ECONOMY (1)
OVERVIEW: The economy is based on agriculture, which accounts for 25% of GDP, employs about 60% of the labor force, and supplies two-thirds of exports. Industry accounts for about 20% of GDP and 15% of the labor force. The economy has reentered a slow-growth phase, but is hampered by political uncertainty. In 1988 the economy grew by 3.7%, the third consecutive year of mild growth. Government economic reforms introduced since 1986 have stabilized exchange rates and have helped to stem inflationary pressures. The inflation rate has dropped from 36.9% in 1986 to 15% in 1989.
GDP: $10.8 billion, per capita $1,185; real growth rate 1.3% (1989 est.)
LABOR FORCE: 2,500,000; 57.0% agriculture, 14.0% manufacturing, 13.0% services, 7.0% commerce, 4.0% construction, 3.0% transport, 0.8% utilities, 0.4% mining (1985)
LABOR FORCE, FEMALES: 15.9% ages 15/64
ORGANIZED LABOR: 8% of labor force (1988 est.)
INFLATION RATE (CONSUMER PRICES): 15% (1989)
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE: 13%, with 30-40% underemployment (1988 est.)
BUDGET: revenues $771 million; expenditures $957 million, including capital expenditures of $188 million (1988)
EXPORTS: $1.02 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities -- coffee 38%, bananas 7%, sugar 7%, cardamom 4%; partners -- US 29%, El Salvador, FRG, Costa Rica, Italy
IMPORTS: $1.5 billion (c.i.f., 1988); commodities -- fuel and petroleum products, machinery, grain, fertilizers, motor vehicles; partners -- US 38%, Mexico, FRG, Japan, El Salvador
EXTERNAL DEBT: $3.0 billion (December 1989 est.)
INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION: growth rate 3.5% (1988 est.)
ELECTRICITY: 807,000 kW capacity; 2,540 million kWh produced, 280 kWh per capita (1989)
INDUSTRIES: sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals, petroleum, metals, rubber, tourism
AGRICULTURE: accounts for 25% of GDP; most important sector of economy and contributes two-thirds to export earnings; principal crops -- sugarcane, corn, bananas, coffee, beans, cardamom; livestock -- cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens; food importer
ILLICIT DRUGS: illicit producer of opium poppy and cannabis for the international drug trade; the government has engaged in aerial eradication of opium poppy; transit country for cocaine shipments
AID: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $869 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $7.7 billion
CURRENCY: quetzal (plural -- quetzales); 1 quetzal (Q) = 100 centavos
EXCHANGE RATES: free market quetzales (Q) per US$1 -- 5.181 (March 1991) 3.3913 (January 1990), 2.8261 (1989), 2.6196 (1988), 2.500 (1987), 1.875 (1986), 1.000 (1985); note -- black-market rate 2.800 (May 1989)
FISCAL YEAR: calendar year
MANUFACTURING:
Cigarettes: 2,400,000,000
Sawnwood: 83,000 cubic meters
Paper and Paperboard: 17,000 metric tons
Nitrogen Fertilizer: 10,000 metric tons
Phosphate Fertilizer: 10,000 metric tons
Cement: 790,000 metric tons
Lead: 100 metric tons
ENERGY:
Crude Petroleum: 413,000 metric tons coal equivalent
Motor Gasoline: 172,000 metric tons coal equivalent
Electricity: 216,000 metric tons coal equivalent
Energy Consumption: 197 KWh per capita
AGRICULTURE:
LAND IN AGRICULTURE: 29.7 percent
AGRICULTURAL POPULATION DENSITY: 261 persons per sq km
TOTAL AGRICULTURAL WORKERS: 1,270,000
AGRICULTURAL WORKERS: 52.9 percent of work force
AGRICULTURAL IMPORTS: $127,389,000
AGRICULTURAL EXPORTS: $882,070,000
FOOD AND ANIMALS IMPORTED: $80,773,000
FOOD AND ANIMALS EXPORTED: $763,432,000
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS:
Cereal: 1,423,000 metric tons
Wheat: 52,000 metric tons
Rice: 59,000 metric tons
Barley: 1,000 metric tons
Maize (Corn): 1,217,000 metric tons
Potatoes: 69,000 metric tons
Cassavas: 10,000 metric tons
Dry Beans: 86,000 metric tons
Soybeans: 29,000 metric tons
Groundnuts: 2,000 metric tons
Fruits: 769,000 metric tons
Vegetables: 317,000 metric tons
Sugar Cane: 7,000,000 metric tons
Bananas: 470,000 metric tons
Plantains: 55,000 metric tons
Coffee: 162,000 metric tons
Cocoa Beans: 2,000 metric tons
Tobacco: 7,000 metric tons
Cotton: 44,000 metric tons
ANIMALS:
Horses: 112,000
Mules: 38,000
Asses: 9,000
Cattle: 2,140,000
Pigs: 875,000
Sheep: 660,000
Goats: 76,000
Chickens: 15,000,000
ANIMAL PRODUCTS:
Total Meat: 128,000 metric tons
Beef: 57,000 metric tons
Mutton and Lamb: 3,000 metric tons
Pig Meat: 14,000 metric tons
Horse Meat: 2,000 metric tons
Poultry: 52,000 metric tons
DAIRY PRODUCTS:
Cow Milk: 366,000 metric tons
Cheese: 16,103 metric tons
Butter and Ghee: 5,000 metric tons
Dry Milk: 1,750 metric tons
MISCELLANEOUS PRODUCTS:
Fish Catches: 2,100 metric tons
Eggs: 42,800 metric tons
Honey: 3,100 metric tons
AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT:
Agricultural Tractors: 4,140 in use
Harvester-Threshers: 2,950 in use