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Serbia and Montenegro Economy Profile 2006

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Economy - overview

MILOSEVIC-era mismanagement of the economy, an extended period of economic sanctions, and the damage to Yugoslavia's infrastructure and industry during the NATO airstrikes in 1999 left the economy only half the size it was in 1990. After the ousting of former Federal Yugoslav President MILOSEVIC in October 2000, the Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS) coalition government implemented stabilization measures and embarked on an aggressive market reform program. After renewing its membership in the IMF in December 2000, a down-sized Yugoslavia continued to reintegrate into the international community by rejoining the World Bank (IBRD) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). A World Bank-European Commission sponsored Donors' Conference held in June 2001 raised $1.3 billion for economic restructuring. An agreement rescheduling the country's $4.5 billion Paris Club government debts was concluded in November 2001 - it wrote off 66% of the debt - and the London Club of private creditors forgave $1.7 billion of debt, just over half the total owed, in July 2004. The smaller republic of Montenegro severed its economy from federal control and from Serbia during the MILOSEVIC era and continues to maintain its own central bank, uses the euro instead of the Yugoslav dinar as official currency, collects customs tariffs, and manages its own budget. Kosovo's economy continues to transition to a market-based system, and is largely dependent on the international community and the diaspora for financial and technical assistance. The euro and the Yugoslav dinar are both accepted currencies in Kosovo. While maintaining ultimate oversight, UNMIK continues to work with the EU and Kosovo's local provisional government to accelerate economic growth, lower unemployment, and attract foreign investment to help Kosovo integrate into regional economic structures. The complexity of Serbia and Montenegro political relationships, slow progress in privatization, legal uncertainty over property rights, scarcity of foreign-investment, and a substantial foreign trade deficit are holding back the economy. Arrangements with the IMF, especially requirements for fiscal discipline, are an important element in policy formation. Severe unemployment remains a key political and economic problem for this entire region.

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$28.7 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$25.07 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

5% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$2,700 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 16.6%
industry: 25.5%
services: 57.9% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line

30% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

15.5% (2005 est.)

Labor force

3.22 million (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%

Unemployment rate

31.6%; note - unemployment is approximately 50% in Kosovo (2005 est.)

Budget

revenues: $11.45 billion
expenditures: $11.12 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)

Industries

machine building (aircraft, trucks, and automobiles; tanks and weapons; electrical equipment; agricultural machinery); metallurgy (steel, aluminum, copper, lead, zinc, chromium, antimony, bismuth, cadmium); mining (coal, bauxite, nonferrous ore, iron ore, limestone); consumer goods (textiles, footwear, foodstuffs, appliances); electronics, petroleum products, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals

Industrial production growth rate

1.7% (2002 est.)

Electricity - production

36.04 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - consumption

36.62 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports

400 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports

3.5 billion kWh (2003)

Oil - production

14,660 bbl/day (2003)

Oil - consumption

85,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports

NA bbl/day

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day

Oil - proved reserves

38.75 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production

650 million cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

2.55 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

48.14 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

Agriculture - products

cereals, fruits, vegetables, tobacco, olives; cattle, sheep, goats

Exports

$5.485 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities

manufactured goods, food and live animals, raw materials

Exports - partners

Italy 29%, Germany 16.6%, Austria 7%, Greece 6.7%, France 4.9%, Slovenia 4.1% (2004)

Imports

$11.94 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and transport equipment, fuels and lubricants, manufactured goods, chemicals, food and live animals, raw materials

Imports - partners

Germany 18.5%, Italy 16.5%, Austria 8.3%, Slovenia 6.7%, Bulgaria 4.7%, France 4.5% (2004)

Debt - external

$15.43 billion (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$2 billion pledged in 2001 (disbursements to follow for several years)

Currency (code)

new Yugoslav dinar (YUM); note - in Montenegro the euro is legal tender; in Kosovo both the euro and the Yugoslav dinar are legal

Exchange rates

new Yugoslav dinars per US dollar - 58.6925 (2005)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Investment (gross fixed)

14.2% of GDP (2005 est.)

Public debt

53.1% of GDP (2005 est.)

Current account balance

$-2.451 billion (2005 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$5.35 billion (2005 est.)


Source: CIA World Factbook
Unless otherwise noted, information in this page is accurate as of January 1, 2006


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