The oil and gas sector represents the principal source of growth, even though GDP in the non-hydrocarbon sector has also done well in the past several years. Besides oil and gas, it has been the completion and acceleration of major public investment projects and household consumption that drove growth in 2010. However, a growth rate of 3.5% in 2010 remains modest considering the potential of the Algerian economy and is insufficient to bring down unemployment and ease the housing crisis. Growth excluding hydrocarbons reached 5.5% in 2010, below that of the two preceding years (9.3% in 2009 and 6.1% in 2008). Medium-term growth prospects are encouraging, but are subject to variations in the price of oil and gas. Growth should be sustained in the short term by the effects on the oil and gas sectors of increased growth in the world economy resulting in an increase in oil prices favourable to Algeria; major public spending; and an acceleration of the programme of public investment under the 2010-14 plan. Inflation in 2010 stood lower than the relatively high levels experienced the two previous years (4.8% in 2008 and 5.7% in 2009). The rise in prices, in particular in the second quarter, was due mainly to soaring world prices of the principal consumer food products.