Economy - overview In late 1999, about 70% of the economic infrastructure of East Timor was laid waste by Indonesian troops and anti-independence militias, and 260,000 people fled westward. Over the next three years, however, a massive international program, manned by 5,000 peacekeepers (8,000 at peak) and 1,300 police officers, led to substantial reconstruction in both urban and rural areas. By mid-2002, all but about 50,000 of the refugees had returned. The country faces great challenges in continuing the rebuilding of infrastructure and the strengthening of the infant civil administration. One promising long-term project would be development of oil resources in nearby waters.

GDP purchasing power parity - $415 million (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate 18% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $500 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 25.4%
industry: 17.2%
services: 57.4% (2001)

Population below poverty line 42% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Distribution of family income - Gini index 38

Inflation rate (consumer prices) NA%

Labor force NA

Labor force - by occupation NA

Unemployment rate 50% (including underemployment)

Budget
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA

Industries printing, soap manufacturing, handicrafts, woven cloth

Industrial production growth rate 8.5%

Electricity - production NA kWh

Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0%
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption NA kWh

Electricity - exports 0 kWh

Electricity - imports 0 kWh

Agriculture - products coffee, rice, maize, cassava, sweet potatoes, soybeans, cabbage, mangoes, bananas, vanilla

Exports $8 million (2001 est.)

Exports - commodities coffee, sandalwood, marble; note - the potential for oil and vanilla exports

Exports - partners NA

Imports $237 million (2001 est.)

Imports - commodities NA

Imports - partners NA

Debt - external $NA

Economic aid - recipient $2.2 billion (1999-2002 est.)

Currency US dollar (USD)

Currency code USD

Fiscal year 1 July - 30 June

NOTE: The information regarding East Timor on this page is re-published from the 2002 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of East Timor Economy 2002 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about East Timor Economy 2002 should be addressed to the CIA.