Economy - overview:
Exploitation of oil and gas deposits, beginning in the 1990s, has driven economic growth in Equatorial Guinea; a recent rebasing of GDP resulted in an upward revision of the size of the economy by approximately 30%. Forestry and farming are minor components of GDP. Although preindependence Equatorial Guinea counted on cocoa production for hard currency earnings, the neglect of the rural economy since independence has diminished the potential for agriculture-led growth. Subsistence farming is the dominant form of livelihood. Declining revenue from hydrocarbon production, high levels of infrastructure expenditures, lack of economic diversification, and corruption have pushed the economy into decline in recent years and limited improvements in the general population’s living conditions. Equatorial Guinea’s real GDP growth has been weak in recent years, averaging -0.5% per year from 2010 to 2014, because of a declining hydrocarbon sector. Inflation remained very low in 2016, down from an average of 4% in 2014.Foreign assistance programs by the World Bank and the IMF have been cut since 1993 because of corruption and mismanagement, and as a middle income country Equatorial Guinea is now ineligible for most low-income donor funding. The government has been widely criticized for its lack of transparency and misuse of oil revenues and has attempted to address this issue by working toward compliance with the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. US foreign assistance to Equatorial Guinea is limited in part because of US restrictions pursuant to the Trafficking Victims Protection Act.Equatorial Guinea hosted two economic diversification symposia in 2014 that focused on attracting investment in five sectors: agriculture and animal ranching, fishing, mining and petrochemicals, tourism, and financial services. Undeveloped mineral resources include gold, zinc, diamonds, columbite-tantalite, and other base metals. In 2017 Equatorial Guinea signed a preliminary agreement with Ghana to sell liquefied natural gas (LNG); as oil production wanes, the government believes LNG could provide a boost to revenues, but it will require large investments and long lead times to develop.
GDP (purchasing power parity): GDP (official exchange rate): GDP - real growth rate: GDP - per capita (PPP): Gross national saving: GDP - composition, by end use: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: Agriculture - products: Industries: Industrial production growth rate: Labor force: Unemployment rate: Population below poverty line: Household income or consumption by percentage share: Budget: Taxes and other revenues: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-): Public debt: Fiscal year: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Central bank discount rate: Commercial bank prime lending rate: Stock of narrow money: Stock of broad money: Stock of domestic credit: Current account balance: Exports: Exports - commodities: Exports - partners: Imports: Imports - commodities: Imports - partners: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Debt - external: Exchange rates:
$29.38 billion (2017 est.)
$31.73 billion (2016 est.)
$35.13 billion (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 134
$10.07 billion (2016 est.)
[see also: GDP (official exchange rate) country ranks ]
-7.4% (2017 est.)
-9.7% (2016 est.)
-9.1% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 220
[see also: GDP - real growth rate country ranks ]
$34,900 (2017 est.)
$38,600 (2016 est.)
$44,000 (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 56
0.9% of GDP (2017 est.)
0.5% of GDP (2016 est.)
17.6% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 176
[see also: Gross national saving country ranks ]
household consumption: 47.9%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - household consumption country ranks ]
government consumption: 22.8%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - government consumption country ranks ]
investment in fixed capital: 24.6%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in fixed capital country ranks ]
investment in inventories: 0.2%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in inventories country ranks ]
exports of goods and services: 58.5%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - exports of goods and services country ranks ]
imports of goods and services: -54.1% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - imports of goods and services country ranks ]
agriculture: 2.5%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 56.5%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - industry country ranks ]
services: 41% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - services country ranks ]
coffee, cocoa, rice, yams, cassava (manioc, tapioca), bananas, palm oil nuts; livestock; timber
petroleum, natural gas, sawmilling
-5.6% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 199
[see also: Industrial production growth rate country ranks ]
195,200 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 175
[see also: Labor force country ranks ]
8.6% (2014 est.)
22.3% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 116
[see also: Unemployment rate country ranks ]
44% (2011 est.)
[see also: Population below poverty line country ranks ]
lowest 10%: NA%
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10% country ranks ]
highest 10%: NA%
revenues: $3.186 billion
[see also: Budget - revenues country ranks ]
expenditures: $3.431 billion (2017 est.)
[see also: Budget - expenditures country ranks ]
31.6% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 74
[see also: Taxes and other revenues country ranks ]
-2.4% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 98
[see also: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) country ranks ]
23.4% of GDP (2017 est.)
23.1% of GDP (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 182
[see also: Public debt country ranks ]
calendar year
1.7% (2017 est.)
1.4% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 76
[see also: Inflation rate (consumer prices) country ranks ]
8.5% (31 December 2010)
4.25% (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 37
[see also: Central bank discount rate country ranks ]
14% (31 December 2017 est.)
14% (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 54
[see also: Commercial bank prime lending rate country ranks ]
$1.516 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$1.467 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 142
[see also: Stock of narrow money country ranks ]
$1.959 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$1.864 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 158
[see also: Stock of broad money country ranks ]
$2.416 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$2.254 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 144
[see also: Stock of domestic credit country ranks ]
-$806 million (2017 est.)
-$1.067 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 122
[see also: Current account balance country ranks ]
$5.412 billion (2017 est.)
$5.042 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 105
[see also: Exports country ranks ]
petroleum products, timber
India 19.4%, China 13.5%, South Korea 13.2%, Spain 12.3%, Italy 5.1%, Netherlands 5.1%, US 4.1% (2016)
$2.555 billion (2017 est.)
$2.862 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 149
[see also: Imports country ranks ]
petroleum sector equipment, other equipment, construction materials, vehicles
US 23.3%, Spain 21.8%, China 12.8% (2016)
$140.9 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$62.31 million (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 164
[see also: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold country ranks ]
$1.181 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$1.074 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165
[see also: Debt - external country ranks ]
Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) per US dollar -
605.3 (2017 est.)
593.01 (2016 est.)
593.01 (2015 est.)
591.45 (2014 est.)
494.42 (2013 est.)