Algeria counts 1.3 million traders, mostly in non-productive services

The number of regular traders in Algeria reached one million and 306.000 in June 2009, one trader in 25 Algerians and 90% are active individually and only 7% are companies and institutions, plus tens of thousands operating in the black market trade, what makes the simple trade the first economic activity for the Algerians. 

•  According to the latest numbers by the National Centre for the Commerce Registers, one million and 306.000 Algerians are bond in the commercial register, including over one million individual traders and they represent 91%, while the owners of companies and institutions are only 7%, representing the number of 117549, noting that their activities are concentrated in the non-productive sectors.
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• The sector of services came in the first place with 29657 traders, followed by retail traders 19469 then the industrial producers and constructors and handcrafts with 13465.
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• In terms of individual activities, it occupied 48% and 32.6% active in the sector of services, 14.3% in the industrial production and construction, and 4% in the retail trade and the handcrafts with 0.5%.
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• The NCCR shows that 21.1% of the companies are operating in the field of easy and non-productive profit (import and export), in terms of geographical distribution, most of the activities in Algiers represent 17%, Tziz Ouzou 4.4%, and Setif 4%.     
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• On the other hand, the statistics show that the number of foreign traders working in Algeria increased from 6454 to 7108 end of June 2009, including 1651 simple individuals and 5474 specialized dealers, headed by Tunisians with 33.56%, then Syrian with 231, Egyptians 109, and Palestinians 77.