GDP Grows By 7% In Armenia In January-February

GDP GROWS BY 7% IN ARMENIA IN JANUARY-FEBRUARY
Noyan Tapan
Mar 20 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 20, NOYAN TAPAN. GDP grew by 7% in Armenia in
January-February 2006 on the same months of last year and made 164
bln 414.2 mln drams (about 365.4 mln USD). The GDP index-deflator
made 98.7%. According to the RA National Statistical Service, the
industrial prduction declined by 0.6% to 89 bln 602.4 mln drams in
January-February 2006 on the same period of last year, while industrial
production without diamond prodcution grew by 2.5% to 89 bln 169.6
mln drams. The gross agricultural output grew by 2.7% to 24 bln 538.2
mln drams, construction – by 14.5% to 12 bln 692.7 mln drams, retail
trade – by 6.9% to 91 bln 130.5 mln drams, and the services provided
increased by 19.8% to 58 bln 684.5 mln drams. The RA foreign trade
grew by 5.1% on January-February of last year and made 364.6 mln USD,
with exports growing by 4.2% to 113.4 mln USD, and imports – by 5.6%
to 251.1 mln USD. The foreign trade without diamonds grew by 14.4%
to 301.8 mln USD, exports -by 12.3% to 84.3 mln USD, and imports –
by 15.2% to 217.4 mln USD. The consumer prices declined by 1.5% in
January-February 2006 on the same months of 2005, and the index of
manufa cturer prices made 92.7%. The monetary incomes of the population
grew by 14% in January-February 2006 on the same months of last year
and made 196 bln 703.7 mln drams, while the expenditures – by 12.7%
to 208 bln 922.1 mln drams.
The average nominal monthly salary amounted to 55.146 thousand
drams (grew by 19.3%), including salary of budget employees – 39.959
thousand drams (22%), of non-budget employees – 67.365 thousand drams
(18.1%). The average exchange rate of a US dollar made 450.93 drams
in January-February, and 457.69 drams in 2005. The number of the
unemployed officially registered in Armenia as of late February 2006
made 89.4 thousand, declining by 15.9% compared with the respective
index of last year.