Eritrea Economy
Economy - overviewSince independence from Ethiopia on 24 May 1993, Eritrea has faced the economic problems of a small, desperately poor country. Like the economies of many African nations, the economy is largely based on subsistence agriculture, with 80% of the population involved in farming and herding. The Ethiopian-Eritrea war in 1998-2000 severely hurt Eritrea's economy. GDP growth fell to zero in 1999 and to -12.1% in 2000. The May 2000 Ethiopian offensive into northern Eritrea caused some $600 million in property damage and loss, including losses of $225 million in livestock and 55,000 homes. The attack prevented planting of crops in Eritrea's most productive region, causing food production to drop by 62%. Even during the war, Eritrea developed its transportation infrastructure, asphalting new roads, improving its ports, and repairing war damaged roads and bridges. Since the war ended, the government has maintained a firm grip on the economy, expanding the use of the military and party-owned businesses to complete Eritrea's development agenda. Erratic rainfall and the delayed demobilization of agriculturalists from the military kept cereal production well below normal, holding down growth in 2002. Eritrea's economic future depends upon its ability to master social problems such as illiteracy, unemployment, and low skills, and to open its economy to private enterprise so the diaspora's money and expertise can foster economic growth.
GDP
purchasing power parity - $3.3 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
2% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita
purchasing power parity - $700 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 12.4%
industry: 25.3%
services: 62.4% (2003 est.)
Investment
26.3% of GDP (2003)
Population below poverty line
53% (1993/94)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA
Inflation rate
12.3% (2003)
Labor force
NA (1999)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture 80%, industry and services 20%
Unemployment rate
NA (2003 est.)
Budget
revenues: $235.7 million
expenditures: $375 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products
sorghum, lentils, vegetables, corn, cotton, tobacco, coffee, sisal; livestock, goats; fish
Industries
food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles
Industrial production growth rate
NA
Electricity - production
220.5 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - consumption
205.1 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports
0 kWh NA kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports
0 kWh NA kWh (2001)
Oil - production
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption
6,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports
NA (2001)
Oil - imports
NA (2001)
Current account balance
$-159 million (2003)
Exports
$56 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Exports - commodities
livestock, sorghum, textiles, food, small manufactures (2000)
Exports - partners
Malaysia 65.1%, Italy 10.4%, France 4.4% (2003)
Imports
$600 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Imports - commodities
machinery, petroleum products, food, manufactured goods (2000)
Imports - partners
US 39.7%, Italy 19.1%, Turkey 6.8%, Russia 5.4%, France 4.7% (2003)
Reserves of foreign exchange & gold
$28 million (2003)
Debt - external
$311 million (2000 est.)
Currency
nakfa (ERN)
Currency code
ERN
Exchange rates
nakfa (ERN) per US dollar - NA (2003), 13.9582 (2002), 11.3095 (2001), 9.5 (2000), 7.6 (1999)
