Economy - overview Western Sahara, a territory poor in natural resources and lacking sufficient rainfall, depends on pastoral nomadism, fishing, and phosphate mining as the principal sources of income for the population. Most of the food for the urban population must be imported. All trade and other economic activities are controlled by the Moroccan Government. Incomes and standards of living are substantially below the Moroccan level.

GDP purchasing power parity - $NA

GDP - real growth rate NA%

GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $NA

GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: 40%-45% (1996 est.)

Inflation rate - consumer price index NA%

Labor force
total: 12,000
by occupation: animal husbandry and subsistence farming 50%

Unemployment rate NA%

Budget
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Industries phosphate mining, handicrafts

Industrial production growth rate NA%

Electricity - capacity 56,000 kW (1995)

Electricity - production 85 million kWh (1995)

Electricity - consumption per capita 391 kWh (1995)

Agriculture - products fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats (kept by the nomads)

Exports $NA
commodities: phosphates 62%
partners: Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts

Imports $NA
commodities: fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs
partners: Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts

Debt - external $NA

Economic aid
recipient: ODA, $NA

Currency 1 Moroccan dirham (DH) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates Moroccan dirhams (DH) per US$1 - 9.822 (January 1998), 9.527 (1997), 8.716 (1996), 8.540 (1995), 9.203 (1994), 9.299 (1993)

Fiscal year calendar year

NOTE: The information regarding Western Sahara on this page is re-published from the 1998 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Western Sahara Economy 1998 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Western Sahara Economy 1998 should be addressed to the CIA.