National context and development challenges

Algeria is the largest country in Africa and tenth largest in the world, with a surface area of 2,381,741 square kilometres covering Mediterranean landscapes, vast semi-arid high plains and the wide open spaces of the Sahara. In 2013, the population stood at 37.7 million, 80% of whom live in the north of the country on 4.3% of the territory, and 22% of whom are young people (15-24 years of age). Its large, young and growing (+1.35% a year) population, along with oil and gas resources and a gross domestic product (GDP) of US$161 billion in 2010, make Algeria a middle-income country and the second largest economy in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region after Egypt. Its per capita GDP (more than $7,000 in 2011) is one of the highest in the MENA countries. However the contribution of the private sector to GDP remains low.

Related Subject(s): Economic and Social Development

Countries: Algeria