Economy - overview:
Yemen is a low-income country that faces difficult long-term challenges to stabilizing and growing its economy. War in 2015 nearly brought the country’s exports to a halt, pressured the Yemeni currency’s exchange rate, accelerated inflation, severely limited food and fuel imports, and caused widespread damage to infrastructure. Approximately 80% of the population was in need of humanitarian assistance by the end of 2015.Prior to the start of the conflict in 2014, Yemen was highly dependent on declining oil resources for revenue. Oil and gas revenues accounted for roughly 25% of GDP and 65% of government revenue. The Yemeni Government regularly faces annual budget shortfalls and has tried to diversify the Yemeni economy through a reform program designed to bolster non-oil sectors of the economy and foreign investment. As part of these reform efforts Yemen exported its first liquefied natural gas in October 2009. The international community supported Yemen’s efforts toward economic and political reform in part by establishing the Friends of Yemen group. In 2012, the Friends of Yemen pledged nearly $7 billion in assistance to Yemen. In July 2014, the government continued reform efforts by eliminating some fuel subsidies and in August 2014, the IMF approved a three-year, $570 million Extended Credit Facility for Yemen. The conflict in 2015 has stalled these reform efforts, however.Yemen will continue to need international assistance during and after the protracted conflict to stabilize its economy. Long-term challenges include a high population growth rate, high unemployment, declining water resources, and severe food scarcity.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$75.52 billion (2015 est.) $105 billion (2014 est.) $105.2 billion (2013 est.)
note: data are in 2015 US dollars
country comparison to the world: 92
[see also: GDP country ranks ]

GDP (official exchange rate):
$34.93 billion (2015 est.)
[see also: GDP (official exchange rate) country ranks ]

GDP - real growth rate:
-28.1% (2015 est.) -0.2% (2014 est.) 4.8% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 225
[see also: GDP - real growth rate country ranks ]

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,800 (2015 est.) $3,800 (2014 est.) $3,800 (2013 est.)
note: data are in 2015 US dollars
country comparison to the world: 194
[see also: GDP - per capita country ranks ]

Gross national saving:
-2.9% of GDP (2015 est.) 6.2% of GDP (2014 est.) 5% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 175
[see also: Gross national saving country ranks ]

GDP - composition, by end use:
household consumption: 102.9%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - household consumption country ranks ]
government consumption: 11.7%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - government consumption country ranks ]
investment in fixed capital: 8.9%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in fixed capital country ranks ]
investment in inventories: -5.2%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in inventories country ranks ]
exports of goods and services: 8.5%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - exports of goods and services country ranks ]
imports of goods and services: -26.8% (2015 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - imports of goods and services country ranks ]

GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture: 19%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 10.6%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - industry country ranks ]
services: 70.4% (2015 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - services country ranks ]

Agriculture - products:
grain, fruits, vegetables, pulses, qat, coffee, cotton; dairy products, livestock (sheep, goats, cattle, camels), poultry; fish

Industries:
crude oil production and petroleum refining; small-scale production of cotton textiles, leather goods; food processing; handicrafts; aluminum products; cement; commercial ship repair; natural gas production

Industrial production growth rate:
-72% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 202
[see also: Industrial production growth rate country ranks ]

Labor force:
7.328 million (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 65
[see also: Labor force country ranks ]

Labor force - by occupation:
note: most people are employed in agriculture and herding; services, construction, industry, and commerce account for less than one-fourth of the labor force

Unemployment rate:
27% (2014 est.) 35% (2003 est.)
country comparison to the world: 182
[see also: Unemployment rate country ranks ]

Population below poverty line:
54% (2014 est.)
[see also: Population below poverty line country ranks ]

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.6%
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10% country ranks ]
highest 10%: 30.3% (2008 est.)
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - highest 10% country ranks ]

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
37.9 (2009 est.) 37.3 (1999 est.)
country comparison to the world: 75
[see also: Distribution of family income - Gini index country ranks ]

Budget:
revenues: $2.933 billion
[see also: Budget revenues country ranks ]
expenditures: $5.925 billion (2015 est.)
[see also: Budget expenditures country ranks ]

Taxes and other revenues:
23.7% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 135
[see also: Taxes and other revenues country ranks ]

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
-8.6% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 200
[see also: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) country ranks ]

Public debt:
93.5% of GDP (2015 est.) 57.2% of GDP (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 23
[see also: Public debt country ranks ]

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
30% (2015 est.) 8.2% (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 222
[see also: Inflation rate (consumer prices) country ranks ]

Central bank discount rate:
NA%
[see also: Central bank discount rate country ranks ]

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
25% (31 December 2015 est.) 24% (31 December 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 6
[see also: Commercial bank prime lending rate country ranks ]

Stock of narrow money:
$4.388 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $5.256 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 102
[see also: Stock of narrow money country ranks ]

Stock of broad money:
$16.02 billion (31 December 2014 est.) $14.04 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 95
[see also: Stock of broad money country ranks ]

Stock of domestic credit:
$8.452 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $12.78 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 108
[see also: Stock of domestic credit country ranks ]

Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
[see also: Market value of publicly traded shares country ranks ]

Current account balance:
-$1.837 billion (2015 est.) -$715 million (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 142
[see also: Current account balance country ranks ]

Exports:
$1.416 billion (2015 est.) $8.291 billion (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 151
[see also: Exports country ranks ]

Exports - commodities:
crude oil, coffee, dried and salted fish, liquefied natural gas

Exports - partners:
China 28.3%, South Korea 23%, Thailand 11.2%, Japan 8.1%, UAE 5.3% (2014)

Imports:
$5.491 billion (2015 est.) $10.19 billion (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 120
[see also: Imports country ranks ]

Imports - commodities:
food and live animals, machinery and equipment, chemicals

Imports - partners:
China 15.9%, UAE 14%, India 9.6%, Saudi Arabia 6.6%, Kuwait 5%, Turkey 4.6% (2014)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$2.309 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $4.665 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 117
[see also: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold country ranks ]

Debt - external:
$7.772 billion (31 December 2014 est.) $7.671 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 114
[see also: Debt - external country ranks ]

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$NA
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - at home country ranks ]

Exchange rates:
Yemeni rials (YER) per US dollar - 214.89 (2015 est.) 214.89 (2014 est.) 214.89 (2013 est.) 214.35 (2012 est.) 213.8 (2011 est.)