ortheast Africa. Djibouti provides services as both a transit port
for the region and an international transshipment and refueling
center. It has few natural resources and little industry. The nation
is, therefore, heavily dependent on foreign assistance (an important
supplement to GDP) to help support its balance of payments and to
finance development projects. An unemployment rate of over 30%
continues to be a major problem. Per capita consumption dropped an
estimated 35% over the last five years because of recession, civil
war, and a high population growth rate (including immigrants and
refugees).
National product:
GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $500 million (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
-1% (1992 est.)
National product per capita:
$1,200 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6% (1992)
Unemployment rate:
over 30% (1989)
Budget:
revenues:
$170 million
expenditures:
$203 million, including capital expenditures of $70 million (1991
est.)
Exports:
$158 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
commodities:
hides and skins, coffee (in transit)
partners:
Africa 47%, Middle East 40%, Western Europe 12%
Imports:
$334 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
commodities:
foods, beverages, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum products
partners:
Western Europe 48%, Asia 25%, Africa 8%
External debt:
$355 million (December 1990)
Industrial production:
growth rate 3% (1991 est.); manufacturing accounts for 12% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
115,000 kW
production:
200 million kWh
consumption per capita:
580 kWh (1991)
Industries:
limited to a few small-scale enterprises, such as dairy products and
mineral-water bottling
Agriculture:
accounts for only 2% of GDP; scanty rainfall limits crop production to
mostly fruit and vegetables; half of population pastoral nomads
herding goats, sheep, and camels; imports bulk of food needs
Economic aid:
recipient:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY78-89), $39 million; Western
(non-US) countries, including ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
(1970-89), $1.1 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $149 million;
Communist countries (1970-89), $35 million
Currency:
1 Djiboutian franc (DF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
Djiboutian francs (DF) per US$1 - 177.721 (fixed rate since 1973)
Fiscal year:
calendar year

@Djibouti, Communications

Railroads:
the Ethiopian-Djibouti railroad