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Gambia:
Economy

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Economy - overview
The Gambia has no confirmed mineral or natural resource deposits and has a limited agricultural base. About 75% of the population depends on crops and livestock for its livelihood. Small-scale manufacturing activity features the processing of peanuts, fish, and hides. Reexport trade normally constitutes a major segment of economic activity, but a 1999 government-imposed preshipment inspection plan, and instability of the Gambian dalasi (currency) have drawn some of the reexport trade away from The Gambia. The Gambia's natural beauty and proximity to Europe has made it one of the larger markets for tourism in West Africa. The government's 1998 seizure of the private peanut firm Alimenta eliminated the largest purchaser of Gambian groundnuts. Despite an announced program to begin privatizing key parastatals, no plans have been made public that would indicate that the government intends to follow through on its promises. Unemployment and underemployment rates remain extremely high; short-run economic progress depends on sustained bilateral and multilateral aid, on responsible government economic management, on continued technical assistance from the IMF and bilateral donors, and on expected growth in the construction sector.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$3.324 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$467.6 million (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
6.5% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita
$2,000 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 32.9%
industry: 9.6%
services: 57.5% (2006 est.)
Labor force
400,000 (1996)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture: 75%
industry: 19%
services: 6% (1996)
Unemployment rate
NA%
Population below poverty line
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% (1998)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
1.5% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed)
25.5% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget
revenues: $113.4 million
expenditures: $139 million (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products
rice, millet, sorghum, peanuts, corn, sesame, cassava (tapioca), palm kernels; cattle, sheep, goats
Industries
processing peanuts, fish, and hides; tourism, beverages, agricultural machinery assembly, woodworking, metalworking, clothing
Electricity - production
145 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - consumption
134.9 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports
0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports
0 kWh (2005)
Oil - production
0 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - consumption
2,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - exports
NA bbl/day
Oil - imports
NA bbl/day
Oil - proved reserves
0 bbl (1 January 2006)
Natural Gas - production
0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural Gas - consumption
0 cu m (2005 est.)
Current account balance
$-33 million (2006 est.)
Exports
$135 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Exports - commodities
peanut products, fish, cotton lint, palm kernels, re-exports
Exports - partners
India 38.5%, UK 15.9%, Indonesia 7.9%, France 7.1%, Italy 4.6% (2006)
Imports
$249 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Imports - commodities
foodstuffs, manufactures, fuel, machinery and transport equipment
Imports - partners
China 25.2%, Senegal 11.2%, Cote d'Ivoire 8.1%, Brazil 6.5%, Netherlands 4.5% (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$121 million (2006 est.)
Debt - external
$628.8 million (2003 est.)
Economic aid - recipient
$58.15 million (2005)
Currency (code)
dalasi (GMD)
Exchange rates
dalasi per US dollar - 28.3 (2006), 30.38 (2005), 30.03 (2004), 27.306 (2004), 19.918 (2003), 15.687 (2002), 15.687 (2001)
Fiscal year
calendar year


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