Economy - overview:
Since independence from Ethiopia on 24 May 1993, Eritrea has faced
the economic problems of a small, desperately poor country. Like the
economies of many African nations, the economy is largely based on
subsistence agriculture, with 80% of the population involved in
farming and herding. The Ethiopian-Eritrea war in 1998-2000 severely
hurt Eritrea's economy. GDP growth fell to zero in 1999 and to -1%
in 2000. The May 2000 Ethiopian offensive into northern Eritrea
caused some $600 million in property damage and loss, including
losses of $225 million in livestock and 55,000 homes. The attack
prevented planting of crops in Eritrea's most productive region,
causing food production to drop by 62%. Even during the war, Eritrea
developed its transportation infrastructure, asphalting new roads,
improving its ports, and repairing war damaged roads and bridges.
Since the war ended, the government has maintained a firm grip on
the economy, expanding the use of the military and party-owned
businesses to complete Eritrea's development agenda. Erratic
rainfall and the delayed demobilization of agriculturalists from the
military kept cereal production well below normal, holding down
growth in 2002. Eritrea's economic future depends upon its ability
to master social problems such as illiteracy, unemployment, and low
skills, and to open its economy to private enterprise so the
diaspora's money and expertise can foster economic growth.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $3.3 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $700 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 17%
industry: 29%
services: 54% (2001 est.)
Population below poverty line:
53% (1993/94)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
15% (2001)
Labor force:
NA
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 80%, industry and services 20%
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues: $206.4 million
expenditures: $615.7 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2000 est.)
Industries:
food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
220.5 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:
205.1 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh NA kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh NA kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
6,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
NA (2001)
Oil - imports:
NA (2001)
Agriculture - products:
sorghum, lentils, vegetables, corn, cotton, tobacco, coffee, sisal;
livestock, goats; fish
Exports:
$20 million f.o.b. (2001)
Exports - commodities:
livestock, sorghum, textiles, food, small manufactures (2000)
Exports - partners:
Italy 36.9%, Germany 16.7%, France 10.3%, US 5.4%, Netherlands 5.2%
(2002)
Imports:
$500 million c.i.f. (2001)
Imports - commodities:
machinery, petroleum products, food, manufactured goods (2000)
Imports - partners:
Italy 27.1%, US 15.7%, Germany 7.2%, Ukraine 5.8%, Turkey 5.5%,
France 4.5%, Netherlands 4% (2002)
Debt - external:
$311 million (2000 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
$77 million (1999)
Currency:
nakfa (ERN)
Currency code:
ERN
Exchange rates:
nakfa (ERN) per US dollar - 9.5 (January 2000), 7.6 (January 1999),
7.2 (March 1998 est.)
Fiscal year:
calendar year