<hdr>The World Factbook 1994: Pakistan<nl>Economy</hdr><body>
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<item><hi format=bold>Overview:</hi> Pakistan is a poor Third World country faced with the usual problems of rapidly increasing population, sizable government deficits, and heavy dependence on foreign aid. In addition, the economy must support a large military establishment. Rapid economic growth, averaging 5%-6% over the past decade has helped Pakistan cope with these problems. However, growth slumped to 3% in FY93 because of severe flooding, which damaged the key export crop, cotton. Almost all agriculture and small-scale industry is in private hands. In 1990, Pakistan embarked on a sweeping economic liberalization program to boost foreign and domestic private investment and lower foreign aid dependence. The SHARIF government denationalized several state-owned firms and attracted some foreign investment. Pakistan likely will have difficulty raising living standards because of its rapidly expanding population. At the current rate of growth, population would double in 25 years.
<item><hi format=bold>National product:</hi> GNP—purchasing power equivalent—$239 billion (1993 est.)
<item><hi format=bold>National product real growth rate:</hi> 3% (FY93 est.)
<item><hi format=bold>National product per capita:</hi> $1,900 (1993 est.)
<item>• <hi format=ital>consumption per capita:</hi> 350 kWh (1992)
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<item><hi format=bold>Industries:</hi> textiles, food processing, beverages, construction materials, clothing, paper products, shrimp
<item><hi format=bold>Agriculture:</hi> 22% of GDP, over 50% of labor force; world's largest contiguous irrigation system; major crops—cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; livestock products—milk, beef, mutton, eggs; self-sufficient in food grain
<item><hi format=bold>Illicit drugs:</hi> major illicit producer of opium and hashish for the international drug trade; despite some success in reducing cultivation, remains world's fourth largest opium producer (140 metric tons in 1993)
<item><hi format=bold>Economic aid:</hi>
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<item>• <hi format=ital>recipient:</hi> US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $4.5 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-89), $91 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $2.3 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $3.2 billion
<item>• <hi format=ital>note:</hi> including Bangladesh prior to 1972