Economy - overview:
Western Sahara has a small market-based economy whose main industries are fishing, phosphate mining, and pastoral nomadism. The territory's arid desert climate makes sedentary agriculture difficult, and Western Sahara imports much of its food. The Moroccan Government administers Western Sahara's economy and is a key source of employment, infrastructure development, and social spending in the territory. Western Sahara's unresolved legal status makes the exploitation of its natural resources a contentious issue between Morocco and the Polisario. Morocco and the EU in December 2013 finalized a four-year agreement allowing European vessels to fish off the coast of Morocco, including disputed waters off the coast of Western Sahara. Oil has never been found in Western Sahara in commercially significant quantities, but Morocco and the Polisario have quarreled over who has the right to authorize and benefit from oil exploration in the territory. Western Sahara's main long-term economic challenge is the development of a more diverse set of industries capable of providing greater employment and income to the territory.
GDP (purchasing power parity): GDP (official exchange rate): GDP - real growth rate: GDP - per capita (PPP): GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
Agriculture - products: Industries: Industrial production growth rate: Labor force: Labor force - by occupation:
Unemployment rate: Population below poverty line: Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Budget:
Fiscal year: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Exports: Exports - commodities: Imports: Imports - commodities: Debt - external: Exchange rates:
$906.5 million (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 207
[see also: GDP country ranks ]
$NA
[see also: GDP (official exchange rate) country ranks ]
NA%
[see also: GDP - real growth rate country ranks ]
$2,500 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 184
[see also: GDP - per capita country ranks ]
agriculture:
NA%
industry:
NA%
services:
40% (2007 est.)
fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats (kept by nomads); fish
phosphate mining, handicrafts
NA%
[see also: Industrial production growth rate country ranks ]
144,000 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 178
[see also: Labor force country ranks ]
agriculture:
50%
industry and services:
50% (2005 est.)
NA%
[see also: Unemployment rate country ranks ]
NA%
[see also: Population below poverty line country ranks ]
lowest 10%:
NA%
highest 10%:
NA%
revenues:
$NA
expenditures:
$NA
calendar year
NA%
[see also: Inflation rate (consumer prices) country ranks ]
$NA
[see also: Exports country ranks ]
phosphates 62%
$NA
[see also: Imports country ranks ]
fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs
$NA
[see also: Debt - external country ranks ]
Moroccan dirhams (MAD) per US dollar -
8.439 (2013)
8.6026 (2012)
8.4172 (2010)
8.0571 (2009)
7.526 (2008)