Economy - overview:
One of the poorest countries in the world, landlocked Burkina Faso
has few natural resources, a fragile soil, and a highly unequal
distribution of income. About 90% of the population is engaged in
(mainly subsistence) agriculture, which is vulnerable to variations
in rainfall. Industry remains dominated by unprofitable
government-controlled corporations. Following the African franc
currency devaluation in January 1994 the government updated its
development program in conjunction with international agencies, and
exports and economic growth have increased. Maintenance of
macroeconomic progress depends on continued low inflation, reduction
in the trade deficit, and reforms designed to encourage private
investment. The internal crisis in neighboring Cote d'Ivoire
continues to hurt trade and industrial prospects and deepens the
need for international assistance.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $14.51 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4.6% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 35%
industry: 17%
services: 48% (2001)
Population below poverty line:
45% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 46.8% (1994)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
48.2 (1994)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.5% (2001 est.)
Labor force:
5 million
note: a large part of the male labor force migrates annually to
neighboring countries for seasonal employment (2002)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 90% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues: $316 million
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001)
Industries:
cotton lint, beverages, agricultural processing, soap, cigarettes,
textiles, gold
Industrial production growth rate:
14% (2001 est.)
Electricity - production:
279.2 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 69.9%
hydro: 30.1%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:
259.6 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
8,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
NA (2001)
Oil - imports:
NA (2001)
Agriculture - products:
cotton, peanuts, shea nuts, sesame, sorghum, millet, corn, rice;
livestock
Exports:
$250 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities:
cotton, livestock, gold
Exports - partners:
Singapore 14.7%, Italy 11.3%, Colombia 8.6%, France 7.7%, India
6.9%, Ghana 6%, Japan 4.4%, Thailand 4.3% (2002)
Imports:
$525 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities:
capital goods, foodstuffs, petroleum
Imports - partners:
France 27.7%, Cote d'Ivoire 23%, Togo 4.3% (2002)
Debt - external:
$1.3 billion (2000)
Economic aid - recipient:
$484.1 million (1995)
Currency:
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible
authority is the Central Bank of the West African States
Currency code:
XOF
Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 696.99
(2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.7 (1999), 589.95 (1998)
Fiscal year:
calendar year