Economy - overview The economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo - a nation endowed with vast potential wealth - has declined drastically since the mid-1980s. The war, which began in August 1998, has dramatically reduced national output and government revenue and has increased external debt. Foreign businesses have curtailed operations due to uncertainty about the outcome of the conflict, lack of infrastructure, and the difficult operating environment. The war has intensified the impact of such basic problems as an uncertain legal framework, corruption, raging inflation, and lack of openness in government economic policy and financial operations. A number of IMF and World Bank missions have met with the government to help it develop a coherent economic plan, and President KABILA has begun implementing reforms.

GDP purchasing power parity - $32 billion (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate -4% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $590 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 54%
industry: 9%
services: 37% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 358% (2001 est.)

Labor force 14.51 million (1993 est.)

Labor force - by occupation agriculture 65%, industry 16%, services 19% (1991 est.)

Unemployment rate NA%

Budget
revenues: $269 million
expenditures: $244 million, including capital expenditures of $24 million (1996 est.)

Industries mining (diamonds, copper, zinc), mineral processing, consumer products (including textiles, footwear, cigarettes, processed foods and beverages), cement

Industrial production growth rate NA%

Electricity - production 5.268 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel: 2.05%
hydro: 97.95%
other: 0% (1999)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption 4.55 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports 404 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports 55 million kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, tea, quinine, cassava (tapioca), palm oil, bananas, root crops, corn, fruits; wood products

Exports $750 million (f.o.b., 2001 est.)

Exports - commodities diamonds, copper, coffee, cobalt, crude oil

Exports - partners Benelux 62%, US 18%, South Africa, Finland, Italy (1999)

Imports $1.024 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)

Imports - commodities foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport equipment, fuels

Imports - partners South Africa 28%, Benelux 14%, Nigeria 9%, Kenya 7%, China (1999)

Debt - external $12.9 billion (2000 est.)

Economic aid - recipient $195.3 million (1995)

Currency Congolese franc (CDF)

Currency code CDF

Exchange rates Congolese francs per US dollar - 305 (January 2002), 21.82 (2000), 4.02 (1999), 1.61 (1998), 1.31 (1997)
note: on 30 June 1998 the Congolese franc was introduced, replacing the new zaire

Fiscal year calendar year

NOTE: The information regarding Congo, Democratic Republic of the on this page is re-published from the 2002 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Congo, Democratic Republic of the Economy 2002 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Congo, Democratic Republic of the Economy 2002 should be addressed to the CIA.