Egypt Economy:
Lack of substantial progress on economic reform since the mid 1990s has limited foreign direct investment in Egypt and kept annual GDP growth in the range of 2%-3% in 2001-03. However, in 2004 Egypt implemented several measures to boost foreign direct investment. In September 2004, Egypt pushed through custom reforms, proposed income and corporate tax reforms, reduced energy subsidies, and privatized several enterprises. The budget deficit rose to an estimated 8% of GDP in 2004 compared to 6.1% of GDP the previous year, in part as a result of these reforms. Monetary pressures on an overvalued Egyptian pound led the government to float the currency in January 2003, leading to a sharp drop in its value and consequent inflationary pressure. In 2004, the Central Bank implemented measures to improve currency liquidity. Egypt reached record tourism levels, despite the Taba and Nuweiba bombings in September 2004. The development of an export market for natural gas is a bright spot for future growth prospects, but improvement in the capital-intensive hydrocarbons sector does little to reduce Egypt's persistent unemployment.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$316.3 billion (2004 est.)
GDP real growth rate:
4.5% (2004 est.)
GDP per capita:
purchasing power parity: $4,200 (2004 est.)
GDP composition by sector:
agriculture: 17.2%
industry: 33%
services: 49.8%
(2004)
Labor force:
20.71 million (2004 est.)
Labor force by occupation:
agriculture: 32%, industry: 17%, services: 51% (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate:
10.9% (2004 est.)
Population below poverty line:
16.7% (2000 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 4.4%
highest 10%: 25% (1995)
Distribution of family income Gini index:
34.4 (2001 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
9.5% (2004 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
15.8% of GDP (2004 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $15.42 billion (2004 est.)
expenditures: $20.76 billion including capital expenditures of $2.7 billion (2004 est.)
Public debt:
102.7% of GDP (2004 est.)
Agriculture products:
Cotton, rice, corn, wheat, beans, fruits, vegetables; cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats
Industries:
textiles, food processing, tourism, chemicals, hydrocarbons, construction, cement, metals
Industrial production growth rate:
2.5% (2004 est.)
Electricity production:
81.27 billion kWh (2002 est.)
Electricity consumption:
75.58 billion kWh (2002 est.)
Electricity exports:
0 kWh (2002 est.)
Electricity imports:
0 kWh (2002 est.)
Oil production:
740,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil consumption:
562,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil exports:
NA
Oil imports:
NA
Oil proved reserves:
2.7 billion bbl (2004 est.)
Natural gas production:
21.2 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas consumption:
21.2 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas imports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas proved reserves:
1.26 trillion cu m (2004 est.)
Current account balance:
$2.11 billion (2004 est.)
Exports:
$11 billion (f.o.b. 2004 est.)
Exports commodities:
crude oil and petroleum products, cotton, textiles, metal products, chemicals
Exports partners:
Italy 11.9%, US 10.8%, UK 7%, Syria 6.2%, Germany 4.7%, Spain 4.2% (2004)
Imports:
$19.21 billion (f.o.b. 2004 est.)
Imports commodities:
machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, wood products, fuels
Imports partners:
US 12.2%, Germany 7%, Italy 6.6%, France 5.7%, China 5.4%, Saudi Arabia 4.1% (2004)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$14.03 billion (2004 est.)
Debt external:
$33.75 billion (2004 est.)
Economic aid recipient:
$1.12 billion ODA (2002 est.)
Currency:
Egyptian pound (EGP)
Exchange rates:
Egyptian pounds per US$: 6.2 (2004 est.), 5.85 (2003 est.), 4.5 (2002 est.), 3.97 (2001 est.), 3.47 (2000 est.)
Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June
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