Short facts about the economy in Kyrgyzstan
| Economy -
overview: |
Kyrgyzstan is a small, poor,
mountainous country with a predominantly agricultural economy. Cotton, wool, and
meat are the main agricultural products and exports. Industrial exports include
gold, mercury, uranium, and electricity. Kyrgyzstan has been one of the most
progressive countries of the former Soviet Union in carrying out market reforms.
Following a successful stabilization program, which lowered inflation from 88%
in 1994 to 15% for 1997, attention is turning toward stimulating growth. Much of
the government's stock in enterprises has been sold. Drops in production had
been severe since the breakup of the Soviet Union in December 1991, but by
mid-1995 production began to recover and exports began to increase. Pensioners,
unemployed workers, and government workers with salary arrears continue to
suffer. Foreign assistance played a substantial role in the country's economic
turnaround in 1996-97. Growth was held down to 2.1% in 1998 largely because of
the spillover from Russia's economic difficulties, but moved ahead to 3.6% in
1999 and an estimated 5.7% in 2000. The government has adopted a series of
measures to combat such persistent problems as excessive external debt,
inflation, and inadequate revenue collection. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power parity - $12.6 billion
(2000 est.) |
| GDP - real
growth rate: |
5.7% (2000
est.) |
| GDP - per
capita: |
purchasing power parity - $2,700 (2000
est.) |
| GDP -
composition by sector: |
agriculture: 39%
industry: 22%
services: 39% (1999
est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
51% (1997
est.) |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: 2.7%
highest 10%: 31.7%
(1997) |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
18.7% (2000
est.) |
| Labor force
- by occupation: |
agriculture 55%, industry 15%, services
30% (1999 est.) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
6% (1998
est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues: $207.4 million
expenditures: $238.7 million, including
capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.) |
| Industries: |
small machinery, textiles, food
processing, cement, shoes, sawn logs, refrigerators, furniture, electric motors,
gold, rare earth metals |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
7% (2000
est.)
|
| Electricity
- production: |
12.981 billion kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel: 6.67%
hydro: 93.33%
nuclear:
0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
10.236 billion kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
2.02 billion kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
184 million kWh
(1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
tobacco, cotton, potatoes, vegetables,
grapes, fruits and berries; sheep, goats, cattle,
wool |
| Exports: |
$482 million (f.o.b., 2000
est.) |
| Exports -
commodities: |
cotton, wool, meat, tobacco; gold,
mercury, uranium, hydropower; machinery; shoes |
| Exports -
partners: |
Germany 33%, Russia 16%, Kazakhstan
10%, Uzbekistan 10%, China 6% (1999) |
| Imports: |
$579 million (f.o.b., 2000
est.) |
| Imports -
commodities: |
oil and gas, machinery and equipment,
foodstuffs |
| Imports -
partners: |
Russia 18%, Kazakhstan 12%, US 9%,
Germany 8%, Uzbekistan 8%, China (1999) |
| Debt -
external: |
$1.4 billion (2000
est.) |
| Economic aid
- recipient: |
$329.4 million
(1995) |
| Currency: |
Kyrgyzstani som
(KGS) |
| Exchange
rates: |
soms per US dollar - 48.701 (January
2001), 47.704 (2000), 39.008 (1999), 20.838 (1998), 17.362 (1997), 12.810
(1996) |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year | Source: World Factbook |
