_*Economy #_Overview: Many of the white one-seventh of the South African population enjoy incomes, material comforts, and health and educational standards equal to those of Western Europe. In contrast, most of the remaining population suffers from the poverty patterns of the Third World, including unemployment, lack of job skills, and barriers to movement into higher-paying fields. Inputs and outputs thus do not move smoothly into the most productive employments, and the effectiveness of the market is further lowered by international constraints on dealings with South Africa. The main strength of the economy lies in its rich mineral resources, which provide two-thirds of exports. Average growth of less than 2% in output in recent years falls far short of the 5-6% level needed to cut into the high unemployment rate.
_#_GDP: $101.7 billion, per capita $2,600; real growth rate - 0.9% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 14.4% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 22% (1989); blacks 25-30%, up to 50% in homelands (1988 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $28.9 billion; expenditures $32.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.1 billion (FY92 est.)
_#_Exports: $23.4 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—gold 39%, minerals and metals 33%, food 5%, chemicals 3%;
partners—Italy, Japan, US, FRG, UK, other EC, Hong Kong
_#_Imports: $17 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities—machinery 32%, transport equipment 15%, chemicals 11%, oil, textiles, scientific instruments, base metals;