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Economy - overview:
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The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent on subsistence agriculture, cotton production, and regional trade. Growth in real output has averaged a stable 5% in the past six years, but rapid population rise has offset much of this increase. Inflation has subsided over the past several years. In order to raise growth still further, Benin plans to attract more foreign investment, place more emphasis on tourism, facilitate the development of new food processing systems and agricultural products, and encourage new information and communication technology. The 2001 privatization policy should continue in telecommunications, water, electricity, and agriculture in spite of initial government reluctance. The Paris Club and bilateral creditors have eased the external debt situation, while pressing for speeded-up structural reforms.
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $7.38 billion (2002 est.)
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GDP - real growth rate:
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6% (2002 est.)
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2002 est.)
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 38%
industry: 15%
services: 47% (2002 est.)
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Population below poverty line:
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37% (2001 est.)
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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3.3% (2002 est.)
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Labor force:
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NA
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Unemployment rate:
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NA%
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Budget:
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revenues: $377.4 million
expenditures: $561.8 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001)
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Industries:
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textiles, food processing, chemical production, construction materials (2001)
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Industrial production growth rate:
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8.3% (2001 est.)
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Electricity - production:
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274.3 million kWh (2001)
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 14.2%
hydro: 85.8%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%
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Electricity - consumption:
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631.1 million kWh (2001)
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2001)
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Electricity - imports:
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376 million kWh (2001)
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Oil - production:
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700 bbl/day (2001 est.)
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Oil - consumption:
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11,500 bbl/day (2001 est.)
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Oil - exports:
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NA (2001)
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Oil - imports:
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NA (2001)
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Oil - proved reserves:
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4.105 million bbl (37257)
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
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608.8 million cu m (37257)
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Agriculture - products:
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cotton, corn, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, palm oil, peanuts, livestock (2001)
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Exports:
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$207 million f.o.b. (2002)
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Exports - commodities:
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cotton, crude oil, palm products, cocoa
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Exports - partners:
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India 25%, Italy 11.1%, Indonesia 7.4%, China 7.2%, Thailand 6.7%, Brazil 6.1%, UK 4.4%, Niger 4% (2002)
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Imports:
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$479 million c.i.f. (2002)
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Imports - commodities:
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foodstuffs, capital goods, petroleum products
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Imports - partners:
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China 30.7%, France 15.7%, UK 4.8%, Italy 4.2% (2002)
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Debt - external:
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$1.6 billion (2000)
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$342.6 million (2000)
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Currency:
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Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States
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Currency code:
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XOF
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Exchange rates:
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Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.7 (1999), 589.95 (1998)
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year
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