Economy - overview:
Western Sahara depends on pastoral nomadism, fishing, and phosphate mining as the principal sources of income for the population. The territory lacks sufficient rainfall for sustainable agricultural production, and most of the food for the urban population must be imported. All trade and other economic activities are controlled by the Moroccan Government. Moroccan energy interests in 2001 signed contracts to explore for oil off the coast of Western Sahara, which has angered the Polisario. Incomes and standards of living in Western Sahara are substantially below the Moroccan level.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - NA
GDP - real growth rate:
NA
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - NA
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA
industry: NA
services: 40% (1996 est.)
Labor force:
12,000
Labor force - by occupation:
animal husbandry and subsistence farming 50%
Unemployment rate:
NA
Population below poverty line:
NA
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
NA
Budget:
revenues: NA
expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA
Agriculture - products:
fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats (kept by nomads)
Industries:
phosphate mining, handicrafts
Industrial production growth rate:
NA
Electricity - production:
90 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:
83.7 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2002)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
1,800 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
NA
Oil - imports:
NA
Exports:
NA
Exports - commodities:
phosphates 62%
Exports - partners:
Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts
Imports:
NA
Imports - commodities:
fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts
Debt - external:
NA
Economic aid - recipient:
NA
Currency (code):
Moroccan dirham (MAD)
Currency code:
MAD
Exchange rates:
Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 8.868 (2004), 9.5744 (2003), 11.0206 (2002), 11.303 (2001), 10.6256 (2000)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
More about Western Sahara:
Introduction
Geography
People
Government
Communications
Transportation
Transnational Issues
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