macrohistory & world report

People's Democratic Republic of Algeria

Algeria (capital Algiers) amid its neighbors

World Factbook as of October 2014: "Algeria's economy remains dominated by the state, a legacy of the country's socialist postindependence development model. In recent years the Algerian Government has halted the privatization of state-owned industries and imposed restrictions on imports and foreign involvement in its economy. Hydrocarbons have long been the backbone of the economy, accounting for roughly 60% of budget revenues, 30% of GDP, and over 95% of export earnings. Algeria has the 10th-largest reserves of natural gas in the world and is the sixth-largest gas exporter. It ranks 16th in oil reserves... The government's efforts have done little to reduce high youth unemployment rates or to address housing shortages. A wave of economic protests in February and March 2011 prompted the Algerian Government to offer more than $23 billion in public grants and retroactive salary and benefit increases, moves which continue to weigh on public finances. Long-term economic challenges include diversifying the economy away from its reliance on hydrocarbon exports, bolstering the private sector, attracting foreign investment, and providing adequate jobs for younger Algerians."

Per capita GDP
2013: $7,500

Economic growth rate
2013: 3.1%
2012: 3.3%
2011: 2.9%
2010: 3.3%
2009: 2.4%

Labor force in agriculture
2003: 14%

Unemployment rate
2013: 10.3%
2012: 10.7%
2011: 9.7%

Public debt
2011: 6.6%

Import/export ratio
2010: 142% favorable. Algeria is a big exporter of natural gas and oil

Income Distribution – GINI index
Ranks 89th among 140 countries (lower rank number is less equal).

Health expenditures
2009: 5.8% of GDP

Military expenditures as a percentage of GDP
2006: 3.3%

People

Births / deaths
2014: 23.99 / 4.31

Population growth rate:
2014: 1.8%, 61st of 233 countries

Living in an urban area
2010: 66%

Ethnicity
Algerians are described as 99 percent Arab-Berber.

Religions
Sunni Muslim 99%, Jewish and Christian 1%

Net migration rate
2012: Net loss of 0.27% per 1,000 population per year

Geography

Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Morocco and Tunisia

Government

Real power appears to be with the Algerian military.

Algeria has a bicameral parliament – a senate called the Council of Nations, and the lower house, called the People's Assembly. The president is elected by popular vote every five years.

Capital: Algiers.

Recent History

Algeria acquired independence from France on July 5, 1962, becoming the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria.

SOURCES:
The World Factbook