In recent years, the IMF has released a growing number of reports and other documents covering economic and financial developments and trends in member countries. Each report, prepared by a staff team after discussions with government officials, is published at the option of the member country.

This 2004 Article IV Consultation highlights that economic growth in El Salvador in recent years has been dampened by adverse external conditions, major earthquakes, and election-related uncertainties. Real GDP growth is estimated at about 1½ percent in 2004 while inflation picked up to more...

This paper assesses Ethiopia’s economic progress under the Enhanced Initiative for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, and seeks approval of the IMF staff for the completion point under the initiative. It reviews the status of creditor participation, the delivery of debt...

This 1999 Article IV Consultation highlights that Sweden’s real GDP growth accelerated to 2.9 percent in 1998, as a result of a strengthening of domestic demand. Private consumption was aided by sizable real wage increases, declining unemployment, increased government transfers to...

This Selected Issues paper and Statistical Appendix analyzes sources of economic growth in Benin. It concludes that the policies implemented since the early 1990s paved the way for higher growth rate by raising total factor productivity as well as capital accumulation. The paper examines the...

This paper presents the status report on preparatory activities for the full Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) for Sierra Leone. The governance and institutional arrangements proposed in the interim PRSP (I-PRSP) for the preparation of the full PRSP have all been set up and are currently...

This 2002 Article IV Consultation highlights that despite lower oil revenue, the United Arab Emirates economy performed relatively well in 2001. The external current account surplus remained large, even though average oil prices declined by 12.6 percent to US$23.78 per barrel, leading to a loss...

This paper presents the Joint Staff Assessment of Sierra Leone’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) Preparation Status Report. Progress in the preparation of the PRSP has been slow. Consequently, the original completion date of end-December 2002 envisaged in the interim poverty...

In this paper, the following statistical data are presented in detail: gross domestic product, savings and investment, production of major marketed crops, marketed livestock, industrial production by sector, prices of petroleum products, transport and communication activity, import prices of oil...

This paper reviews economic developments in the Kyrgyz Republic during 1995–99. After having contracted by about 50 percent between 1992 and 1995, real GDP recovered strongly in 1996, with a growth rate of more than 7 percent. The main source behind this increase was a strong growth of...