| Economy - overview: | Landlocked Paraguay has a market economy marked by a large informal sector. This sector features both reexport of imported consumer goods to neighboring countries as well as the activities of thousands of microenterprises and urban street vendors. Because of the importance of the informal sector, accurate economic measures are difficult to obtain. A large percentage of the population derives their living from agricultural activity, often on a subsistence basis. The formal economy grew by an average of about 3% annually in 1995-97, but averaged near-zero growth in 1998-2001 and contracted by 2.3 percent in 2002, in response to regional contagion and an outbreak of hoof-and-mouth desease. On a per capita basis, real income has stagnated at 1980 levels. Most observers attribute Paraguay's poor economic performance to political uncertainty, corruption, lack of progress on structural reform, substantial internal and external debt, and deficient infrastructure. Aided by a firmer exchange rate and perhaps a greater confidence in the economic policy of the Duarte FRUTOS administration, the economy rebounded from 2003 to 2005, posting modest growth each year. |
| GDP - per capita | $4,900 (2005 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate (%) | 3.3% (2005 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | cotton, sugarcane, soybeans, corn, wheat, tobacco, cassava (tapioca), fruits, vegetables; beef, pork, eggs, milk; timber |
| GDP - composition by sector (%) | agriculture: 27.5%, industry: 24%, services: 48.5% (2005 est.) |
| Industries | sugar, cement, textiles, beverages, wood products, steel, metallurgic, electric power |
| Economic aid - recipient | NA |
| Debt - external | $3.535 billion (2005 est.) |
| Population below poverty line (%) | 32% (2005 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation (%) | agriculture 45% |
Environment, Land use / Resources, Economy, Population / Demographics, Infrastructure, Health -- CIA World Factbook, 2005
