| ECONOMY |
| Overview |
About
80% of the population lives in abject poverty. Nearly 70%
of all Haitians depend on the agriculture sector, which consists
mainly of small-scale subsistence farming and employs about
two-thirds of the economically active work force. Following
legislative elections in May 2000, fraught with irregularities,
international donors - including the US and EU - suspended
almost all aid to Haiti. The economy shrank an estimated 1.2%
in 2001 and an estimated 0.9% in 2002. The contraction will
likely intensify in 2003 unless a political agreement with
donors is reached on economic policy. Suspended aid and loan
disbursements totaled more than $500 million at the start
of 2003. |
| GDP |
purchasing
power parity - $10.6 billion (2002 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate |
-0.9% (2002
est.) |
| GDP
- per capita |
purchasing
power parity - $1,400 (2002 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector |
agriculture:
30%
industry: 20%
services: 50% (2001 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line |
80% (2002
est.) |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices) |
11.9% (2001
est.) |
| Labor
force |
3.6 million
note: shortage of skilled labor, unskilled labor abundant
(1995) |
| Labor
force - by occupation |
agriculture
66%, services 25%, industry 9% |
| Unemployment
rate |
widespread
unemployment and underemployment; more than two-thirds of
the labor force do not have formal jobs (2002 est.) |
| Industries |
sugar refining,
flour milling, textiles, cement, light assembly industries
based on imported parts |
| Industrial
production growth rate |
NA |
