Haiti Economy 5-25-24

Haiti is a failed State. Haiti has a chronic bad economy due to high trade deficits, low productivity, no investment, political instability, criminal gang infestation in the capitol and low household income. 

Nominal GDP $33 billion, Per Capita GDP $1240/yr, Population 11,124,763, Debt to GDP 19.63%,  Inflation 2021-2023 17.1%, Unemployment 14.86%, Average Wage $1,200/yr, Household Income $149.46/mo, $1793.55/yr. Land area 10,714 sq miles, Arable land 36.3%, Urban 58%, Rural 42%. Imports $1.28B, Exports $3.9B, Trade Deficit $2.62B, US Trade - Exports $1.290.1M,  Imports $818.7M. US Aid $146M.

Exports include clothing, scrap metal, vegetable oils, dates and cocoa. Haiti's main exports partner is United States, accounting for over 80 percent of total exports. Others include Dominican Republic and Netherland Antilles.

Imports are Refined Petroleum ($525M), Rice ($256M), Other Cotton Fabrics ($142M), Light Rubberized Knitted Fabric ($133M), and Palm Oil ($126M), importing mostly from United States ($1.2B), Dominican Republic ($1.02B), China ($625M), Indonesia ($111M), and India ($92.6M).

Haiti shares an island with the Dominican Republic. Its closest neighbors are Jamaica and Cuba.

Haiti became its own country in 1804. It had been a French Colony.  Haiti has lacked a stable continuity of government since 1804. Their African-based values including Voodoo did not disappear. Resentment for being enslaved added to their isolation and their reliance on Voodoo strengthened. They never assimilated to Christianity.

It has been a Colony, an Autocracy and a weak Republic replaced by military takeovers. Its rulers didn’t get along with its neighbors. It experienced the assassination of its President in 2021.The Prime Minister became the acting president and he resigned in 2024. An acting Prime Minister has been appointed.  Criminal gangs from Columbia have invaded the Capital and a committee of South American countries is assisting.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Haiti

Religion was 100% Catholic, but it is riddled with Vodou. Now it’s 70% Catholic, 30% Protestant and 100% Vodou. Healthcare in Haiti is Voodoo. Their Voodoo culture is embedded and dominant. 

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader