Mother Earth Travel > Country Index > Benin > Map Economy |
| Economy - overview: The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped
and dependent on subsistence agriculture, cotton production, and regional
trade. Growth in real output averaged a sound 5% in 1996-99, but a rapid
population rise offset much of this growth. Inflation has subsided over
the past several years. Commercial and transport activities, which make up
a large part of GDP, are vulnerable to developments in Nigeria,
particularly fuel shortages. The Paris Club and bilateral creditors have
eased the external debt situation in recent years. While high fuel prices
constrained growth in 2000, increased cotton production - enabled by a
major restructuring program - and an expansion of the Cotonou port, may
lead to increased growth in 2001. GDP: purchasing power parity - $6.6 billion (2000 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 5% (2000 est.) GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,030 (2000 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 37.9% industry: 13.5% services: 48.6% (1999) Population below poverty line: 37.2% (1999 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3% (2000 est.) Budget: revenues: $299 million expenditures: $445 million, including capital expenditures of $14 million (1995 est.) Industries: textiles, cigarettes; beverages, food; construction materials, petroleum Industrial production growth rate: 6.9% (2000 est.) Electricity - production: 226 million kWh (1999) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 24.78% hydro: 75.22% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) Electricity - consumption: 510.2 million kWh (1999) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1999) Electricity - imports: 300 million kWh (1999) Agriculture - products: corn, sorghum, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, rice, cotton, palm oil, peanuts; poultry, livestock Exports: $396 million (f.o.b., 1999) Exports - commodities: cotton, crude oil, palm products, cocoa Exports - partners: Brazil 14%, Libya 5%, Indonesia 4%, Italy 4% (1999) Imports: $566 million (f.o.b., 1999) Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, tobacco, petroleum products, capital goods Imports - partners: France 38%, China 16%, United Kingdom 9%, Cote d'Ivoire 5% (1999) Debt - external: $1.6 billion (1998 est.) Economic aid - recipient: $274.6 million (1997) Currency: 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes SOURCE: The World Factbook |
Mother Earth Travel > Country Index > Benin > Map Economy