Economy - overview Western Sahara depends on pastoral nomadism, fishing, and phosphate mining as the principal sources of income for the population. The territory lacks sufficient rainfall for sustainable agricultural production, and most of the food for the urban population must be imported. All trade and other economic activities are controlled by the Moroccan Government. Moroccan energy interests in 2001 signed contracts to explore for oil off the coast of Western Sahara, which has angered the Polisario. Incomes and standards of living in Western Sahara 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.)

Population below poverty line NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) NA%

Labor force 12,000

Labor force - 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 - production 90 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption 83.7 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2000)

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

Exports $NA

Exports - commodities phosphates 62%

Exports - partners Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts

Imports $NA

Imports - commodities fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs

Imports - partners Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts

Debt - external $NA

Economic aid - recipient $NA

Currency Moroccan dirham (MAD)

Currency code MAD

Exchange rates Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 11.584 (January 2002), 11.303 (2001), 10.626 (2000), 9.804 (1999), 9.604 (1998), 9.527 (1997)

Fiscal year calendar year

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