GFmag Online Readers Survey 2012
Republic of the Congo


The Republic of Congo Country Report: GDP data and GDP forecasts; economic, financial and trade information; the best banks in The Republic of Congo; country and population overview

DATA ON GDP AND ECONOMIC INFORMATION
Central bankN/A
International ReservesUS$ 4.447 billion (Source: World Bank; Data updated: November 2010)
Gross Domestic Product - GDPUS$ 16.243 billion (2009 estimate)
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)18.647 billion of International dollars (2009 estimate)
Real GDP growth
20002001200220032004200520062007
7.6%3.8%4.6%0.8%3.5%7.8%6.2%-1.6%
2008200920102011*
5.6%7.5%9.1%7.8%

*Estimate

GDP per capita - current pricesUS$ 4,084 (2004 estimate)
GDP per capita - PPP$4,689 International Dollars (2004 estimate)
GDP (PPP) - share of world total
19801990200020102015**
0.02%0.03%0.02%0.02%0.02%

**Forecast

GDP - composition by sector
  • agriculture: 4.1% 
  • industry: 68.7% 
  • services: 27.2% (2011 estimate)

    • (Data released on February 2012)

Gross domestic expenditure on R&D (% of GDP)N/A

(Data released on November 2010)

Inflation
2008200920102011*
6%(2008)4.3%5%5.9%

*Estimate

Unemployment rate
2008200920102011*
N/AN/AN/A(2009)N/A

*Estimate

Household saving ratesN/A

(Data released on November 2010)

Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP)
20072008200920102011*
98.6%60.3%57.4%17.4%13%

*Estimate

Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP)
2007200820092010*2011**
9.4%23.5%4.9%24.7%28.5%

*Estimate    **Forecast

Government bond ratings

Standard & Poor's: N/A

Moody's rating: N/A

Moody's outlook: N/A

(Foreign Currency Government Bond Ratings; Data last updated Nov 2010)

Market value of publicly traded shares
200720082009
N/AN/AN/A
Largest companies in The Republic of CongoN/A
DATA ON TRADE AND COMPETITIVENESS
Current account balanceUS$ 2 billion (2004 estimate)(After 2008)
Current account balance by percentage of GDP12.5% of GDP (2004 estimate)(2009)
Exports as percent of GDP

(Exports of goods and services)

74% (2009)

(Data released on December 2010)

Shares in world total merchandising export0.05%(2007)

(Data were released in Nov 2011 and refer to 2010)

Shares in world total commercial services export0.01%(2007)

(Data were released in Nov 2011 and refer to 2010)

Total exportsUS$9.2 billion f.o.b. (2010 estimate)
Export commoditiespetroleum, lumber, plywood, sugar, cocoa, coffee, diamonds
Total importsUS$2.722 billion f.o.b. (2008 estimate)
Import commoditiescapital equipment, construction materials, foodstuffs
Exports - major partnersUS 41%, China 36.5%, Taiwan 3.6% (2007)
Imports - major partnersFrance 18.1%, South Korea 14.7%, China 12.6%, Italy 10.3%, India 4.7%, US 4.2% (2007)
FDI inflows
200820092010
US$2,483 millionUS$2,083 million(2009)US$2,816 million(2009)
FDI outflows
200820092010
N/AN/AN/A
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser
2008200920102011
N/AN/A(2009)N/A(2009)N/A
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2008

(Acquiring company, Acquired company, Country of the acquired company, Value of the deal)

N/A

(for a monthly update on M&A click here )

Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2010

(Acquiring company, Acquired company, Country of the acquired company, Value of the deal)

N/A(2008 estimate)

(for a monthly update on M&A click here )

Best countries for doing business

World Bank/IFC Doing Business Project

(Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business, from 1 – 183. A high ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.)

Overall ranking: 177 out of 183 countries(2009) (2010)

Subcategories:

Starting a business: 176 out of 183 countries(2009)

Registering property: 133 out of 183 countries

Paying Taxes: 180 out of 183 countries

Getting credit: 138 out of 183 countries

Protecting investors: 154 out of 183 countries

Trading across border: 180 out of 183 countries

Enforcing Contracts: 158 out of 183 countries

(2010)

Global competitiveness ranking
(ranking by country on a basis of 142, the first is the best)		N/A

(2011/2012)

Index of Economic Freedom

WSJ and Heritage Foundation

Ranking: 168 Score: 43.6 (Repressed) (2009)

(100=totally free 0=totally repressed )

COUNTRY AND POPULATION OVERVIEW
Time zoneUTC+1
Total area 342,000 km2 (2006)
CapitalBrazzaville (2009)
CurrencyCommunaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) (2009)
Government typerepublic (2009)
LanguagesFrench (official), Lingala and Monokutuba (lingua franca trade languages), many local languages and dialects (of which Kikongo is the most widespread)
ReligionsChristian 50%, animist 48%, Muslim 2%
Total population
1980199020002010*2015**
1.6 million2.23 million2.9 million3.87 million4.46 million

*Estimate    **Forecast

Urban population as % of total population
1960198020002009
31.6%47.9%58.3%61.7%
Population median age19.0 years (2006)
Population growth rate1.9% (2009)
Life expectancy55 years (2007)
Adult literacy87% (2000/2007)
% of population living on less than $2 a day74.4% (2011)
Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)

47.3 (2005)

(0=perfect equality, 100=absolute inequality)

Freedom House rating

Political Rights:6
Civil Liberties:5 (2010)

(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free)

Total telephone subscribers as % of population

94.2% (2010)

(sum of fixed telephone lines and mobile cellular subscribers)

Internet users as % of total population5% (Data were released in 2011 and refer to 2010)
Cost of living index

(ranking by city on a basis of 214; the 1st is the most expensive and the 214th is the least expensive)

Brazzaville: 55th (2011)

CO2 emissions
(Metric tons of CO2 per capita)

0.5355 (2008)

GLOBAL FINANCE RANKINGS AND AWARDS

WORLD'S BEST INTERNET BANKS

2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Corporate / Institutional Internet Banks Citi (National, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Corporate / Institutional Internet Banks Citi (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Corporate / Institutional Internet Banks Citi (2009)
ARTICLES AND COUNTRIES REPORTS FROM GLOBAL FINANCE ARCHIVE