Economy - overview Kyrgyzstan is a small, poor, mountainous country with a predominantly agricultural economy. Cotton, wool, and meat are the main agricultural products and exports. Industrial exports include gold, mercury, uranium, and hydropower. Kyrgyzstan has been one of the most progressive countries of the former Soviet Union in carrying out market reforms. Following a successful stabilization program, which lowered inflation from 88% in 1994 to 15% for 1997, attention is turning toward stimulating growth. Much of the government's stock in enterprises has been sold. Drops in production have been severe since the breakup of the Soviet Union in December 1991, but by mid-1995 production began to recover and exports began to increase. Pensioners, unemployed workers, and government workers with salary arrears continue to suffer. Foreign assistance played a substantial role in the country's economic turnaround in 1996-97.

GDP purchasing power parity - $9.7 billion (1997 est.)

GDP - real growth rate 10% (1997 est.)

GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $2,100 (1997 est.)

GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 47%
industry: 12%
services: 41% (1996 est.)

Inflation rate - consumer price index 15% (1997 est.)

Labor force
total: 1.7 million
by occupation: agriculture and forestry 40%, industry and construction 19%, other 41% (1995 est.)

Unemployment rate 8% (December 1996 est.)

Budget
revenues: $225 million
expenditures: $308 million, including capital expenditures of $11 million (1996 est.)

Industries small machinery, textiles, food processing, cement, shoes, sawn logs, refrigerators, furniture, electric motors, gold, rare earth metals

Industrial production growth rate 10.8% (1996 est.)

Electricity - capacity 3.632 million kW (1995)

Electricity - production 13.7 billion kWh (1996 est.)

Electricity - consumption per capita 2,090 kWh (1995)

Agriculture - products wool, tobacco, cotton, potatoes, vegetables, grapes, fruits and berries; sheep, goats, cattle

Exports
total value: $506 million (1996)
commodities: cotton, wool, meat, tobacco; gold, mercury, uranium, hydropower; machinery; shoes
partners: China, UK, FSU

Imports
total value: $890 million (1996)
commodities: grain, lumber, industrial products, ferrous metals, fuel, machinery, textiles, footwear
partners: Turkey, Cuba, US, Germany

Debt - external $746 million (1996)

Economic aid
recipient: ODA, $56 million (1993)
note: commitments, 1992-95, $1,695 million ($390 million disbursements)

Currency 1 Kyrgyzstani som (KGS) = 100 tyiyn

Exchange rates soms (KGS) per US$1 - 14.6 (January 1997), 11.2 (yearend 1995), 10.6 (yearend 1994)

Fiscal year calendar year

NOTE: The information regarding Kyrgyzstan on this page is re-published from the 1998 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Kyrgyzstan Economy 1998 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Kyrgyzstan Economy 1998 should be addressed to the CIA.