Countries Yemen
Yemen

Yemen

Middle East GEC: YM ISO: YE

Key Economic Indicators

GDP (PPP)
<strong>note:</strong> data in 2015 dollars
GDP Per Capita
<strong>note:</strong> data in 2015 dollars
GDP Growth Rate
<b>note:</b> annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
Inflation Rate
19.6% (2020 est.)
Unemployment
17.32%
GDP (Nominal)
$8.278 billion (2024 est.)
Public Debt
68.1% of GDP (2016 est.)
Current Account
-$1.488 billion (2014 est.)

Economic Overview

low-income Middle Eastern economy; infrastructure, trade, and economic institutions devastated by civil war; oil/gas-dependent but decreasing reserves; massive poverty, food insecurity, and unemployment; high inflation

All Economic Data

Agricultural products
mangoes/guavas, potatoes, milk, onions, spices, chicken, sorghum, watermelons, tomatoes, grapes (2023)
note: <b>note:</b> top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
Budget
Expenditures: $3.585 billion (2019 est.)
Revenues: $2.207 billion (2019 est.)
Currency
code: YER
name: Yemeni rial (YER) [﷼]
Current account balance
Current account balance 2014: -$1.488 billion (2014 est.)
Current account balance 2015: -$3.026 billion (2015 est.)
Current account balance 2016: -$2.419 billion (2016 est.)
Note: <b>note:</b> balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
Debt - external
$7.09 billion
Debt - external 2023: $6.492 billion (2023 est.)
Note: <b>note:</b> present value of external debt in current US dollars
Exchange rates
Currency: Yemeni rials (YER) per US dollar -
Exchange rates 2019: 486.731 (2019 est.)
Exchange rates 2020: 743.006 (2020 est.)
Exchange rates 2021: 1,028.108 (2021 est.)
Exchange rates 2022: 1,115.002 (2022 est.)
Exchange rates 2023: 1,355.116 (2023 est.)
Exports
Exports 2015: $1.867 billion (2015 est.)
Exports 2016: $938.469 million (2016 est.)
Exports 2017: $384.5 million (2017 est.)
Note: <b>note:</b> balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Exports - commodities
gold, fish, scrap iron, shellfish, industrial acids/oils/alcohols (2023)
note: <b>note:</b> top five export commodities based on value in dollars
Exports - partners
UAE 28%, India 21%, Saudi Arabia 17%, Oman 7%, Malaysia 5% (2023)
note: <b>note:</b> top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
Agriculture: 28.7% (2018 est.)
Industry: 25.4% (2018 est.)
Note: <b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
Services: 41.8% (2018 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$8.278 billion (2024 est.)
note: <b>note:</b> data in current dollars at official exchange rate
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
36.7 (2014)
Imports
Imports 2015: $7.697 billion (2015 est.)
Imports 2016: $8.256 billion (2016 est.)
Imports 2017: $4.079 billion (2017 est.)
Note: <b>note:</b> balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Imports - commodities
wheat, raw sugar, rice, iron bars, plastic products (2023)
note: <b>note:</b> top five import commodities based on value in dollars
Imports - partners
China 23%, UAE 15%, Saudi Arabia 11%, Turkey 8%, India 7% (2023)
note: <b>note:</b> top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Industrial production growth rate
-1.1% (2018 est.)
note: <b>note:</b> annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
Industries
crude oil production and petroleum refining; small-scale production of cotton textiles, leather goods; food processing; handicrafts; aluminum products; cement; commercial ship repair; natural gas production
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020: 19.6% (2020 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021: 26% (2021 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 29.1% (2022 est.)
Note: <strong>note:</strong> annual % change based on consumer prices
Labor force
7.848 million (2024 est.)
note: <b>note:</b> number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
total: 8.16 million persons
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture: 31.62%
industry: 11.13%
services: 57.25%
Public debt
Public debt 2016: 68.1% of GDP (2016 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
Note: <strong>note:</strong> data in 2015 dollars
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $19.294 billion (2022 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $18.908 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024: $18.719 billion (2024 est.)
Real GDP growth rate
Note: <b>note:</b> annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
Real GDP growth rate 2016: -9.4% (2016 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2017: -5.1% (2017 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2018: 0.8% (2018 est.)
Real GDP per capita
Note: <strong>note:</strong> data in 2015 dollars
Real GDP per capita 2022: $300 (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023: $200 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2024: $200 (2024 est.)
Remittances
$3.43 billion
Note: <b>note:</b> personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Remittances 2021: 19.44% of GDP (2021 est.)
Remittances 2022: 16.02% of GDP (2022 est.)
Remittances 2023: 20.05% of GDP (2023 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$1.25 billion
Note: <b>note:</b> holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2020: $969.613 million (2020 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021: $1.688 billion (2021 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022: $1.251 billion (2022 est.)
Unemployment rate
17.32%
Note: <b>note:</b> % of labor force seeking employment
Unemployment rate 2022: 17.4% (2022 est.)
Unemployment rate 2023: 17.1% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2024: 17.1% (2024 est.)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
Female: 38.4% (2024 est.)
Male: 31.8% (2024 est.)
Note: <b>note:</b> % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
Total: 32.4% (2024 est.)
Map of Yemen

Economic Rankings

Unemployment Rate #13
Inflation Rate #24
External Debt #75
Gini Index #93
Reserves #129
Imports #132
GDP (PPP) #152
GDP (Nominal) #153
Exports #161
GDP Growth Rate #186
GDP per Capita #191

Quick Facts

Industries
crude oil production and petroleum refining; small-scale production of cotton textiles, leather goods; food processing; handicrafts; aluminum products; cement; commercial ship repair; natural gas prod
Agricultural products
mangoes/guavas, potatoes, milk, onions, spices, chicken, sorghum, watermelons, tomatoes, grapes (2023)
Labor force
7.848 million (2024 est.)
Exports - partners
UAE 28%, India 21%, Saudi Arabia 17%, Oman 7%, Malaysia 5% (2023)
Imports - partners
China 23%, UAE 15%, Saudi Arabia 11%, Turkey 8%, India 7% (2023)
Exchange rates
Yemeni rials (YER) per US dollar -

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