Читать книгу The 2009 CIA World Factbook - United States. Central Intelligence Agency - Страница 74

Flag description:

red with a black two-headed eagle in the center; the design is claimed to be that of 15th-century hero George Castriota SKANDERBERG, who led a successful uprising against the Turks that resulted in a short-lived independence for some Albanian regions (1443–1478)

Economy ::Albania

Economy - overview:

Lagging behind its Balkan neighbors, Albania is making the difficult transition to a more modern open-market economy. Macroeconomic growth has averaged around 5% over the last five years and inflation is low and stable. The government has taken measures to curb violent crime, and recently adopted a fiscal reform package aimed at reducing the large gray economy and attracting foreign investment. The economy is bolstered by annual remittances from abroad representing about 15% of GDP, mostly from Albanians residing in Greece and Italy; this helps offset the towering trade deficit. The agricultural sector, which accounts for over half of employment but only about one-fifth of GDP, is limited primarily to small family operations and subsistence farming because of lack of modern equipment, unclear property rights, and the prevalence of small, inefficient plots of land. Energy shortages because of a reliance on hydropower, and antiquated and inadequate infrastructure contribute to Albania's poor business environment and lack of success in attracting new foreign investment. The completion of a new thermal power plant near Vlore has helped diversify generation capacity, and plans to upgrade transmission lines between Albania and Montenegro and Kosovo would help relieve the energy shortages. Also, with help from EU funds, the government is taking steps to improve the poor national road and rail network, a long-standing barrier to sustained economic growth.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$21.86 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 117 $20.61 billion (2007 est.)

$19.44 billion (2006 est.)

note: data are in 2008 US dollars

Albania has an informal, and unreported, sector that may be as large as 50% of official GDP

GDP (official exchange rate):

$12.96 billion (2008 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

6.1% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 56 6% (2007 est.)

5.5% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$6,000 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 132 $5,700 (2007 est.)

$5,400 (2006 est.)

note: data are in 2008 US dollars

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 20.5%

industry: 19.8%

services: 59.7% (2008 est.)

Labor force:

1.103 million (not including 352,000 emigrant workers) (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 137

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 58%

industry: 15%

services: 27% (September 2006 est.)

Unemployment rate:

12.5% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 138 13.2% (2007 est.)

note: these are official rates, but actual rates may exceed 30% due to preponderance of near-subsistence farming

Population below poverty line:

25% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 3.2%

highest 10%: 25.9% (2005)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

26.7 (2005) country comparison to the world: 124

Investment (gross fixed):

23.1% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 69

Budget:

revenues: $3.458 billion

expenditures: $4.175 billion (2008 est.)

Public debt:

51.9% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 34 51.4% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

3.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 47 2.9% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

6.25% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 69 6.25% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

13.02% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 52 14.1% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$3.028 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 64 $2.707 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$6.251 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 60 $6.433 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$8.176 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 74 $7.247 billion (31 December 2007)

Market value of publicly traded shares: