In Armenia, in the first half of the year 2017 economic activity increased by 6.1% per annum and the drivers were trade, industrial sector and services

ArmInfo. In Armenia, economic activity in the first half of 2017 increased by  6.1% per annum against the backdrop of the prevalence of rising  import rates over exports. In June this year. 

By June 2016 economic activity increased by 5.1%, but only in June  2017 - by 9.1%. As a comparison, we note that a year earlier, in the  first half of 2016, by the same period of 2015, economic activity  increased by 4.8%, in June compared to June 2015 - by 2.1%, but only  in June - by 12.8% %.According to the National Statistical Service of  the Republic of Armenia, the growth of economic activity in the first  half of the year 2017 caused the trade sector to a greater extent -  by 12.6% per annum, the industrial sector - by 12.4%, the services  sector - by 10.9%, against which the growth of the energy complex  looked modest - 5.2% per annum. 

At the same time, the agricultural sector and the sphere of  construction retain a downward trend, respectively by 1.4% and 10%  per annum. A year earlier, in the first half of the year in 2016, the  industrial sector and the services sector showed a more modest growth  - respectively, 8.9% and 8.3% per annum, against which the growth of  agriculture looked modest - 3.3%, and trade was in decline - 0.3%,  along with the energy complex and the construction sector - a decline  of 4.9% and 7.8%, respectively.The industrial production price index  rose by 3.8% in the first half of 2017 to the same period of 2016, by  4.9% in June 2017 as compared to June 2016, and by 0.5% only in June  2017. A year earlier, in the first half of 2016, by the same period  of 2015, the price index for industrial products fell by 2.4%, in  June 2016 by June 2015 - increased by 1.3%, but only in June 2016  increased by 0.1%.In the same month (June), the agrarian sector gave  a decisive impetus to the growth of economic activity - a threefold  increase in volume (against 98.3% growth in June 2016), the  construction sector with a growth of 28% (against growth of 21.6% %  In June 2016), and the trade and services sector is much more modest  - 10.4% and 4.8%, respectively (against growth of 15.4% and 11% in  June 2016). 

The industrial sector and the energy complex showed a decline of 3.4%  and 1% in June 2017, respectively, while the industrial sector a year  earlier in June showed an increase of 11.4%, and the energy complex  was in a more significant negative (4.1%).In the annual context (June  2017 to June 2016), the trade sector and services sector were leading  in terms of growth rates - 11.9% and 10.1%, respectively, which was  slightly below the 9% pace of the energy complex, while the  industrial sector and the agricultural sector were more modest and  almost The same growth - 3.8% and 3.4% respectively. 

The construction sector was distinguished by a minus trend - 4.4%. A  year earlier, in June 2016 by June 2015 growth was demonstrated only  by the industrial sector - 8.9% and the service sector - 6.6%, and  the other spheres were marked by a decline: the agricultural sector-  0,2%, trade - 0,3%, construction sphere - 7,7%, energy complex -  19,9%.According to statistical data in the first half of the year  2017, the absolute value of leadership is held by the trade sector  with a volume of 1.1 trillion. Drams ($ 2.3 billion). 

The second place in terms of volume is the industrial sector - 760.4  billion ($ 1.6 billion), the third - the service sector - 648.7  billion drams ($ 1.3 billion), the fourth - agriculture - 247.1  billion drams ($ 510 million), and the fifth - the construction  sector - 111.7 billion drams ($ 230.5 million). The volume of  electricity generated in the first half of 2017 was 3794.1 million  kWh, of which only in June - 554.8 million kWh.At the same time,  Armenia's foreign trade turnover in the first half of 2017 was 1363.5  billion drams ($ 2,815.1 million), with annual growth of 24%. In its  structure, the volume of exports has undergone an annual growth of  21% to 481.4 billion drams ($ 993.9 million), and imports - an annual  growth of 25.8% to 882.1 billion drams ($ 1,821.2 million). Only in  June 2017, foreign trade turnover decreased by 13.4% due to a  decrease in imports by 17.5% and exports - by 5.1%, and compared to  June 2016, the growth of foreign trade turnover by 25.2% was driven  more by imports - 29%, rather than exports - 19%.

 A year earlier, in the first half of the year 2016, foreign trade  turnover increased by 2.7% per annum due to export growth of 16.7%  with a decline in imports of 3.7%, and the June increase in foreign  trade turnover by 4.8% was triggered by an increase in exports by 9,  8% and imports - by 2.3%, but as compared to June 2015, the foreign  trade turnover decreased by 7.3% due to a decrease in imports by  11.8% with export growth of only 1.2%.The average calculated exchange  rate of the dram in June 2017 was 481.52 dr / $ 1, and in the first  half-year it was 484.57 dr / $ 1, against 477.53 dr / $ 1 in June  2016 and 483.86 dr / $ 1 in the first half of the year 2016-