Short facts about the economy in Romania

Economy - overview:

Romania, one of the poorest countries in Central and Eastern Europe, began the transition from communism in 1989 with a largely obsolete industrial base and a pattern of output unsuited to the country's needs. Over the past decade economic restructuring has lagged behind most other countries in the region. Consequently, living standards have continued to fall - real wages are down over 40%. Corruption too has worsened. The EU ranks Romania last among enlargement candidates, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) rates Romania's transition progress the region's worst. The country emerged in 2000 from a punishing three-year recession thanks to strong demand in EU export markets. A new government elected in November 2000 promises to promote economic reform. Bucharest hopes to receive financial and technical assistance from international financial institutions and Western governments; negotiations over a new IMF standby agreement are to begin early in 2001. If reform stalls, Romania's ability to borrow from both public and private sources could quickly dry up, leading to another financial crisis.

GDP:	purchasing power parity - $132.5 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

2.2% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita:

purchasing power parity - $5,900 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture:  13.9% industry:  32.6% services:  53.5% (2000)

Population below poverty line:

44.5% (2000)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%:  3.8% highest 10%:  20.2% (1992)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

45.7% (2000 est.)

Labor force:

9.9 million (1999 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture 40%, industry 25%, services 35% (1998)

Unemployment rate:

11.5% (1999)

Budget:

revenues:  $11.7 billion expenditures:  $12.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)

Industries:

textiles and footwear, light machinery and auto assembly, mining, timber, construction materials, metallurgy, chemicals, food processing, petroleum refining

Industrial production growth rate:

8% (2000)

Electricity - production:

49.036 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel:  53.99% hydro:  36.18% nuclear:  9.81% other:  0.02% (1999)

Electricity - consumption:

44.768 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports:

1.935 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports:

1.1 billion kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products:

wheat, corn, sugar beets, sunflower seed, potatoes, grapes; eggs, sheep

Exports:

$11.2 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Exports - commodities:

textiles and footwear 26%, metals and metal products 15%, machinery and equipment 11%, minerals and fuels 6% (1999)

Exports - partners:

Italy 23%, Germany 18%, France 6%, Turkey 5%, US (1999)

Imports:

$11.9 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Imports - commodities:

machinery and equipment 23%, fuels and minerals 12%, chemicals 9%, textile and products 19% (1999)

Imports - partners:

Italy 20%, Germany 19%, France 7%, Russia 6% (1999)

Debt - external:

$9.3 billion (2000 est.)

Currency:

leu (ROL)

Currency code:

ROL

Exchange rates:

lei per US dollar - 26,243.0 (January 2001), 21,708.7 (2000), 15,332.8 (1999), 8,875.6 (1998), 7,167.9 (1997), 3,084.2 (1996); note - lei is the plural form of leu

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Source: World Factbook