Flag description: three horizontal stripes of red (top), a wider stripe of white, and green; a gold crown surmounted by seven five-pointed gold stars is located in the center of the white stripe
@Tajikistan:Economy
Economy-overview: Tajikistan has the lowest per capita GDP among the former Soviet republics. Agriculture dominates the economy, with cotton the most important crop. Mineral resources, varied but limited in amount, include silver, gold, uranium, and tungsten. Industry is limited to a large aluminum plant, hydropower facilities, and small obsolete factories mostly in light industry and food processing. The Tajik economy has been gravely weakened by four years of civil conflict and by the loss of subsidies from Moscow and of markets for its products. Tajikistan thus depends on aid from Russia and Uzbekistan and on international humanitarian assistance for much of its basic subsistence needs. Even if the peace agreement of June 1997 is honored, the country faces major problems in integrating refugees and former combatants into the economy. Moreover, constant political turmoil and the continued dominance by former communist officials have impeded the introduction of meaningful economic reforms.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$4.1 billion (1997 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: -10% (1997 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$700 (1997 est.)
GDP-composition by sector: agriculture: 25% industry: 35% services: 40% (1997)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 40% (1996 est.)
Labor force: total: 1.9 million (1996) by occupation: agriculture and forestry 52%, manufacturing, mining, and construction 17%, services 31% (1995)
Unemployment rate: 2.4% includes only officially registered unemployed; also large numbers of underemployed workers and unregistered unemployed people (December 1996)