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Statistical Data

Population and Manpower

Population: 4,300,000 (Yr. 2000)

Age distribution:

Age Bracket
%
0-4 years
12.3
5-14 years
21.8
15-24 years
20.0
25-59 years
32.1
60-64 years
8.3
65 + years
5.5

(Source: Ministry of Social Affairs & the U.N. Population Fund.)

Geography
Surface (in sq. km) 10,452
Coast length (in km) 210
Maximum Altitude (in m) 3,083
Average temperature (in centigrade) 20.7
Rainfall (in mm per year) 893
Number of rainy days per year 78
Humidity rate 68%
Demography
Population (in millions) 4.3
Population growth rate 1.6%
Population density (per sq. km) 306
Urban population 87%
Active labor force (in millions) 1.22
Life expectancy at birth (years) 69
Infant mortality rate 40/1,000
Human Development Index (UNDP) 0.79
Education
Adult literacy rate 91%
Male 92%
Female 90%
Infrastructure
Roads (paved): 7,200 km
Railways: Non functional
Airport: Beirut Int'l Airport
Ports: Beirut (Principal)
Tripoli (North)
Jounieh (Keserwan)
Saida (South)
General
Currency: Lebanese Pound (LBP)
Language: Arabic (Official)
English
French
Armenian
Business Hours
Government: 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM - Mon to Thu
8:00 AM - 11:00 AM - Fri
8:00 AM - 1:00 PM - Sat
Banks' Counters: 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM - Mon to Fri
8:30 AM - 12:00 PM - Sat

1998
 
1999
 
2000
Macroeconomic indicators          
GDP (US$ million) 16,167   16,400   16,641
Real GDP growth rate 3.00%   1.00%   0.00%
GDP deflator 4.00%   0.30%   1.30%
GDP per capita 4,900   5,000   5,000
         
Agriculture
 1998
    1999     2000
Agricultural exports (US$ million) 70   63   62
Banks credits to agriculture ($ million) 46   33   16
Agricultural exports/total exports 10.60%   9.30%   8.60%
         
Industry
 1998
    1999     2000
Industrial exports (US$ million) 591   614   652
Banks credits to industry (US$ million) 207   149   72
Industrial exports/total exports 89.40%   90.70%   90.90%
Industrial machinery imports ($ million) 171   113   94
         
Total Number of new factories 451   526   418
Mineral products 98   131   106
Food products 113   117   98
Wood & furniture 56   84   57
Others 25   19   41
Chemical products 43   37   29
Textile & clothes 22   37   21
Non mineral products 23   40   17
Jewelry 18   10   14
Machines 25   29   14
Paper products 16   12   13
Tanned leather 12   6   8
         
Newly created jobs 3,654   3,886   3,762
New capital (LBP million) 192,909   128,194   104,796
         
Construction
 1998
    1999     2000
Construction permits ( ' 000 sqm) 9,834   8,424   6,857
Beirut 599   725   489
Mount Lebanon 5,124   3,805   2,953
North 1,850   1,666   1,505
South 1,390   1,373   1,214
Bekaa 871   855   697
         
Transport
 1998
    1999     2000
Beirut Port activity          
Number of ships 2,840   2,812   2,552
Number of containers 135,437   102,215   102,038
Merchandise ('000 tons) 5,565   5,550   4,834
         
Beirut Airport activity          
Number of planes 25,010   27,878   29,707
Number of passengers ('000) 1,996   2,111   2,245
         
Energy
 1998
    1999     2000
Electricity generated (million Kwh) 8,988   9,025   9,111
Oil imports (‘000 metric tons) 4,636   4,962   4,392
         
Foreign trade (US$ million)
 1998
    1999     2000
Imports 7,060   6,206   6,228
Exports 661   677   714
Trade Balance -6,399   -5,529   -5,514
Exports/Imports 10.10%   10.90%   11.50%
         
Exports to main trade partners
 1998
    1999     2000
Saudi Arabia 13.20%   10.50%   10.90%
U.A.E 9.10%   8.00%   10.50%
U.S 6.80%   6.20%   6.40%
France 7.00%   7.70%   5.20%
Syria 7.00%   4.70%   3.60%
         
Imports from main trade partners
 1998
    1999     2000
Italy 11.50%   10.90%   10.90%
France 9.70%   9.60%   8.50%
Germany 8.70%   8.90%   8.40%
U.S 9.30%   8.10%   7.30%
Switzerland 6.30%   7.10%   6.90%
         
Main exports
 1998
    1999     2000
Jewelry 10.40%   14.20%   17.80%
Chemical products 13.20%   12.60%   12.30%
Electrical equipment 9.50%   10.80%   10.50%
Food products 10.70%   10.90%   10.10%
Metals and metal products 10.30%   11.70%   8.80%
Paper and paper products 8.00%   8.00%   7.40%
         
Main imports
 1998
    1999     2000
Mineral products 7.90%   9.90%   17.60%
Electrical equipment 16.10%   14.70%   12.90%
Vehicles 9.70%   9.90%   8.90%
Chemical products 8.00%   9.30%   8.40%
Metals and metal products 7.80%   7.80%   7.80%
Food products 8.40%   7.50%   6.70%
         
Balance of Payments (US$ million)
 1998
    1999     2000
Trade balance -6,399   -5,529   -5,514
Gross capital inflows 5,912   5,795   5,225
Change in bank’s net foreign assets -966   -1,084   1,417
Change in BDL net foreign assets 479   1,350   -1,706
Balance of Payments -487   266   -289
         
Public finance (LBP billion)
 1998
    1999     2000
Government expenditures 7,907   8,454   10,424
o.w. Debt Service 3,352   3,625   4,197
Government revenues 4,449   4,868   4,553
o.w. Custom duties 1,763   1,838   1,746
Budget Deficit 3,457   3,585   5,871
Net total debt (LBP billion) 25,824   29,870   35,034
Net total debt (US$ million) 17,125   19,814   23,240
o.w. Net internal debt (US$ million) 12,960   14,302   16,272
o.w. Foreign debt (US$ million) 4,165   5,512   6,968
         
Monetary situation (LBP billion)
 1998
    1999     2000
M1 (Currency+LBP demand deposits) 2,052   2,261   2,389
M2 (M1+Quasi-money in LBP) 16,533   20,240   19,493
M3 (M2+FX deposits) 40,478   44,993   49,294
M4 (M3+Tbs public) 45,750   51,295   55,993
         
Counterparts of M3
 1998
    1999     2000
Foreign assets-net 14,492   14,614   13,944
Gold 3,998   4,037   3,806
Gold (US$ million) 2,651   2,678   2,525
FX 10,495   10,577   10,139
FX (US$ million) 6,959   7,016   6,725
Debit position of public sector 12,908   15,104   20,521
Net Claims 15,954   18,022   23,043
Valuation Adjustment -3,046   -2,918   -2,522
Claims on private sector 19,322   21,573   23,011
Claims in LBP 2,334   2,750   3,274
Claims in FX 16,988   18,823   19,598
Other Items-Net -6,343   -6,408   -8,043
         
Prices and wages
 1998
    1999     2000
Consumer Price Index (in LBP) 1.60%   1.40%   -0.90%
Consumer Price Index (in US$) 2.90%   1.50%   -0.90%
Minimum salary (in LBP) 300,000   300,000   300,000
Minimum salary (in US$) 200   200   200
         
LBP/US$ exchange rate (year end) 1,508   1,508   1,508
LBP/US$ exchange rate (yearly average) 1,516   1,508   1,508
         
Stock Market: Basic Figures
 1998
    1999     2000
Market Capitalization (US$ million) 3,672   3,046   2,459
Market Cap/GDP 22.90%   18.60%   14.50%
Traded Volume (US$ million) 330.5   69.7   47.5
Traded Volume to Market Cap 9.00%   2.30%   1.90%
Number of listed companies 12   13   13
Number of shares outstanding (Thousands) 541,047   537,208   537,208
         
Banking System
 1998
    1999     2000
Number of operating banks 78   73   71
o.w. under foreign control 30   34  
n.a.
Number of branches 691   733   764
Number of staff employed 15,187  
n.a.
 
n.a.


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