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Country Commercial Guides FY 2000: Czech Republic

CHAPTER X: ECONOMIC AND TRADE STATISTICS

Appendix A: Country Data

Population - 1998: 10,289,621
Population growth rate (1998): -0.1%
Religion: Roman Catholic (39%), Protestant (Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren) (2%), no religious affiliation (40%)
Government system: Parliamentary Democracy
Languages: Czech
Sources of data: Statistical Yearbook of the Czech Republic, Research Institute of Labor and Social Affairs.

Appendix B: Domestic Economy

                                  1996      1997        1998         1999(est.)

GDP ($billions                      46.77     40.42       55.00        54.0
Current prices)
Real GDP growth rate                 3.9%      1.0%       -2.7%        -1%
GDP per capita ($)               4,541     3,925       5,500        5,400
State budget/GDP                    31.23%    29.9%       29.8%        32%
State + Municipal budget/GDP        41.96%    40.4%       37.1%        41.2%
Inflation                            8.8%      8.5%       10.7%         5%
Unemployment                         3.5%      5.2%        7.5%        10%

Foreign exchange reserves ($billions)
Czech National Bank                 12.4       9.8        12.6         11.9

Average exchange rate:

1996: $1.00=27.14 CZK
1997: $1.00=31.71 CZK
1998: $1.00=32.27 CZK
1999: $1.00=35.47 CZK (April '99)

Foreign debt ($billions)            20.8      21.4        24.0         24.0
($billions)

Debt service ratio                     6%      8.9%        9.0%         9.0%

Sources of data: Czech National Bank, Ministry of Finance

Appendix C: Trade

Imports in the following table are according to country of origin, and exports are according to country of destination, in $millions, f.o.b. basis.

                                  1996      1997        1998         1999(est.)

Total country                   21,907    22,528      26,349       10,602
  exports
Total country                   27,716    26,967      28,821       11,258
  imports
Trade deficit                   -5,809    -4,390      -2,472         -656
U.S. exports (to CR)               959     1,072       1,077          495
U.S. imports (from CR)             465       586         589          252
U.S. trade surplus with CR         494       496         488          243

Source: Czech National Bank, Czech Statistical Office

Appendix D: Investment Statistics

The Czech Republic has attracted $8,361.4 million in foreign direct investment (FDI) since 1990. At the start of 1998, some of the world's best known multinationals (including ABB, AssiDoman, Daewoo, Ford, Motorola, Nestle, Procter & Gamble, Renault, Siemens, Toray and Volkswagen) had set up operations in the Czech Republic. By the end of 1997, there were over 47,000 foreign owned or partly foreign owned companies registered in the Czech Republic.

Joint ventures and greenfield investments remain the most common forms of FDI in the manufacturing sector. Major privatizations that remain include key companies in the banking sector and large, strategic industrial companies, including those in the mining sector.

Table 1. Origin of FDI in the Czech Republic:  (in $millions, preliminary, without 
reinvestments)

                                  1996      1997        1998         1999(est.)

Germany (%)                        249.3     391.3       537.6       2870.4 
        ($)                         17.5      30.1        21.2         26.3

Netherlands  (%)                   259.4     133.8       608.4        1762.3
              ($)                   18.2      10.3        24.0          16.2

USA (%)                            252.5      99.2       257.8        1361.5
    ($)                             17.7       7.6        10.2          12.5

France (%)                           NA      101.8        NA            NA
       ($)                           NA        7.8        NA            NA

Austria (%)                        208.1      95.0       244.7         855.1
        ($)                         14.6       7.3         9.6           7.8

UK (%)                              83.8      196.4      337.4          NA
   ($)                               5.9       15.1       13.3          NA

Italy (%)                           89.7        NA         NA           NA
      ($)                            6.3        NA         NA           NA

Other(%)                           285.5      283.0      454.0       4051.7
     ($)                            20.0       21.8       17.9         37.2

Total (%)                         1428.4     1300.5     2539.6      10901.0
      ($)                          100.0      100.0      100.0        100.0

Source: Czech Invest

Foreign Direct Investments in CR, 1990-1998, in total, including reinvestments 
and credits for 1990-1997 = $13,457.3 million (info CNB May 13, 1999).

Table 2. FDI in 1998: Territorial Structure (preliminary data):

Netherlands                        608.3       (24.0%)
Germany                            537.6       (21.2%)
Great Britain                      337.4       (13.3%)
USA                                257.8       (10.2%)
Austria                            244.7        (9.6%)
Cyprus                              99.7        (3.9%)
Other                              454.0       (17.9%)
TOTAL                            2,539.6      (100.0%)

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