Economy - overview: | Tajikistan has one of the lowest per capita GDPs among the 15 former Soviet republics. Only 5% to 6% of the land area is arable. Cotton is the most important crop. Mineral resources, varied but limited in amount, include silver, gold, uranium, and tungsten. Industry consists only of a large aluminum plant, hydropower facilities, and small obsolete factories mostly in light industry and food processing. The civil war (1992-97) severely damaged the already weak economic infrastructure and caused a sharp decline in industrial and agricultural production. Even though 60% of its people continue to live in abject poverty, Tajikistan has experienced steady economic growth since 1997. Continued privatization of medium and large state-owned enterprises would further increase productivity. Tajikistan's economic situation, however, remains fragile due to uneven implementation of structural reforms, weak governance, widespread unemployment, and the external debt burden. A debt restructuring agreement was reached with Russia in December 2002, including an interest rate of 4%, a 3-year grace period, and a US $49.8 million credit to the Central Bank of Tajikistan. Tajikistan ranks third in the world in terms of water resources per head. A proposed investment to finish the hydropower dams Rogun and Sangtuda would substantially add to electricity production. If finished, Rogun will be the world's tallest dam. |
GDP - per capita | $1,200 (2005 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate (%) | 8% (2005 est.) |
Agriculture - products | cotton, grain, fruits, grapes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, goats |
GDP - composition by sector (%) | agriculture: 24%, industry: 28.4%, services: 47.7% (2005 est.) |
Industries | aluminum, zinc, lead, chemicals and fertilizers, cement, vegetable oil, metal-cutting machine tools, refrigerators and freezers |
Economic aid - recipient | $60.7 million from US (2001) |
Debt - external | $888 million (2004 est.) |
Population below poverty line (%) | 60% (2004 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation (%) | agriculture 67.2%, industry 7.5%, services 25.3% (2000 est.) |