Overview: The economy is based on service activities connected with the country's strategic location and status as a free trade zone. Djibouti provides services as both a transit port for the region and an international transshipment and refueling center. It has few natural resources and little industry. The nation is, therefore, heavily dependent on foreign assistance to help support its balance of payments and to finance development projects. An unemployment rate of over 50% continues to be a major problem.

GNP: $333 million, $1,070 per capita; real growth rate - 0.7% (1986)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.0% (1987)

Unemployment rate: over 50% (1987)

Budget: revenues $117 million; expenditures $163 billion, including capital expenditures of $52 million (1987 est.)

Exports: $128 million (f.o.b., 1986); commodities--hides and skins, coffee (in transit); partners--Middle East 50%, Africa 43%, Western Europe 7%

Imports: $198 million (f.o.b., 1986); commodities--foods, beverages, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum products; partners--EC 36%, Africa 21%, Bahrain 14%, Asia 12%, US 2%

External debt: $250 million (December 1988)

Industrial production: growth rate - 1.6% (1986)

Electricity: 110,000 kW capacity; 190 million kWh produced, 580 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries: limited to a few small-scale enterprises, such as dairy products and mineral-water bottling

Agriculture: accounts for 30% of GDP; scanty rainfall limits crop production to mostly fruit and vegetables; half of population pastoral nomads herding goats, sheep, and camels; imports bulk of food needs

Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY78-88), $36 million; Western (non-US) countries, including ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $962 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $149 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $35 million

Currency: Djiboutian franc (plural--francs); 1 Djiboutian franc (DF) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates: Djiboutian francs (DF) per US$1--177.721 (fixed rate since 1973)

Fiscal year: calendar year

NOTE: The information regarding Djibouti on this page is re-published from the 1990 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Djibouti Economy 1990 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Djibouti Economy 1990 should be addressed to the CIA.