ArmInfo. In Armenia, the service sector increased its volume in January-September 2018 by 18.8% per annum - to 1.3 trillion. drams ($ 2.6 billion), against 12.8% growth a year earlier. In September alone, an increase of 4% was recorded - to 165 billion drams ($ 341 million).
According to the RA Statistical Committee, the improvement in annual dynamics is due to the accelerated growth in the volume of services in the following areas: catering - from 19.2% to 29.6%, culture - from 18.1% to 35.2%, healthcare - from 16.5% up to 26.6%, real estate operations - from 8.2% to 10.2%, information and communication - from 3.8% to 6.4%, administrative and support activities - from 8.3% to 20.3%. The slowdown in the annual growth in the volume of services provided was observed in the financial system (including insurance) from 20.4% to 17.2% and in the transport sector from 13.7% to 12.4%. At the same time, the volume of services rendered in the field of professional, scientific and technical activities changed the annual dynamics from a 0.2% decline to 19.6% growth, while the volume of services in the field of education, on the contrary, moved down from 1.7% - go up by 0.8% decline.
In terms of the volume of services provided, culture, entertainment and recreation are leading at 275.1 billion drams (21.9% of the total). The second place in terms of services is occupied by the financial sector - 264 billion drams (21% of the total), with the lion's share accounted for by banks. The third place is occupied by the sphere of information and communication - 180 billion drams (14.3%), where the main burden falls on the telecommunications segment. The fourth place is occupied by the transport sector - 161.6 billion drams (12.9%). And the top five in terms of the volume of services provided closes the sphere of catering and tourism - 105.7 billion drams or 8.4%.
The average settlement rate of the dram to the US dollar in September 2018 was 483.82 dr./$ 1, and in January-September - 482.21dr ./$ 1 against 478.24 dr./$ 1 in September 2017 and 482.59 dr. ./$1 in January-September 2017