3.2% GDP growth rate at constant prices in the first quarter of 2009 compared with the first quarter of 2008

          The Department of Statistics issued the results of the quarterly estimation of the GDP at fixed prices for the first quarter of 2009. The growth reached 3.2% for the first quarter of this year compared with the same period of 2008. . At the level of production sectors, some sectors show growth, while other sectors show retreat compared with the first quarter of 2008.     

          According to the report, the construction sector achieved the highest growth rate by 30.5% in 2009 compared with the same period of 2008. Then came the agriculture, hunting, forestry and fishing sector by 19%. Then the producers of government services sector by 8.9%. Then followed by electricity and water sector by 8.5%. The manufacturing sector achieved growth in the first quarter of 2009 by 2.3%, then transport, storage & communication by 2.1%, followed by community, social and personal services sector by 1.6%.

          The quarrying sector, finance, insurance, real estate and Business services sector and wholesale &retail trade, restaurant & hotels sector have records retreat by 12%, 1.2%, 0.5% respectively. (Table 1)

          At the level of sectors contributions in the achieved rate of growth during the first quarter of this year which reached 3.2% at fixed prices, the construction sector and the producers of government services sector have contributed by 1.1% percent point of the achieved growth rate, meanwhile the agriculture, hunting, forestry and fishing sector have contributed by 0.7%. (Table2)

Table (1): contribution of the main economic sectors to the GDP for the first quarter of 2009

Table (2) contribution of the main economic sectors to the real growth (percentage point) for the first quarter of 2009