2016 Edition

Background

After more than a century of rule by France, Algerians fought through much of the 1950s to achieve independence in 1962. Algeria's primary political party, the National Liberation Front (FLN), was established in 1954 as part of the struggle for independence and has since largely dominated politics. The Government of Algeria in 1988 instituted a multi-party system in response to public unrest, but the surprising first round success of the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) in the December 1991 balloting led the Algerian army to intervene and postpone the second round of elections to prevent what the secular elite feared would be an extremist-led government from assuming power. The army began a crackdown on the FIS that spurred FIS supporters to begin attacking government targets. Fighting escalated into an insurgency, which saw intense violence from 1992-98, resulting in over 100,000 deaths - many attributed to indiscriminate massacres of villagers by extremists. The government gained the upper hand by the late-1990s, and FIS's armed wing, the Islamic Salvation Army, disbanded in January 2000. Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA, with the backing of the military, won the presidency in 1999 in an election widely viewed as fraudulent and won subsequent elections in 2004, 2009, and 2014. The government in 2011 introduced some political reforms in response to the Arab Spring, including lifting the 19-year-old state of emergency restrictions and increasing women's quotas for elected assemblies, while also increasing subsidies to the populace. Algeria’s reliance on hydrocarbon revenues to finance the government and large subsidies for the population is under stress because of declining oil prices.

Area

2,381,741 sq km 2,381,741 sq km 0 sq km

land

2,381,741 sq km

total

2,381,741 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Texas

Climate

arid to semiarid; mild, wet winters with hot, dry summers along coast; drier with cold winters and hot summers on high plateau; sirocco is a hot, dust/sand-laden wind especially common in summer

Coastline

998 km

Elevation

800 m lowest point: Chott Melrhir -40 m highest point: Tahat 3,003 m

elevation extremes

lowest point: Chott Melrhir -40 m

highest point

Tahat 3,003 m

mean elevation

800 m

Environment - current issues

soil erosion from overgrazing and other poor farming practices; desertification; dumping of raw sewage, petroleum refining wastes, and other industrial effluents is leading to the pollution of rivers and coastal waters; Mediterranean Sea, in particular, becoming polluted from oil wastes, soil erosion, and fertilizer runoff; inadequate supplies of potable water

Environment - international agreements

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands none of the selected agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

28 00 N, 3 00 E

Geography - note

largest country in Africa

Irrigated land

5,700 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

6,734 km Libya 989 km, Mali 1,359 km, Mauritania 460 km, Morocco 1,900 km, Niger 951 km, Tunisia 1,034 km, Western Sahara 41 km

border countries (7)

Libya 989 km, Mali 1,359 km, Mauritania 460 km, Morocco 1,900 km, Niger 951 km, Tunisia 1,034 km, Western Sahara 41 km

total

6,734 km

Land use

17.3% arable land 3.1%; permanent crops 0.4%; permanent pasture 13.8% 0.6% 82% (2011 est.)

agricultural land

17.3%

forest

0.6%

other

82% (2011 est.)

Location

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

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

12 nm 32-52 nm

exclusive fishing zone

32-52 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes; mudslides and floods in rainy season

Natural resources

petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc

Population - distribution

the vast majority of the populace is found in the extreme northern part of the country along the Mediterranean Coast

Terrain

mostly high plateau and desert; some mountains; narrow, discontinuous coastal plain

Age structure

29.06% (male 5,991,164/female 5,709,616) 15.95% (male 3,287,448/female 3,136,624) 42.88% (male 8,737,944/female 8,526,137) 6.61% (male 1,349,291/female 1,312,339) 5.5% (male 1,027,126/female 1,186,022) (2016 est.)

0-14 years

29.06% (male 5,991,164/female 5,709,616)

15-24 years

15.95% (male 3,287,448/female 3,136,624)

25-54 years

42.88% (male 8,737,944/female 8,526,137)

55-64 years

6.61% (male 1,349,291/female 1,312,339)

65 years and over

5.5% (male 1,027,126/female 1,186,022) (2016 est.)

Birth rate

23 births/1,000 population (2016 est.)

Child labor - children ages 5-14

304,358 5% (2006 est.)

percentage

5% (2006 est.)

total number

304,358

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

3% (2013)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

61.4% (2006)

Death rate

4.3 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.)

Demographic profile

For the first two-thirds of the 20th century, Algeria’s high fertility rate caused its population to grow rapidly. However, about a decade after independence from France in 1962 the total fertility rate fell dramatically from 7 children per woman in the 1970s to about 2.4 in 2000, slowing Algeria’s population growth rate by the late 1980s. The lower fertility rate was mainly the result of women’s rising age at first marriage (virtually all Algerian children being born in wedlock) and to a lesser extent the wider use of contraceptives. Later marriages and a preference for smaller families are attributed to increases in women’s education and participation in the labor market; higher unemployment; and a shortage of housing forcing multiple generations to live together. The average woman’s age at first marriage increased from about 19 in the mid-1950s to 24 in the mid-1970s to 30.5 in the late 1990s. Thousands of Algerian peasants – mainly Berber men from the Kabylia region – faced with land dispossession and economic hardship under French rule migrated temporarily to France to work in manufacturing and mining during the first half of the 20th century. This movement accelerated during World War I, when Algerians filled in for French factory workers or served as soldiers. In the years following independence, low-skilled Algerian workers and Algerians who had supported the French (harkis) emigrated en masse to France. Tighter French immigration rules and Algiers’ decision to cease managing labor migration to France in the 1970s limited legal emigration largely to family reunification. Not until Algeria’s civil war in the 1990s did the country again experience substantial outmigration. Many Algerians legally entered Tunisia without visas claiming to be tourists and then stayed as workers. Other Algerians headed to Europe seeking asylum, although France imposed restrictions. Sub-Saharan African migrants came to Algeria after its civil war to work in agriculture and mining. In the 2000s, a wave of educated Algerians went abroad seeking skilled jobs in a wider range of destinations, increasing their presence in North America and Spain. At the same time, legal foreign workers principally from China and Egypt came to work in Algeria’s construction and oil sectors. Illegal migrants from sub-Saharan Africa, particularly Malians, Nigeriens, and Gambians, continue to come to Algeria in search of work or to use it as a stepping stone to Libya and Europe. Since 1975, Algeria also has been the main recipient of Sahrawi refugees from the ongoing conflict in Western Sahara. An estimated 90,000 Sahrawis live in five refugee camps in southwestern Algeria near Tindouf.

Dependency ratios

52.6% 43.6% 9.1% 11% (2015 est.)

elderly dependency ratio

9.1%

potential support ratio

11% (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

52.6%

youth dependency ratio

43.6%

Drinking water source

urban: 84.3% of population rural: 81.8% of population total: 83.6% of population urban: 15.7% of population rural: 18.2% of population total: 16.4% of population (2015 est.)

rural

18.2% of population

total

16.4% of population (2015 est.)

urban

15.7% of population

Education expenditures

4.3% of GDP (2008)

Ethnic groups

Arab-Berber 99%, European less than 1% although almost all Algerians are Berber in origin (not Arab), only a minority identify themselves as Berber, about 15% of the total population; these people live mostly in the mountainous region of Kabylie east of Algiers; the Berbers are also Muslim but identify with their Berber rather than Arab cultural heritage; Berbers have long agitated, sometimes violently, for autonomy; the government is unlikely to grant autonomy but has offered to begin sponsoring teaching Berber language in schools

note

although almost all Algerians are Berber in origin (not Arab), only a minority identify themselves as Berber, about 15% of the total population; these people live mostly in the mountainous region of Kabylie east of Algiers; the Berbers are also Muslim but identify with their Berber rather than Arab cultural heritage; Berbers have long agitated, sometimes violently, for autonomy; the government is unlikely to grant autonomy but has offered to begin sponsoring teaching Berber language in schools

Health expenditures

7.2% of GDP (2014)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.04% (2015 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

100 (2015 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

8,800 (2015 est.)

Infant mortality rate

20.3 deaths/1,000 live births 21.9 deaths/1,000 live births 18.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.)

female

18.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.)

male

21.9 deaths/1,000 live births

total

20.3 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Arabic (official), French (lingua franca), Berber or Tamazight (official); dialects include Kabyle Berber (Taqbaylit), Shawiya Berber (Tacawit), Mzab Berber, Tuareg Berber (Tamahaq)

Life expectancy at birth

76.8 years 75.5 years 78.2 years (2016 est.)

female

78.2 years (2016 est.)

male

75.5 years

total population

76.8 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write 80.2% 87.2% 73.1% (2015 est.)

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

73.1% (2015 est.)

male

87.2%

total population

80.2%

Major urban areas - population

ALGIERS (capital) 2.594 million; Oran 858,000 (2015)

Maternal mortality rate

140 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

Median age

27.8 years 27.5 years 28.1 years (2016 est.)

female

28.1 years (2016 est.)

male

27.5 years

total

27.8 years

Nationality

Algerian(s) Algerian

adjective

Algerian

noun

Algerian(s)

Net migration rate

-0.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

23.6% (2014)

Physicians density

1.21 physicians/1,000 population (2007)

Population

40,263,711 (July 2016 est.)

Population distribution

the vast majority of the populace is found in the extreme northern part of the country along the Mediterranean Coast

Population growth rate

1.77% (2016 est.)

Religions

Muslim (official; predominantly Sunni) 99%, other (includes Christian and Jewish)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 89.8% of population rural: 82.2% of population total: 87.6% of population urban: 10.2% of population rural: 17.8% of population total: 12.4% of population (2015 est.)

rural

17.8% of population

total

12.4% of population (2015 est.)

urban

10.2% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

14 years 14 years 15 years (2011)

female

15 years (2011)

male

14 years

total

14 years

Sex ratio

1.05 male(s)/female 1.05 male(s)/female 1.05 male(s)/female 1.02 male(s)/female 1.03 male(s)/female 0.86 male(s)/female 1.03 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

0-14 years

1.05 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.05 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.02 male(s)/female

55-64 years

1.03 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.86 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.03 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.74 children born/woman (2016 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

25.3% 22.1% 41.4% (2014 est.)

female

41.4% (2014 est.)

male

22.1%

total

25.3%

Urbanization

70.7% of total population (2015) 2.77% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

rate of urbanization

2.77% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

70.7% of total population (2015)

Administrative divisions

48 provinces (wilayas, singular - wilaya); Adrar, Ain Defla, Ain Temouchent, Alger, Annaba, Batna, Bechar, Bejaia, Biskra, Blida, Bordj Bou Arreridj, Bouira, Boumerdes, Chlef, Constantine, Djelfa, El Bayadh, El Oued, El Tarf, Ghardaia, Guelma, Illizi, Jijel, Khenchela, Laghouat, Mascara, Medea, Mila, Mostaganem, M'Sila, Naama, Oran, Ouargla, Oum el Bouaghi, Relizane, Saida, Setif, Sidi Bel Abbes, Skikda, Souk Ahras, Tamanrasset, Tebessa, Tiaret, Tindouf, Tipaza, Tissemsilt, Tizi Ouzou, Tlemcen

Capital

Algiers 36 45 N, 3 03 E UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

geographic coordinates

36 45 N, 3 03 E

name

Algiers

time difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

no the mother must be a citizen of Algeria no 7 years

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

the mother must be a citizen of Algeria

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

7 years

Constitution

several previous; latest approved by referendum 23 February 1989; amended several times, last in 2016 (2016)

Country name

People's Democratic Republic of Algeria Algeria Al Jumhuriyah al Jaza'iriyah ad Dimuqratiyah ash Sha'biyah Al Jaza'ir the country name derives from the capital city of Algiers

conventional long form

People's Democratic Republic of Algeria

conventional short form

Algeria

etymology

the country name derives from the capital city of Algiers

local long form

Al Jumhuriyah al Jaza'iriyah ad Dimuqratiyah ash Sha'biyah

local short form

Al Jaza'ir

Diplomatic representation from the US

Ambassador Joan A. POLASCHIK (since 22 September 2014) 05 Chemin Cheikh Bachir, El-Ibrahimi, El-Biar 16030 Algiers B. P. 408, Alger-Gare, 16030 Algiers [213] (0) 770-08-2000 [213] (0) 770-08-2064

chief of mission

Ambassador Joan A. POLASCHIK (since 22 September 2014)

embassy

05 Chemin Cheikh Bachir, El-Ibrahimi, El-Biar 16030 Algiers

FAX

[213] (0) 770-08-2064

mailing address

B. P. 408, Alger-Gare, 16030 Algiers

telephone

[213] (0) 770-08-2000

Diplomatic representation in the US

Ambassador Madjid BOUGUERRA (since 23 February 2015) 2118 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008 [1] (202) 265-2800 [1] (202) 986-5906 New York

chancery

2118 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Madjid BOUGUERRA (since 23 February 2015)

consulate(s) general

New York

FAX

[1] (202) 986-5906

telephone

[1] (202) 265-2800

Executive branch

President Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA (since 28 April 1999) Prime Minister Abdelmalek SELLAL (since 28 April 2014) Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in two rounds if needed for a 5-year term (2-term limit reinstated by constitutional amendment in February 2016); election last held on 17 April 2014 (next to be held in April 2019); prime minister nominated by the president from the majority party in Parliament Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA reelected president for a fourth term; percent of vote - Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA (FLN) 81.5%, Ali BENFLIS (FLN) 12.2%, Abdelaziz BELAID (Future Front) 3.4%, other 2.9%

cabinet

Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president

chief of state

President Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA (since 28 April 1999)

election results

Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA reelected president for a fourth term; percent of vote - Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA (FLN) 81.5%, Ali BENFLIS (FLN) 12.2%, Abdelaziz BELAID (Future Front) 3.4%, other 2.9%

elections/appointments

president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in two rounds if needed for a 5-year term (2-term limit reinstated by constitutional amendment in February 2016); election last held on 17 April 2014 (next to be held in April 2019); prime minister nominated by the president from the majority party in Parliament

head of government

Prime Minister Abdelmalek SELLAL (since 28 April 2014)

Flag description

two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and white; a red, five-pointed star within a red crescent centered over the two-color boundary; the colors represent Islam (green), purity and peace (white), and liberty (red); the crescent and star are also Islamic symbols, but the crescent is more closed than those of other Muslim countries because Algerians believe the long crescent horns bring happiness

Government type

presidential republic

Independence

5 July 1962 (from France)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BIS, CAEU, CD, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of 150 judges organized into 4 divisions: civil and commercial; social security and labor; criminal; and administrative; Constitutional Council (consists of 9 members including the court president); note - Algeria's judicial system does not include sharia courts Supreme Court judges appointed by the High Council of Magistracy, an administrative body presided over by the president of the republic, and includes the republic vice-president and several members; judges appointed for life; Constitutional Council members - 3 appointed by the president of the republic, 2 each by the 2 houses of Parliament, 1 by the Supreme Court, and 1 by the Council of State; Council president and members appointed for single 6-year terms with half the membership renewed every 3 years appellate or wilaya courts; first instance or daira tribunals

highest court(s)

Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of 150 judges organized into 4 divisions: civil and commercial; social security and labor; criminal; and administrative; Constitutional Council (consists of 9 members including the court president); note - Algeria's judicial system does not include sharia courts

judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court judges appointed by the High Council of Magistracy, an administrative body presided over by the president of the republic, and includes the republic vice-president and several members; judges appointed for life; Constitutional Council members - 3 appointed by the president of the republic, 2 each by the 2 houses of Parliament, 1 by the Supreme Court, and 1 by the Council of State; Council president and members appointed for single 6-year terms with half the membership renewed every 3 years

subordinate courts

appellate or wilaya courts; first instance or daira tribunals

Legal system

mixed legal system of French civil law and Islamic law; judicial review of legislative acts in ad hoc Constitutional Council composed of various public officials including several Supreme Court justices

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament consists of the Council of the Nation (upper house with 144 seats; one-third of members appointed by the president, two-thirds indirectly elected by simple majority vote by an electoral college composed of local council members; members serve 6-year terms with one-half of the membership renewed every 3 years) and the National People's Assembly (lower house with 462 seats including 8 seats for Algerians living abroad); members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms) Council of the Nation - last held on 29 December 2012 (next to be held in December 2017); National People's Assembly - last held on 10 May 2012 (next to be held on 17 May 2017) Council of the Nation - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; National People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FLN 221, RND 70, AAV 47, FFS 21, PT 17, FNA 9, El Adala 7, MPA 6, PFJ 5, FC 4, PNSD 4, other 32, independent 19

description

bicameral Parliament consists of the Council of the Nation (upper house with 144 seats; one-third of members appointed by the president, two-thirds indirectly elected by simple majority vote by an electoral college composed of local council members; members serve 6-year terms with one-half of the membership renewed every 3 years) and the National People's Assembly (lower house with 462 seats including 8 seats for Algerians living abroad); members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms)

election results

Council of the Nation - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; National People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FLN 221, RND 70, AAV 47, FFS 21, PT 17, FNA 9, El Adala 7, MPA 6, PFJ 5, FC 4, PNSD 4, other 32, independent 19

elections

Council of the Nation - last held on 29 December 2012 (next to be held in December 2017); National People's Assembly - last held on 10 May 2012 (next to be held on 17 May 2017)

National anthem

"Kassaman" (We Pledge) Mufdi ZAKARIAH/Mohamed FAWZI adopted 1962; ZAKARIAH wrote "Kassaman" as a poem while imprisoned in Algiers by French colonial forces

lyrics/music

Mufdi ZAKARIAH/Mohamed FAWZI

name

"Kassaman" (We Pledge)

note

adopted 1962; ZAKARIAH wrote "Kassaman" as a poem while imprisoned in Algiers by French colonial forces

National holiday

Revolution Day, 1 November (1954)

National symbol(s)

star and crescent, fennec fox; national colors: green, white, red

star and crescent, fennec fox; national colors

green, white, red

Political parties and leaders

Algerian National Front or FNA [Moussa TOUATI] Algerian Popular Movement or MPA [Amara BENYOUNES] Algerian Rally or RA [Ali ZAGHDOUD] Algeria's Hope Rally or TAJ [Amar GHOUL] Dignity or El Karama [Mohamed BENHAMOU] Ennour El Djazairi Party (Algerian Radiance Party) or PED [Badreddine BELBAZ] Front for Change or FC [Abdelmadjid MENASRA] Front for Justice and Development or El Adala [Abdallah DJABALLAH] Future Front or El Mostakbel [Abdelaziz BELAID] Green Algeria Alliance or AAV (includes Islah, Ennahda Movement, and MSP) Islamic Renaissance Movement or Ennahda Movement [Fatah RABEI] Movement of Society for Peace or MSP [Abderrazak MOKRI] National Democratic Rally (Rassemblement National Democratique) or RND [Ahmed OUYAHIA] National Front for Social Justice or FNJS [Khaled BOUNEDJEMA] National Liberation Front or FLN [Amar SAIDANI] National Party for Solidarity and Development or PNSD National Reform Movement or Islah [Djahid YOUNSI] National Republican Alliance New Dawn Party or PFJ New Generation or Jil Jadid [Soufiane DJILALI] Oath of 1954 or Ahd 54 [Ali Fawzi REBAINE] Party of Justice and Liberty [Mohammed SAID] Rally for Culture and Democracy or RCD [Mohcine BELABBAS] Socialist Forces Front or FFS [Mustafa BOUCHACHI] Union of Democratic and Social Forces or UFDS [Noureddine BAHBOUH] Youth Party or PJ [Hamana BOUCHARMA] Workers Party or PT [Louisa HANOUNE] a law banning political parties based on religion was enacted in March 1997

note

a law banning political parties based on religion was enacted in March 1997

Political pressure groups and leaders

Algerian League for the Defense of Human Rights or LADDH [Noureddine BENISSAD] SOS Disparus [Nacera DUTOUR] Youth Action Rally or RAJ

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

wheat, barley, oats, grapes, olives, citrus, fruits; sheep, cattle

Budget

$49.36 billion $76.93 billion (2015 est.)

expenditures

$76.93 billion (2015 est.)

revenues

$49.36 billion

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-16% of GDP (2015 est.)

Central bank discount rate

4% (31 December 2010) 4% (31 December 2009)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

8% (31 December 2015 est.) 8% (31 December 2014 est.)

Current account balance

-$27.04 billion (2015 est.) -$9.436 billion (2014 est.)

Debt - external

$5.143 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $5.453 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

35.3 (1995)

Economy - overview

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. Hydrocarbon exports have enabled Algeria to maintain macroeconomic stability and amass large foreign currency reserves and a large budget stabilization fund available for tapping. In addition, Algeria's external debt is extremely low at about 2% of GDP. However, Algeria has struggled to develop non-hydrocarbon industries because of heavy regulation and an emphasis on state-driven growth. 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. Since late 2014, declining oil prices forced the government to spend down its reserves at a high rate in order to sustain social spending on salaries and subsidies, particularly since the government has been unable to boost exports of hydrocarbons or significantly grow its nonoil sector. In 2015, the Algerian Government imposed further restrictions on imports in an effort to reduce withdrawals from its foreign exchange reserves. The Government also increased the value-added tax on electricity and fuel, but said it would address subsidies at a later date. 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.

Exchange rates

Algerian dinars (DZD) per US dollar - 100.691 (2015 est.) 80.579 (2014 est.) 80.579 (2013 est.) 77.54 (2012 est.) 72.938 (2011 est.)

Exports

$36 billion (2015 est.) $60 billion (2014 est.)

Exports - commodities

petroleum, natural gas, and petroleum products 97% (2009 est.)

Exports - partners

Spain 18.8%, France 11.2%, US 8.8%, Italy 8.7%, UK 7.1%, Brazil 5.2%, Tunisia 4.9%, Germany 4.5% (2015)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

40.6% 21.1% 41.1% 7.2% 26.9% -36.9% (2015 est.)

exports of goods and services

26.9%

government consumption

21.1%

household consumption

40.6%

imports of goods and services

-36.9% (2015 est.)

investment in fixed capital

41.1%

investment in inventories

7.2%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

13.1% 39% 47.9% (2015 est.)

agriculture

13.1%

industry

39%

services

47.9% (2015 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$14,500 (2015 est.) $14,300 (2014 est.) $14,000 (2013 est.) data are in 2015 US dollars

note

data are in 2015 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

3.7% (2015 est.) 3.8% (2014 est.) 2.8% (2013 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$172.3 billion (2015 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$578.7 billion (2015 est.) $557.8 billion (2014 est.) $537.4 billion (2013 est.) data are in 2015 US dollars

note

data are in 2015 US dollars

Gross national saving

34.1% of GDP (2015 est.) 41.1% of GDP (2014 est.) 43.9% of GDP (2013 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

2.8% 26.8% (1995)

highest 10%

26.8% (1995)

lowest 10%

2.8%

Imports

$50.7 billion (2015 est.) $59.67 billion (2014 est.)

Imports - commodities

capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods

Imports - partners

China 15.6%, France 14.4%, Italy 9.4%, Spain 7.4%, Germany 5.6%, Russia 4.1% (2015)

Industrial production growth rate

2.1% (2015 est.)

Industries

petroleum, natural gas, light industries, mining, electrical, petrochemical, food processing

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4.8% (2015 est.) 2.9% (2014 est.)

Labor force

11.93 million (2015 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

30.9% 30.9% 58.4% (2011 est.)

agriculture

30.9%

industry

30.9%

services

58.4% (2011 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Population below poverty line

23% (2006 est.)

Public debt

9.9% of GDP (2015 est.) 7.2% of GDP (2014 est.) data cover central government debt, as well as debt issued by subnational entities and intra-governmental debt

note

data cover central government debt, as well as debt issued by subnational entities and intra-governmental debt

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$144.9 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $179.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

Stock of broad money

$164.5 billion (31 December 2014 est.) $152.8 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$1.95 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $1.847 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$25.89 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $26.48 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$61.78 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $35.28 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$86.43 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $109 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

28.6% of GDP (2015 est.)

Unemployment rate

11.2% (2015 est.) 10.6% (2014 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

128 million Mt (2013 est.)

Crude oil - exports

1.146 million bbl/day (2013 est.)

Crude oil - imports

2,920 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Crude oil - production

1.37 million bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

12 billion bbl (1 January 2016 es)

Electricity - consumption

49 billion kWh (2014 est.)

Electricity - exports

900 million kWh (2014 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

98% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

1.8% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0.2% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - imports

700 million kWh (2014 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

16 million kW (2014 est.)

Electricity - production

60 billion kWh (2014 est.)

Electricity access

400,000 99% 100% 97% (2016)

electrification - rural areas

97% (2016)

electrification - total population

99%

electrification - urban areas

100%

population without electricity

400,000

Natural gas - consumption

37.5 billion cu m (2014 est.)

Natural gas - exports

40.8 billion cu m (2014 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - production

83.29 billion cu m (2014 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

4.504 trillion cu m (1 January 2016 es)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

430,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

435,400 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

108,800 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

505,900 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Broadcast media

state-run Radio-Television Algerienne operates the broadcast media and carries programming in Arabic, Berber dialects, and French; use of satellite dishes is widespread, providing easy access to European and Arab satellite stations; state-run radio operates several national networks and roughly 40 regional radio stations (2007)

Internet country code

.dz

Internet users

15.105 million 38.2% (July 2015 est.)

percent of population

38.2% (July 2015 est.)

total

15.105 million

Telephone system

privatization of Algeria's telecommunications sector began in 2000; three mobile cellular licenses have been issued and, in 2005, a consortium led by Egypt's Orascom Telecom won a 15-year license to build and operate a fixed-line network in Algeria; the license will allow Orascom to develop high-speed data and other specialized services and contribute to meeting the large unfulfilled demand for basic residential telephony; Internet broadband services began in 2003 a limited network of fixed lines with a teledensity of less than 10 telephones per 100 persons has been offset by the rapid increase in mobile-cellular subscribership; in 2015, mobile-cellular teledensity was roughly 116 telephones per 100 persons country code - 213; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-4 fiber-optic submarine cable system that provides links to Europe, the Middle East, and Asia; microwave radio relay to Italy, France, Spain, Morocco, and Tunisia; coaxial cable to Morocco and Tunisia; participant in Medarabtel; satellite earth stations - 51 (Intelsat, Intersputnik, and Arabsat) (2015)

domestic

a limited network of fixed lines with a teledensity of less than 10 telephones per 100 persons has been offset by the rapid increase in mobile-cellular subscribership; in 2015, mobile-cellular teledensity was roughly 116 telephones per 100 persons

general assessment

privatization of Algeria's telecommunications sector began in 2000; three mobile cellular licenses have been issued and, in 2005, a consortium led by Egypt's Orascom Telecom won a 15-year license to build and operate a fixed-line network in Algeria; the license will allow Orascom to develop high-speed data and other specialized services and contribute to meeting the large unfulfilled demand for basic residential telephony; Internet broadband services began in 2003

international

country code - 213; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-4 fiber-optic submarine cable system that provides links to Europe, the Middle East, and Asia; microwave radio relay to Italy, France, Spain, Morocco, and Tunisia; coaxial cable to Morocco and Tunisia; participant in Medarabtel; satellite earth stations - 51 (Intelsat, Intersputnik, and Arabsat) (2015)

Telephones - fixed lines

3,267,592 8 (July 2015 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

8 (July 2015 est.)

total subscriptions

3,267,592

Telephones - mobile cellular

45.928 million 116 (July 2015 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

116 (July 2015 est.)

total

45.928 million

Airports

157 (2016)

Airports - with paved runways

1 (2013)

1,524 to 2,437 m

17

2,438 to 3,047 m

29

914 to 1,523 m

5

over 3,047 m

12

total

64

under 914 m

1 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

34 (2013)

1,524 to 2,437 m

18

2,438 to 3,047 m

2

914 to 1,523 m

39

total

93

under 914 m

34 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

7T (2016)

Heliports

3 (2013)

Merchant marine

bulk carrier 6, cargo 8, chemical tanker 3, liquefied gas 11, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 4, roll on/roll off 3 15 (UK, 15) (2010)

by type

bulk carrier 6, cargo 8, chemical tanker 3, liquefied gas 11, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 4, roll on/roll off 3

foreign-owned

15 (UK, 15) (2010)

total

38

National air transport system

5,910,835 24,723,377 mt-km (2015)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

24,723,377 mt-km (2015)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

5,910,835

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

74

number of registered air carriers

4

Pipelines

condensate 2,600 km; gas 16,415 km; liquid petroleum gas 3,447 km; oil 7,036 km; refined products 144 km (2013)

Ports and terminals

Algiers, Annaba, Arzew, Bejaia, Djendjene, Jijel, Mostaganem, Oran, Skikda Arzew, Bethioua, Skikda

LNG terminal(s) (export)

Arzew, Bethioua, Skikda

major seaport(s)

Algiers, Annaba, Arzew, Bejaia, Djendjene, Jijel, Mostaganem, Oran, Skikda

Railways

3,973 km 2,888 km 1.432-m gauge (283 km electrified) 1,085 km 1.055-m gauge (2014)

narrow gauge

1,085 km 1.055-m gauge (2014)

standard gauge

2,888 km 1.432-m gauge (283 km electrified)

total

3,973 km

Roadways

113,655 km 87,605 km (includes 645 km of expressways) 26,050 km (2010)

paved

87,605 km (includes 645 km of expressways)

total

113,655 km

unpaved

26,050 km (2010)

Military branches

People's National Army (Armee Nationale Populaire, ANP), Land Forces (Forces Terrestres, FT), Navy of the Republic of Algeria (Marine de la Republique Algerienne, MRA), Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Jaza'eriya, QJJ), Territorial Air Defense Force (2009)

Military expenditures

4.48% of GDP (2012) 4.36% of GDP (2011) 4.48% of GDP (2010)

Military service age and obligation

17 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; 19-30 years of age for compulsory service; conscript service obligation is 18 months (6 months basic training, 12 months civil projects) (2012)

Disputes - international

Algeria and many other states reject Moroccan administration of Western Sahara; the Polisario Front, exiled in Algeria, represents the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic; Algeria's border with Morocco remains an irritant to bilateral relations, each nation accusing the other of harboring militants and arms smuggling; dormant disputes include Libyan claims of about 32,000 sq km still reflected on its maps of southeastern Algeria and the National Liberation Front's (FLN) assertions of a claim to Chirac Pastures in southeastern Morocco

Refugees and internally displaced persons

90,000 (Western Saharan Sahrawi, mostly living in Algerian-sponsored camps in the southwestern Algerian town of Tindouf) (2015) undetermined (civil war during 1990s) (2013)

IDPs

undetermined (civil war during 1990s) (2013)

refugees (country of origin)

90,000 (Western Saharan Sahrawi, mostly living in Algerian-sponsored camps in the southwestern Algerian town of Tindouf) (2015)

Trafficking in persons

Algeria is a transit and, to a lesser extent, a destination and source country for women subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking and, to a lesser extent, men subjected to forced labor; criminal networks, sometimes extending to sub-Saharan Africa and to Europe, are involved in human smuggling and trafficking in Algeria; sub-Saharan adults enter Algeria voluntarily but illegally, often with the aid of smugglers, for onward travel to Europe, but some of the women are forced into prostitution, domestic service, and begging; some sub-Saharan men, mostly from Mali, are forced into domestic servitude; some Algerian women and children are also forced into prostitution domestically Tier 3 – Algeria does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so: some officials denied the existence of human trafficking, hindering law enforcement efforts; the government reported its first conviction under its anti-trafficking law; one potential trafficking case was investigated in 2014, but no suspected offenders were arrested; no progress was made in identifying victims among vulnerable groups or referring them to NGO-run protection service, which left trafficking victims subject to arrest and detention; no anti-trafficking public awareness or educational campaigns were conducted (2015)

current situation

Algeria is a transit and, to a lesser extent, a destination and source country for women subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking and, to a lesser extent, men subjected to forced labor; criminal networks, sometimes extending to sub-Saharan Africa and to Europe, are involved in human smuggling and trafficking in Algeria; sub-Saharan adults enter Algeria voluntarily but illegally, often with the aid of smugglers, for onward travel to Europe, but some of the women are forced into prostitution, domestic service, and begging; some sub-Saharan men, mostly from Mali, are forced into domestic servitude; some Algerian women and children are also forced into prostitution domestically

tier rating

Tier 3 – Algeria does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so: some officials denied the existence of human trafficking, hindering law enforcement efforts; the government reported its first conviction under its anti-trafficking law; one potential trafficking case was investigated in 2014, but no suspected offenders were arrested; no progress was made in identifying victims among vulnerable groups or referring them to NGO-run protection service, which left trafficking victims subject to arrest and detention; no anti-trafficking public awareness or educational campaigns were conducted (2015)