ARKA News Agency, Armenia
April 6 2007

ARMENIAN POPULATION INCOME GROWTH RATE HIGHER THAN GDP GROWTH RATE

YEREVAN, April 6. /ARKA/. Armenia’s population income growth rate is
higher than the GDP growth rate, Armenian Deputy Minister of Trade
and Economic Development Tigran Davtian reported. In fact, GDP growth
has had effect on the population’s incomes, he said. According to
him, economy gains momentum, and the economic development tells upon
the population. "It’s another thing that we want it to tell upon all
the layers of the society," Davtian said.
He pointed out that today’s average salary in Armenia is almost
equivalent to $200 (AMD 68,000), with GDP per capita in USD
equivalent exceeding $2,000 ($500 ten years ago).
"We want to have European standards of life, but we should take into
account also objective factors – the average salary has never reached
this level in Armenia before," Davtian said.
According to him, also the car imports point to the improvement of
living standards.
According to Armenia’s National Statistical Service, the population’s
money income totaled AMD 1,722,253.7 mln in 2006 – a 19.8% increase
against 2005. The population’s money expenditures amounted to AMD
1,650,686.8mln – a 18.9% increase. A 13.4% economic growth was
recorded in Armenia in the period. N.V. -0–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress