FACTBOX: Zimbabwe's meltdown in figures
(Reuters) - Zimbabwe's economy lies in ruins with the world's highest inflation, chronic food shortages and long queues for bread.
Below are some figures showing how the economy has declined and the difficulties suffered by ordinary Zimbabweans.
INFLATION:
-- In 1987 inflation averaged 11.9 percent. It surged to an official record of 164,900 percent in February 2008, but economists say the actual rate is at least 2 million percent.
LIFE EXPECTANCY:
-- Average life expectancy dropped from 63 years in 1990 to 40.9 years in 2005, according to U.N. figures.
HIV/AIDS:
-- In 2007, Zimbabwe had an HIV prevalence of 15.6 percent among adults aged 15-49 years -- the fourth-highest rate in the world. The United Nations Development Program says the epidemic causes the death of around 3,200 people per week. The population is 13.3 million.
CHILD MORTALITY RATE:
-- Zimbabwe's mortality rate for children under five was 76 deaths out of every 1,000 in 1990. This increased to 105 in 2006.
POPULATION:
-- Four of every five Zimbabweans are unemployed and many are battling to stave off malnutrition amid chronic shortages of meat, bread and other necessities. Millions have fled, mostly to South Africa, in search of work and food.
GDP:
-- Zimbabwe's gross domestic product has contracted each year since 2000, the biggest decline in 2003 when it fell 10.4 percent. The IMF estimates GDP will fall by 4.5 percent this year.
IMF ARREARS:
-- Zimbabwe first fell into arrears with the International Monetary Fund in August 2001. As of February 2008, it owed $88 million, of which $79.64 million has been in arrears for three years or more.
GOVERNMENT SPENDING:
-- Government spending as a percentage of GDP rose from 20.7 percent in 2002 to 53.5 percent in 2006, according to UBS data. The investment bank forecasts it will reach 66.7 percent in 2007. The rate in neighboring Zambia was 24.4 percent last year.
MONEY SUPPLY GROWTH:
-- Zimbabwe's dollar is virtually worthless. One U.S. dollar was worth Z$11 billion on Thursday compared to Z$6 billion a week ago. On the black market 1 dollar is worth Z$17 billion.
-- Broad money supply increased an average 48.3 percent in 1997-2001, 520 percent in 2005, 1,579.5 percent in 2006. UBS estimates it will grow 2,690.5 percent in 2007.
EXPORTS:
-- Once the breadbasket of southern Africa, Zimbabwe now needs to import maize. The U.N. agricultural production index for Zimbabwe fell from nearly 107 in 2000 to just over 74 in 2005.
-- Exports of goods and services as a percentage of GDP averaged 33.5 percent in 1997-2001. UBS forecast this would decline to 9.9 percent in 2007.
DEVELOPMENT AID:
-- In 2000, the country received official aid and developmental aid worth $175.8 million. The figure rose to $367.7 million in 2005.
Sources: UBS, Reuters, WFP, World Bank, Unicef, UNDP, IMF
