Algeria's economy remains dominated by the state, a legacy of the country's socialist post-independence development model. In recent years the Algerian Government has halted the privatization of state-owned industries and imposed restrictions on imports and foreign involvement in its economy, pursuing an explicit import substitution policy.
Hydrocarbons have long been the backbone of the economy, accounting for roughly 30% of GDP, 60% of budget revenues, and nearly 95% of export earnings. Algeria has the 10th-largest reserves of natural gas in the world - including the 3rd-largest reserves of shale gas - and is the 6th-largest gas exporter. It ranks 16th in proven oil reserves. Hydrocarbon exports enabled Algeria to maintain macroeconomic stability, amass large foreign currency reserves, and maintain low external debt while global oil prices were high. With lower oil prices since 2014, Algeria’s foreign exchange reserves have declined by more than half and its oil stabilization fund has decreased from about $20 billion at the end of 2013 to about $7 billion in 2017, which is the statutory minimum.
Declining oil prices have also reduced the government’s ability to use state-driven growth to distribute rents and fund generous public subsidies, and the government has been under pressure to reduce spending. Over the past three years, the government has enacted incremental increases in some taxes, resulting in modest increases in prices for gasoline, cigarettes, alcohol, and certain imported goods, but it has refrained from reducing subsidies, particularly for education, healthcare, and housing programs.
Algiers has increased protectionist measures since 2015 to limit its import bill and encourage domestic production of non-oil and gas industries. Since 2015, the government has imposed additional restrictions on access to foreign exchange for imports, and import quotas for specific products, such as cars. In January 2018 the government imposed an indefinite suspension on the importation of roughly 850 products, subject to periodic review.
President BOUTEFLIKA announced in fall 2017 that Algeria intends to develop its non-conventional energy resources. Algeria has struggled to develop non-hydrocarbon industries because of heavy regulation and an emphasis on state-driven growth. Algeria has not increased non-hydrocarbon exports, and hydrocarbon exports have declined because of field depletion and increased domestic demand.
$468.4 billion (2020 est.)
$495.56 billion (2019 est.)
$491.63 billion (2018 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
1.4% (2017 est.)
3.2% (2016 est.)
3.7% (2015 est.)
$10,700 (2020 est.)
$11,500 (2019 est.)
$11,600 (2018 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
$169.912 billion (2019 est.)
1.9% (2019 est.)
4.2% (2018 est.)
5.6% (2017 est.)
note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
agriculture: 13.3% (2017 est.)
industry: 39.3% (2017 est.)
services: 47.4% (2017 est.)
household consumption: 42.7% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 20.2% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 38.1% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 11.2% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 23.6% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -35.8% (2017 est.)
potatoes, wheat, milk, watermelons, barley, onions, tomatoes, oranges, dates, vegetables
petroleum, natural gas, light industries, mining, electrical, petrochemical, food processing
0.6% (2017 est.)
10.859 million (2017 est.)
agriculture: 10.8%
industry: 30.9%
services: 58.4% (2011 est.)
11.7% (2017 est.)
10.5% (2016 est.)
total: 39.3%
male: 33.1%
female: 82% (2017 est.)
5.5% (2011 est.)
27.6 (2011 est.)
lowest 10%: 2.8%
highest 10%: 26.8% (1995)
revenues: 54.15 billion (2017 est.)
expenditures: 70.2 billion (2017 est.)
-9.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
27.5% of GDP (2017 est.)
20.4% of GDP (2016 est.)
note: data cover central government debt as well as debt issued by subnational entities and intra-governmental debt
32.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
calendar year
-$22.1 billion (2017 est.)
-$26.47 billion (2016 est.)
$38.32 billion (2019 est.)
$44.39 billion (2018 est.)
note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.
Italy 13%, France 13%, Spain 12%, United States 7%, United Kingdom 7%, India 5%, South Korea 5% (2019)
crude petroleum, natural gas, refined petroleum, fertilizers, ammonia (2019)
$54.26 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$60.05 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
China 18%, France 14%, Italy 8%, Spain 8%, Germany 5%, Turkey 5% (2019)
refined petroleum, wheat, packaged medical supplies, milk, vehicle parts (2019)
$97.89 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$114.7 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$5.574 billion (2019 est.)
$5.666 billion (2018 est.)
Algerian dinars (DZD) per US dollar -
131.085 (2020 est.)
119.775 (2019 est.)
118.4617 (2018 est.)
100.691 (2014 est.)
80.579 (2013 est.)
NOTE: The information regarding Algeria on this page is re-published from the 2022 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Algeria 2022 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Algeria 2022 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.
This page was last modified 01 Dec 23, Copyright © 23 ITA all rights reserved.