ke it the leading agricultural
producer in Western Europe. France is largely self-sufficient in agricultural
products and is a major exporter of wheat and dairy products. The industrial
sector generates about one-third of GDP and employs about one-third of the work
force. During the period 1982-86 economic growth was sluggish, averaging
only 1.4% annually. This trend was reversed by late 1987, however,
with a strong expansion of consumer demand, followed by a surge in
investment. The economy has had difficulty generating enough jobs for new
entrants into the labor force, resulting in a high unemployment rate,
but the upward trend in growth recently pushed the jobless rate below 10%.
The steadily advancing economic integration within the European
Community is a major force affecting the fortunes of the various economic
sectors.

GDP: $819.6 billion, per capita $14,600; real growth rate 3.4%
(1989 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.5% (1989 est.)

Unemployment rate: 9.7% (1989 est.)

Budget: revenues $197.0 billion; expenditures $213.4 billion,
including capital expenditures of $NA (1989 est.)

Exports: $183.1 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities--machinery and transportation equipment, chemicals,
foodstuffs, agricultural products, iron and steel products, textiles and
clothing;
partners--FRG 15.8%, Italy 12.2%, UK 9.8%, Belgium-Luxembourg 8.9%,
Netherlands 8.7%, US 6.7%, Spain 5.6%, Japan 1.8%, USSR 1.3% (1989 est.)

Imports: $194.5 billion (c.i.f., 1989 est.);
commodities--crude oil, machinery and equipment, agricultural
products, chemicals, iron and steel products;
partners--FRG 19.4%, Italy 11.5%, Belgium-Luxembourg 9.2%, US 7.7%,
UK 7.2%, Netherlands 5.2%, Spain 4.4%, Japan 4.1%, USSR 2.1% (1989 est.)

External debt: $59.3 billion (December 1987)

Industrial production: growth rate 4.4% (1989 est.)

Electricity: 109,972,000 kW capacity; 403,570 million kWh produced,
7,210 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries: steel, machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy,
aircraft, electronics, mining, textiles, food processing, and tourism

Agriculture: accounts for 4% of GNP (including fishing and forestry); one
of the world's top five wheat producers; other principal products--beef, dairy
products, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine grapes; self-sufficient for most
temperate-zone foods; shortages include fats and oils and tropical produce, but
overall net exporter of farm products; fish catch of 850