In well-to-do Bahrain, petroleum production and refining account for about 60% of export receipts, 60% of government revenues, and 30% of GDP. With its highly developed communication and transport facilities, Bahrain is home to numerous multinational firms with business in the Gulf. A large share of exports consist of petroleum products made from refining imported crude. Construction proceeds on several major industrial projects. Unemployment, especially among the young, and the depletion of oil and underground water resources are major long-term economic problems. In September 2004 Bahrain signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States - the first such agreement undertaken by a Gulf state. Both countries must ratify the FTA before it is enforced.
Agriculture Products
fruit, vegetables; poultry, dairy products; shrimp, fish
Industries
petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, iron pelletization, fertilizers, offshore banking, ship repairing; tourism
Industrial Production Growth Rate
2% (2000 est.)
Labor Force
Array
Electricity production
6.86 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity Consumption
6.379 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity Exports
0 kWh (2002)
Electricity Imports
0 kWh (2002)
Unemployment Rate
15% (1998 est.)
Population Below Poverty Line
NA
Household Income or Consumption by Percentage Share
Lowest 10%: NA
Highest 10%: NA
Budget
Revenues: $3.825 billion
Expenditures: $3.262 billion, including capital expenditures of $700 million (2004 est.)
Public Debt
63.8% of GDP (2004 est.)
Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate
Stock of Narrow Money
Stock of Broad Money
Stock of Domestic Credit
Market Value of Publicly Traded Shares
Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold
$2.141 billion (2004 est.)
Debt External
$6.215 billion (2004 est.)
Stock of Direct Foreign Investment at Home
Stock of Direct Foreign Investment Abroad
Exchange Rates
Bahraini dinars per US dollar - 0.376 (2004), 0.376 (2003), 0.376 (2002), 0.376 (2001), 0.376 (2000)
