Population below poverty line: 42% (FY95/96 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.2% highest 10%: 29.8% (1995-96)

Distribution of family income - Gini index: 36.7 (1995-96)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.1% (FY00/01 est.)

Labor force: 10 million (1996 est.) note: severe lack of skilled labor

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 81%, services 16%, industry 3%

Unemployment rate: 47% (2001 est.)

Budget: revenues: $665 million expenditures: $1.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY99/00 est.)

Industries: tourism, carpet, textile; small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills; cigarette; cement and brick production

Industrial production growth rate: 8.7% (FY99/00)