Overview: The economy is heavily dependent on subsistence agriculture, which accounts for about 35% of GDP and provides employment for 78% of the labor force. Primary agricultural exports are cocoa, coffee, and cotton, which together account for about 30% of total export earnings. Togo is self-sufficient in basic foodstuffs when harvests are normal. In the industrial sector phosphate mining is by far the most important activity, with phosphate exports accounting for about 40% of total foreign exchange earnings. Togo serves as a regional commercial and trade center. The government actively encourages foreign investment.

GDP: $1.4 billion, per capita $395; real growth rate 3.6% (1989 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): - 1.2% (1989)

Unemployment rate: 2.0% (1987)

Budget: revenues $330 million; expenditures $363 million, including capital expenditures of $101 million (1990 est.)

Exports: $331 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--phosphates, cocoa, coffee, cotton, manufactures, palm kernels; partners--EC 70%, Africa 9%, US 2%, other 19% (1985)

Imports: $344 million (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--food, fuels, durable consumer goods, other intermediate goods, capital goods; partners--EC 61%, US 6%, Africa 4%, Japan 4%, other 25% (1989)

External debt: $1.3 billion (1990 est.)

Industrial production: growth rate 4.9% (1987 est.); 6% of GDP

Electricity: 179,000 kW capacity; 209 million kWh produced, 60 kWh per capita (1990)

Industries: phosphate mining, agricultural processing, cement, handicrafts, textiles, beverages

Agriculture: cash crops--coffee, cocoa, cotton; food crops--yams, cassava, corn, beans, rice, millet, sorghum; livestock production not significant; annual fish catch, 10,000-14,000 tons

Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $132 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1.8 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $35 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $51 million

Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural--francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1--256.54 (January 1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)

Fiscal year: calendar year

NOTE: The information regarding Togo 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 Togo Economy 1991 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Togo Economy 1991 should be addressed to the CIA.