Economy - overview:
Yemen, one of the poorest countries in the Arab world, has reported
strong growth since 2000, but its economic fortunes depend mostly on
oil. Yemen has embarked on an IMF-supported structural adjustment
program designed to modernize and streamline the economy, which has
led to substantial foreign debt relief and restructuring. Yemen has
worked to maintain tight control over spending and to implement
additional components of the IMF program, but a high population
growth rate and internal political dissension complicate the
government's task. Plans include a diversification of the economy,
encouragement of tourism, and more efficient use of scarce water
resources.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$16.25 billion (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
1.9% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $800 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 15.5% industry: 44.7% services: 39.7% (2004 est.)
Labor force: 5.98 million (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: most people are employed in agriculture and herding; services, construction, industry, and commerce account for less than one-fourth of the labor force
Unemployment rate:
35% (2003 est.)
Population below poverty line:
45.2% (2003)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3%
highest 10%: 25.9% (2003)