Economy - overview:
About 80% of the population lives in abject poverty. Nearly 70% of
all Haitians depend on the agriculture sector, which consists mainly
of small-scale subsistence farming and employs about two-thirds of
the economically active work force. Following legislative elections
in May 2000, fraught with irregularities, international donors -
including the US and EU - suspended almost all aid to Haiti. The
economy shrank an estimated 1.2% in 2001 and an estimated 0.9% in
2002. The contraction will likely intensify in 2003 unless a
political agreement with donors is reached on economic policy.
Suspended aid and loan disbursements totaled more than $500 million
at the start of 2003.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $10.6 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-0.9% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,400 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 30% industry: 20% services: 50% (2001 est.)
Population below poverty line:
80% (2002 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
11.9% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 3.6 million note: shortage of skilled labor, unskilled labor abundant (1995)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 66%, services 25%, industry 9%