Cameroon has one of the best-endowed primary commodity economies insub-Saharan Africa. Still, it faces many of the serious problems
facing other underdeveloped countries, such as a top-heavy civil
service and a generally unfavorable climate for business enterprise.
Since 1990, the government has embarked on various IMF and World
Bank programs designed to spur business investment, increase
efficiency in agriculture, improve trade, and recapitalize the
nation's banks. In June 2000, the government completed an
IMF-sponsored, three-year structural adjustment program; however,
the IMF is pressing for more reforms, including increased budget
transparency, privatization, and poverty reduction programs.
International oil and cocoa prices have considerable impact on the
economy.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$30.17 billion (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4.9% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,900 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 43.7% industry: 20.1% services: 36.2% (2004 est.)
Labor force:
6.68 million (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 70%, industry and commerce 13%, other 17%
Unemployment rate:
30% (2001 est.)
Population below poverty line:
48% (2000 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.9% highest 10%: 36.6% (1996)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
47.7 (1996)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1% (2004 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
16.1% of GDP (2004 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $2.493 billion
expenditures: $2.248 billion, including capital expenditures of NA
(2004 est.)
Public debt:
69.1% of GDP (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products:
coffee, cocoa, cotton, rubber, bananas, oilseed, grains, root
starches; livestock; timber
Industries:
petroleum production and refining, aluminum production, food
processing, light consumer goods, textiles, lumber, ship repair
Industrial production growth rate:
4.2% (1999 est.)
Electricity - production:
3.571 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 2.7% hydro: 97.3% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:
3.321 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2002)
Oil - production:
94,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - consumption:
22,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
NA
Oil - imports:
NA
Oil - proved reserves:
80 million bbl (2004 est.)
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
55.22 billion cu m (2004)
Current account balance:
$-149.1 million (2004 est.)
Exports:
$2.445 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities:
crude oil and petroleum products, lumber, cocoa beans, aluminum,
coffee, cotton
Exports - partners:
Spain 15.2%, Italy 12.3%, UK 10.2%, France 9.2%, US 8.8%, South
Korea 7.1%, Netherlands 4.3% (2004)
Imports:
$1.979 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery, electrical equipment, transport equipment, fuel, food
Imports - partners:
France 28.2%, Nigeria 9.9%, Belgium 7.6%, US 4.9%, China 4.8%,
Germany 4.6%, Italy 4.1% (2004)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$687.5 million (2004 est.)
Debt - external:
