With a GDP growth rate of 4.1% in 2018 after 3.5% in 2017, the national economy is not only showing a recovery, but is showing renewed dynamism in the three main sectors of activity. It has thus benefited from the rise in international commodity prices (crude oil, cocoa and cotton), the improvement in supply and the diversification of its economic fabric, in particular the increasing production of natural gas.
On the supply side, growth in 2018 continues to be driven by the tertiary sector, which recorded a contribution to growth of 2.3 points, followed by the secondary (0.8 points) and primary (0.7 points) sectors. By branch of activity, trade and repair, construction and public works (BTP), agri-food industries, banks and financial institutions and subsistence agriculture drove growth in 2018. The increase in natural gas production significantly mitigated the negative impact of extractive activities on economic growth (-0.1 point after -1.1 point in 2017).
On the demand side, growth in 2018 was mainly driven by household final consumption, which contributed 3.0 points, followed by the private component of investment (2.0 points). The balance of foreign trade in goods and services deteriorated further; its contribution to GDP was negative by 1.6 points in 2018 after 0.2 points in 2017.
