<hdr>The World Factbook 1994: Uganda<nl>Economy</hdr><body>
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<item><hi format=bold>Overview:</hi> Uganda has substantial natural resources, including fertile soils, regular rainfall, and sizable mineral deposits of copper and cobalt. The economy has been devastated by widespread political instability, mismanagement, and civil war since independence in 1962. (GDP remains below the levels of the early 1970s, as does industrial production.) Agriculture is the most important sector of the economy, employing over 80% of the work force. Coffee is the major export crop and accounts for the bulk of export revenues. Since 1986 the government has acted to rehabilitate and stabilize the economy by undertaking currency reform, raising producer prices on export crops, increasing prices of petroleum products, and improving civil service wages. The policy changes are especially aimed at dampening inflation, which was running at over 300% in 1987, and boosting production and export earnings. In 1990-93, the economy has turned in a solid performance based on continued investment in the rehabilitation of infrastructure, improved incentives for production and exports, and gradually improving domestic security.
<item><hi format=bold>National product:</hi> GDP—purchasing power equivalent—$24.1 billion (1993 est.)
<item><hi format=bold>National product real growth rate:</hi> 6% (1993 est.)
<item><hi format=bold>National product per capita:</hi> $1,200 (1993 est.)
<item><hi format=bold>Agriculture:</hi> mainly subsistence; accounts for 57% of GDP and over 80% of labor force; cash crops—coffee, tea, cotton, tobacco; food crops—cassava, potatoes, corn, millet, pulses; livestock products—beef, goat meat, milk, poultry; self-sufficient in food
<item><hi format=bold>Economic aid:</hi>
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<item>• <hi format=ital>recipient:</hi> US commitments, including Ex-Im (1970-89), $145 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.4 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $60 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $169 million