Overview: Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world. The economy is heavily dependent on agriculture, which accounts for about 47% of GDP, provides 85% of exports, and employs 90% of the work force. Industry accounts for 8% of GDP and is mainly limited to processing agricultural products and light consumer goods. The economic recovery program announced in mid-1986 has generated notable increases in agricultural production and financial support for the program by bilateral donors. The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have increased the availability of imports and provided funds to rehabilitate Tanzania's deteriorated economic infrastructure.

GDP: $5.92 billion, per capita $240; real growth rate 4.3% (FY89 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 31.2 (1989)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget: revenues $495 million; expenditures $631 million, including capital expenditures of $118 million (FY90)

Exports: $380 million (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--coffee, cotton, sisal, tea, cashew nuts, meat, tobacco, diamonds, coconut products, pyrethrum, cloves (Zanzibar); partners--FRG, UK, Japan, Netherlands, Kenya, Hong Kong, US

Imports: $1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1989); commodities--manufactured goods, machinery and transportation equipment, cotton piece goods, crude oil, foodstuffs; partners--FRG, UK, US, Japan, Italy, Denmark

External debt: $5.8 billion (December 1990 est.)

Industrial production: growth rate 4.2% (1988); accounts for 8% of GDP

Electricity: 401,000 kW capacity; 895 million kWh produced, 35 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries: primarily agricultural processing (sugar, beer, cigarettes, sisal twine), diamond mine, oil refinery, shoes, cement, textiles, wood products, fertilizer

Agriculture: accounts for over 40% of GDP; topography and climatic conditions limit cultivated crops to only 5% of land area; cash crops--coffee, sisal, tea, cotton, pyrethrum (insecticide made from chrysanthemums), cashews, tobacco, cloves (Zanzibar); food crops--corn, wheat, cassava, bananas, fruits, and vegetables; small numbers of cattle, sheep, and goats; not self-sufficient in food grain production

Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $400 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $9.2 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $44 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $614 million

Currency: Tanzanian shilling (plural--shillings); 1 Tanzanian shilling (TSh) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: Tanzanian shillings (TSh) per US$1--196.60 (January 1991), 195.06 (1990), 143.377 (1989), 99.292 (1988), 64.260 (1987), 32.698 (1986), 17.472 (1985)

Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June

NOTE: The information regarding Tanzania on this page is re-published from the 1991 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Tanzania Economy 1991 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Tanzania Economy 1991 should be addressed to the CIA.