In Armenia, economic activity in Jan-April 2018 accelerated annual growth rates from 5.7% to 9.7%

ArmInfo. In Armenia, economic activity in January-April 2018 increased by 9.7% per annum on the back of a 25.5% increase in exports and a 34.3% increase in imports.  In April this year by April 2017, economic activity increased by 7.3%, but only in April 2018 decreased by 3.1%.

A year earlier, in January-April 2017, by the same period of 2016, economic activity increased by 5.7%, in April compared with April 2016 - by 3.4%, and only in April - by 0.3%. By comparison, in 2016, economic activity in January-April increased by 6% per annum, only in April - by 4% (with an annual growth of 6.8%).

According to preliminary data of the National Statistical Service of Armenia, the growth in economic activity in January-April 2018 caused the construction sector to be more influential - by 21.8% per annum, the services sector - by 17.6% and the trade sector - by 10.3%, against the background which the growth of the industrial sector and the agricultural sector looked modest - 5.2% and 2.2%, respectively. At the same time, the annual volume decline was observed in the energy complex - by 0.4%. A year earlier, in January- April 2017, the industrial sector, trade, services, energy complex - 12.9%, 12.1%, 10.1% and 4.4% per annum, respectively, and the agricultural sector and the construction sector demonstrated decline - respectively 2.9% and 13.4% per annum.

The industrial production price index increased by 3.8% in January-April 2018 by 3.8% in the same period of the previous year, by 3.7% in April 2018 compared to April 2017, and only by 1.2% in April 2018. A year earlier, in January-April 2017, in comparison with the same period in 2016, the industrial production price index increased by 3.3%, in April 2017, compared to April 2016 - by 3%, but only in April 2017 decreased by 0.6%. By comparison, in 2016, for January-April, the industrial production price index rose by 3.4% per annum, in April 2016, compared to April 2015 - by 1.8%, and only in April 2016 - by 0.5%.

In the same month (for April), the economic activity from a more substantial recession was "saved" by the agricultural sector, whose volumes increased by 43.8% (against 54.2% a year earlier), and to a lesser extent the service sector 0.5% (against a decline of 0.7% a year earlier). Other areas in April reduced volumes: the energy complex - by 15.6% (against the decline of 11.4% a year earlier), the industrial sector - by 15.6% (against the decline of 7% a year earlier), the construction sector - by 11.9% % (against the decline of 8.8% a year earlier), trade - by 5.2% 1.1% (against the decline of 1.1% a year earlier) by 0.7% (against a decline of 2.6% year-on-year) previously).

In terms of growth rates, the service sector and the construction sector were leading in terms of growth rates (April 2018 to April 2017) - 20.7% and 19.2%, respectively, which were inferior in terms of growth to the trade and agro sector - 3.2% and 2.1% % respectively. At the same time, the volumes of the industrial sector and energy complex were 3.7% and 3.4% in the recession. A year earlier, in April 2017 by April 2016, the trade sector was leading in terms of growth - 14.2% and services - 10.4%, followed by a sectoral division of 4.3%, while the agricultural sector, the construction sector and the energy complex were in minus trend - by 5%, 13% and 10.3% respectively.  According to statistical data in January-April 2018, the trade sector holds the absolute leading position with the volume of 787.6 billion drams ($ 1.6 billion). The second largest industrial sector is 522.1 billion ($ 1.1 billion), the third one - services 487.1 billion AMD ($ 1.01 billion), the fourth - agriculture (129.5 billion AMD ($ 268.9 million), and the fifth - the construction sector - 64.8 billion AMD ($ 134.5 million). The volume of electricity generated in January-April 2018 was 2667.3 million kWh, of which only in April - 557.6 million kWh.

At the same time, Armenia's foreign trade turnover in January-April 2018 was 1069.5 billion drams ($ 2221.8 million), with annual growth of 31.2%. In its structure, the volume of exports has undergone annual growth of 25.5% to 368 billion drams ($ 764.5 million), and imports - an annual growth of 34.3% to 701.5 billion drams ($ 1,457.3 million). Only in April 2018, foreign trade turnover decreased by 10.8%, due to the decline in exports - by 12.8% and imports - by 9.8%, and compared to April 2017, foreign trade turnover increased by 21.6%, mainly, due to the growth of imports by 28.8% with an increase in exports by 9.4%. A year earlier, in January-April 2017, Armenia's foreign trade turnover grew by 15.1% per annum, in particular, exports - by 16.1% and imports - by 14.6%, only in April 2017 the decline in foreign trade turnover by 7.6% was based on imports - 10.7% with a 2% drop in exports, compared with April 2016, these indicators were growing - 7.4%, 2.6% and 16.4%, respectively.

The average calculated exchange rate of AMD was 481.35 AMD / $ in April, 2018, and 481.38 AMD / $ 1 in January-April, compared to 485.14 AMD / $ 1 in April 2017 and 485.62 AMD / $ 1 in January -April 2017, 481.27 AMD / $ 1 - in April 2016 and 486.82 AMD / $ 1 - in January-April 2016.