note: official registered unemployed; large number of underemployed workers
Population below poverty line:
27.1% (2003 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.6%
highest 10%: 22% (2005)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
27.9 (2005) country comparison to the world: 124 21.7 (1998)
Investment (gross fixed):
36% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 7
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
7% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 177 12.9% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
13.5% (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 30 12% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
11.68% (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 111 8.55% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$4.747 billion (31 December 2010 est) country comparison to the world: 92 $4.381 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$13.62 billion (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 92 $14.07 billion (31 December 2008)
Stock of domestic credit:
$19.99 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 78 $17.15 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Agriculture - products:
grain, potatoes, vegetables, sugar beets, flax; beef, milk
Industries:
metal-cutting machine tools, tractors, trucks, earthmovers, motorcycles, televisions, synthetic fibers, fertilizer, textiles, radios, refrigerators
Industrial production growth rate:
10.5% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 13
Electricity - production:
29.92 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 63
Electricity - consumption:
30.54 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 58
Electricity - exports:
5.062 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
9.406 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Oil - production:
31,400 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 70
Oil - consumption:
173,000 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 59
Oil - exports:
303,900 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 40
Oil - imports:
444,800 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 28
Oil - proved reserves:
198 million bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 59
Natural gas - production:
152 million cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 77
Natural gas - consumption:
17 billion cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 37
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2009) country comparison to the world: 58
Natural gas - imports:
17.6 billion cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 13
Natural gas - proved reserves:
2.832 billion cu m (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 94
Current account balance:
-$5.062 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 169 -$6.402 billion (2009 est.)
Exports:
$24.49 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 66 $21.34 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, mineral products, chemicals, metals, textiles, foodstuffs
Exports - partners:
Russia 33.6%, Netherlands 13.78%, Ukraine 8.68%, Latvia 6.32%,
Poland 4.19%, Germany 4.17% (2009)
Imports:
$29.79 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 60 $28.31 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
mineral products, machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs, metals
Imports - partners:
Russia 56.42%, Germany 8.31%, Ukraine 4.79%, China 4.04% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$5.755 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 63 $4.831 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$24.8 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 68 $19.74 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Exchange rates:
Belarusian rubles (BYB/BYR) per US dollar - 3,019.9 (2010), 2,789.5 (2009), 2,130 (2008), 2,145 (2007), 2,144.6 (2006)
Communications ::Belarus
Telephones - main lines in use:
3.969 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 40
Telephones - mobile cellular:
9.686 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 67
Telephone system:
general assessment: Belarus lags behind its neighbors in upgrading telecommunications infrastructure; modernization of the network progressing with roughly two-thirds of switching equipment now digital
domestic: state-owned Beltelcom is the sole provider of fixed-line local and long distance service; fixed-line teledensity is improving although rural areas continue to be underserved; multiple GSM mobile-cellular networks are experiencing rapid growth; mobile-cellular teledensity reached 100 telephones per 100 persons in 2009
international: country code - 375; Belarus is a member of the Trans-European Line (TEL), Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line, and has access to the Trans-Siberia Line (TSL); 3 fiber-optic segments provide connectivity to Latvia, Poland, Russia, and Ukraine; worldwide service is available to Belarus through this infrastructure; additional analog lines to Russia; Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik earth stations (2008)
Broadcast media:
4 state-controlled national TV channels; Polish and Russian TV broadcasts are available in some areas; state-run Belarusian Radio operates 3 national networks and an external service; Russian and Polish radio broadcasts are available (2007)
Internet country code:
.by
Internet hosts: