Economy - overview Tajikistan has the lowest per capita GDP among the 15 former Soviet republics. Cotton is the most important crop. Mineral resources, varied but limited in amount, include silver, gold, uranium, and tungsten. Industry consists only of a large aluminum plant, hydropower facilities, and small obsolete factories mostly in light industry and food processing. The civil war (1992-97) severely damaged the already weak economic infrastructure and caused a sharp decline in industrial and agricultural production. Even though 80% of its people continue to live in abject poverty, Tajikistan has experienced strong economic growth since 1997. Continued privatization of medium and large state-owned enterprises will further increase productivity. Tajikistan's economic situation, however, remains fragile due to uneven implementation of structural reforms, weak governance, and the external debt burden. Servicing of the debt, owed principally to Russia and Uzbekistan, could require as much as 50% of government revenues in 2002, thus limiting the nation's ability to meet pressing development needs.

GDP purchasing power parity - $7.5 billion (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate 8.3% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $1,140 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 19%
industry: 25%
services: 56% (2000)

Population below poverty line 80% (2001 est.)

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 33% (2001 est.)

Labor force 3.187 million (2000)

Labor force - by occupation agriculture 67.2%, industry 7.5%, services 25.3% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate 20% (2001 est.)

Budget
revenues: $146 million
expenditures: $196 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)

Industries aluminum, zinc, lead, chemicals and fertilizers, cement, vegetable oil, metal-cutting machine tools, refrigerators and freezers

Industrial production growth rate 10.3% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production 14.245 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel: 2%
hydro: 98%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption 12.539 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports 3.909 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports 3.2 billion kWh (2000)

Agriculture - products cotton, grain, fruits, grapes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, goats

Exports $640 million (f.o.b., 2001 est.)

Exports - commodities aluminum, electricity, cotton, fruits, vegetable oil, textiles

Exports - partners Europe 43%, Russia 30%, Uzbekistan 13% (2000)

Imports $700 million (f.o.b., 2001 est.)

Imports - commodities electricity, petroleum products, aluminum oxide, machinery and equipment, foodstuffs

Imports - partners Uzbekistan 27%, Russia 16%, Europe 12% (2000)

Debt - external $1.23 billion (2000 est.)

Economic aid - recipient $60.7 million from US (2001)

Currency somoni

Currency code SM

Exchange rates Tajikistani somoni per US dollar - 2.55 (January 2002), 2.2 (January 2001), 1550 (January 2000), 998 (January 1999), 350 (January 1997), 284 (January 1996)
note: the new unit of exchange was introduced on 30 October 2000, with one somoni equal to 1,000 of the old Tajikistani rubles

Fiscal year calendar year

NOTE: The information regarding Tajikistan 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 Tajikistan Economy 2002 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Tajikistan Economy 2002 should be addressed to the CIA.