditures: $2.437 billion (2013 est.)

Taxes and other revenues:
24% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 136
[see also: Taxes and other revenues country ranks ]

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
-5.4% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 173
[see also: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) country ranks ]

Fiscal year:
1 October - 30 September

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6.3% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 181
6.3% (2012 est.)
[see also: Inflation rate (consumer prices) country ranks ]

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
9.2% (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99
8.93% (31 December 2012 est.)
[see also: Commercial bank prime lending rate country ranks ]

Stock of narrow money:
$1.151 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 145
$1.107 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
[see also: Stock of narrow money country ranks ]

Stock of broad money:
$3.509 billion (31 October 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 140
$3.43 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
[see also: Stock of broad money country ranks ]

Stock of domestic credit:
$1.725 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 134
$1.515 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
[see also: Stock of domestic credit country ranks ]

Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
[see also: Market value of publicly traded shares country ranks ]

Current account balance:
-$1.278 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 125
-$1.358 billion (2012 est.)
[see also: Current account balance country ranks ]

Exports:
$876.8 million (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165
$785 million (2012 est.)
[see also: Exports country ranks ]

Exports - commodities:
apparel, manufactures, oils, cocoa, mangoes, coffee

Exports - partners:
US 81.7% (2012)

Imports:
$2.697 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 153
$2.679 billion (2012 est.)
[see also: Imports country ranks ]

Imports - commodities:
food, manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, fuels, raw materials

Imports - partners:
Dominican Republic 34.5%, US 26.2%, Netherlands Antilles 9.4%, China 7% (2012)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$1.335 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 129
$1.287 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
[see also: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold country ranks ]

Debt - external:
$1.118 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 158
$957.6 million (31 December 2012 est.)
[see also: Debt - external country ranks ]

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$1.123 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 102
$963.1 million (31 December 2012 est.)
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - at home country ranks ]

Exchange rates:
gourdes (HTG) per US dollar -
43.53 (2013 est.)
41.95 (2012 est.)
39.8 (2010 est.)
42.02 (2009)
39.216 (2008)