Overview: Mali is among the poorest countries in the world, with about 70% of its land area desert or semidesert. Economic activity is largely confined to the riverine area irrigated by the Niger. About 10% of the population live as nomads and some 80% of the labor force is engaged in agriculture and fishing. Industrial activity is concentrated on processing farm commodities.

GDP: $2.0 billion, per capita $250; real growth rate 9.9% (1989 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA% (1987)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget: revenues $329 million; expenditures $519 million, including capital expenditures of $178 (1989 est.)

Exports: $285 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--livestock, peanuts, dried fish, cotton, skins; partners--mostly franc zone and Western Europe

Imports: $513 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--textiles, vehicles, petroleum products, machinery, sugar, cereals; partners--mostly franc zone and Western Europe

External debt: $2.2 billion (1989 est.)

Industrial production: growth rate 19.9% (1989 est.); accounts for 7% of GDP

Electricity: 253,000 kW capacity; 730 million kWh produced, 90 kWh per capita (1990)

Industries: small local consumer goods and processing, construction, phosphate, gold, fishing

Agriculture: accounts for 50% of GDP; most production based on small subsistence farms; cotton and livestock products account for over 70% of exports; other crops--millet, rice, corn, vegetables, peanuts; livestock--cattle, sheep, and goats

Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $349 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $2.65 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $92 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $190 million

Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural--francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1--256.54 (January 1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)

Fiscal year: calendar year

NOTE: The information regarding Mali on this page is re-published from the 1991 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Mali Economy 1991 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Mali Economy 1991 should be addressed to the CIA.