<hdr>The World Factbook 1994: Mali<nl>Economy</hdr><body>
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<item><hi format=bold>Overview:</hi> Mali is among the poorest countries in the world, with about 70% of its land area desert or semidesert. Economic activity is largely confined to the riverine area irrigated by the Niger. About 10% of the population live as nomads and some 80% of the labor force is engaged in agriculture and fishing. Industrial activity is concentrated on processing farm commodities. In consultation with international lending agencies, the government has adopted a structural adjustment program for 1992-95, aiming at GDP annual growth of 4.6%, inflation of no more than 2.5% on average, and a substantial reduction in the external current account deficit.
<item><hi format=bold>National product:</hi> GDP—purchasing power equivalent—5.8 billion (1993 est.)
<item><hi format=bold>National product real growth rate:</hi> -6.1% (1992 est.)
<item><hi format=bold>National product per capita:</hi> $650 (1993 est.)
<item><hi format=bold>Industrial production:</hi> growth rate -1.4% (1992 est.); accounts for 13.0% of GDP
<item><hi format=bold>Electricity:</hi>
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<item>• <hi format=ital>capacity:</hi> 260,000 kW
<item>• <hi format=ital>production:</hi> 750 million kWh
<item>• <hi format=ital>consumption per capita:</hi> 90 kWh (1991)
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<item><hi format=bold>Industries:</hi> small local consumer goods and processing, construction, phosphate, gold, fishing
<item><hi format=bold>Agriculture:</hi> accounts for 50% of GDP; most production based on small subsistence farms; cotton and livestock products account for over 70% of exports; other crops—millet, rice, corn, vegetables, peanuts; livestock—cattle, sheep, goats
<item><hi format=bold>Economic aid:</hi>
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<item>• <hi format=ital>recipient:</hi> US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $349 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $3.02 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $92 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $190 million
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<item><hi format=bold>Currency:</hi> 1 CFA franc (CFAF)=100 centimes
<item>• <hi format=ital>note:</hi> beginning 12 January 1994, the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF 100 per French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since 1948
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<item><hi format=bold>Fiscal year:</hi> calendar year