Paraguay:
Economy

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Other pages in this profile of Paraguay:
Geography, People, Government, Communications & Transportation, Military & Transnational Issues.


Economy - overview	Definition Landlocked Paraguay has a market economy marked by a large informal sector. This sector features both reexport of imported consumer goods to neighboring countries, as well as the activities of thousands of microenterprises and urban street vendors. Because of the importance of the informal sector, accurate economic measures are difficult to obtain. A large percentage of the population, especially in rural areas, derives its living from agricultural activity, often on a subsistence basis. On a per capita basis, real income has stagnated at 1980 levels. Most observers attribute Paraguay's poor economic performance to political uncertainty, corruption, limited progress on structural reform, and deficient infrastructure. The economy rebounded between 2003 and 2007, posting modest growth each year, as growing world demand for commodities combined with high prices and favorable weather to support Paraguay's commodity-based export expansion.
GDP (purchasing power parity)	Definition - World rank and map $27.08 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)	Definition $10.87 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	Definition - World rank and map 6.4% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita	Definition - World rank and map $4,500 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	Definition agriculture: 22.4% industry: 17.6% services: 60% (2007 est.)
Labor force	Definition 2.787 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	Definition agriculture: 31% industry: 17% services: 52% (2007)
Unemployment rate	Definition - World rank and map 5.6% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line	Definition 32% (2005 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	Definition lowest 10%: 0.7% highest 10%: 46.1% (2003)
Distribution of family income - Gini index	Definition - World rank and map 56.8 (2008)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	Definition - World rank and map 8.1% (2007)
Investment (gross fixed)	Definition - World rank and map 18.9% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget	Definition revenues: $2.268 billion expenditures: $2.469 billion (2007)
Public debt	Definition - World rank and map 27.1% of GDP (2007)
Agriculture - products	Definition cotton, sugarcane, soybeans, corn, wheat, tobacco, cassava (tapioca), fruits, vegetables; beef, pork, eggs, milk; timber
Industries	Definition sugar, cement, textiles, beverages, wood products, steel, metallurgic, electric power
Industrial production growth rate	Definition - World rank and map -1% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production	Definition - World rank and map 70 billion kWh (2007)
Electricity - consumption	Definition - World rank and map 6 billion kWh (2007)
Electricity - consumption per capita	Definition - World rank and map 878.4 kWh (2007)
Electricity - exports	Definition 64 billion kWh (2007)
Electricity - imports	Definition 0 kWh (2007)
Oil - production	Definition - World rank and map 0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption	Definition - World rank and map 28,000 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption per 1,000 people	Definition - World rank and map 4.1 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - exports	Definition - World rank and map 0 bbl/day (2007)
Oil - imports	Definition - World rank and map 25,940 bbl/day (2007)
Oil - proved reserves	Definition - World rank and map 0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production	Definition - World rank and map 0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption	Definition - World rank and map 0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption per capita	Definition - World rank and map 0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports	Definition - World rank and map 0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports	Definition - World rank and map 0 cu m (2007)
Natural gas - proved reserves	Definition - World rank and map 0 cu m (1 January 2007 est.)
Current account balance	Definition - World rank and map $162 million (2007 est.)
Exports	Definition - World rank and map $6.898 billion f.o.b. (2007)
Exports - commodities	Definition soybeans, feed, cotton, meat, edible oils, electricity, wood, leather
Exports - partners	Definition Uruguay 19%, Brazil 14.8%, Russia 9.1%, Argentina 7.6%, Chile 7.3%, Germany 6.1% (2006)
Imports	Definition - World rank and map $7.012 billion f.o.b. (2007)
Imports - commodities	Definition road vehicles, consumer goods, tobacco, petroleum products, electrical machinery, tractors, chemicals, vehicle parts
Imports - partners	Definition Brazil 23.7%, US 22.4%, Argentina 16.1%, China 10.2% (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold	Definition - World rank and map $2.463 billion (31 December 2007)
Debt - external	Definition - World rank and map $3.605 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home	Definition $2.057 million (2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad	Definition $NA
Market value of publicly traded shares	Definition $233.8 million (2005)
Economic aid - recipient	Definition $51.09 million (2005)
Currency (code)	Definition guarani (PYG)
Exchange rates	Definition guarani per US dollar - 5,031 (2007), 5,672.8 (2006), 6,178 (2005), 5,974.6 (2004), 6,424.3 (2003)
Fiscal year	Definition calendar year

Paraguay: Economy

Paraguay:
Economy