Economy - overview  The Gambia has no important mineral or other natural resources and has a limited agricultural base. About 75% of the population depends on crops and livestock for its livelihood. Small-scale manufacturing activity features the processing of peanuts, fish, and hides. Reexport trade normally constitutes a major segment of economic activity, but the 50% devaluation of the CFA franc in January 1994 made Senegalese goods more competitive and hurt the reexport trade. The Gambia has benefited from a rebound in tourism after its decline in response to the military's takeover in July 1994. Short-run economic progress remains highly dependent on sustained bilateral and multilateral aid and on responsible government economic management as forwarded by IMF technical help and advice. Annual GDP growth is expected to fall to less than 4% over 2000-01.

GDP  purchasing power parity - $1.4 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate  4.2% (1999 est.)

GDP - per capita  purchasing power parity - $1,030 (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector  agriculture:23%

industry:13%

services:64% (1997 est.)

Population below poverty line  NA%

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

highest 10%:NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices)  2.5% (1999 est.)

Labor force  400,000

Labor force - by occupation  agriculture 75%, industry, commerce, and services 19%, government 6%

Unemployment rate  NA%

Budget  revenues:$88.6 million

expenditures:$98.2 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY96/97 est.)

Industries  processing peanuts, fish, and hides; tourism; beverages; agricultural machinery assembly, woodworking, metalworking; clothing

Industrial production growth rate  NA%

Electricity - production  75 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source  fossil fuel:100%

hydro:0%

nuclear:0%

other:0% (1998)

Electricity - consumption  70 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports  0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports  0 kWh (1998)

Agriculture - products  peanuts, millet, sorghum, rice, corn, cassava (tapioca), palm kernels; cattle, sheep, goats; forest and fishery resources not fully exploited

Exports  $132 million (f.o.b., 1998)

Exports - commodities  peanuts and peanut products, fish, cotton lint, palm kernels

Exports - partners  Benelux 78%, Japan, UK, Hong Kong, France, Spain (1997)

Imports  $201 million (f.o.b., 1998)

Imports - commodities  foodstuffs, manufactures, fuel, machinery and transport equipment

Imports - partners  Hong Kong, UK, Netherlands, Cote d'Ivoire, France, Senegal, Belgium (1997)

Debt - external  $430 million (1997 est.)

Economic aid - recipient  $45.4 million (1995)

Currency  1 dalasi (D) = 100 butut

Exchange rates  dalasi (D) per US$1 - 11.626 (November 1999), 10.643 (1998), 10.200 (1997), 9.789 (1996), 9.546 (1995)