FACTBOX: Zimbabwe's meltdown in figures

(Reuters) - Zimbabwe's economy lies in ruins with the world's highest inflation, chronic food shortages and queues for bread as long as those of people voting in the country's crucial election on Saturday.

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 100,586 percent in January 2008, but economic experts say the real rate is much higher.

LIFE EXPECTANCY

Average life expectancy dropped from 63 years in 1990 to 37.3 years in 2005, according to World Bank and 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 million.

CHILD MORTALITY RATE