Macau Economy:
Macau's well-to-do economy has remained one of the most open in the world since its reversion to China in 1999. Apparel exports and tourism are mainstays of the economy. Although the territory was hit hard by the 1998 Asian financial crisis and the global downturn in 2001, its economy grew 9.5% in 2002 and 15.6% in 2003. During the first three quarters of 2004, Macau registered year-on-year GDP increases of more than 20 percent. A rapid rise in the number of mainland visitors because of China's easing of restrictions on travel, increased public works expenditures, and significant investment inflows associated with the liberalization of Macau's gaming industry drove the recovery. The budget also returned to surplus in 2002 because of the surge in visitors from China and a hike in taxes on gambling profits, which generated about 70% of government revenue. The three companies awarded gambling licenses have pledged to invest $2.2 billion in the territory, which will boost GDP growth. Much of Macau's textile industry may move to the mainland as the Multi-Fiber Agreement is phased out. The territory may have to rely more on gambling and trade-related services to generate growth. Two new casinos were opened by new foreign gambling licensees in 2004; development of new infrastructure and facilities in preparation for Macau's hosting of the 2005 East Asian Games will bolster the construction sector. The Closer Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between Macau and mainland China that came into effect on 1 January 2004 offers many Macau-made products tariff-free access to the mainland, and the range of products covered by CEPA was to be expanded on 1 January 2005.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$9.1 billion (2003 est.)
GDP — real growth rate:
15.6% (2003 est.)
GDP — per capita:
purchasing power parity: $19,400 (2003 est.)
GDP — composition by sector:
agriculture: 0.1%
industry: 7.2%
services: 92.7%
(2002)
Labor force:
231,500 (3rd Quarter, 2004 est.)
Labor force — by occupation:
manufacturing: 18.3%, construction: 8%, transport and communications: 7%, wholesale and retail trade: 16.2%, restaurants and hotels: 10.9%, gambling: 11.6%, public sector: 8.8%, other services and agriculture: 19.2% (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate:
4.7% (3rd Quarter, 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line:
NA
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2% (3rd quarter, 2004 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $1.84 billion
expenditures: $1.57 billion including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.)
Agriculture — products:
Only 2% of land area is cultivated, mainly by vegetable growers; fishing, mostly for crustaceans, is important, some of catch is exported to Hong Kong; most food requirements are met by imports, primarily from China
Industries:
tourism, gambling, clothing, textiles, electronics, footwear, toys
Industrial production growth rate:
NA
Electricity — production:
1.72 billion kWh (2003 est.)
Electricity — consumption:
1.77 billion kWh (2003 est.)
Electricity — exports:
1 million kWh (2003 est.)
Electricity — imports:
179.7 million kWh (2003 est.)
Oil — production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil — consumption:
11,190 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil — exports:
NA
Oil — imports:
NA
Exports:
$2.58 billion including reexports (f.o.b. 2003 est.)
Exports — commodities:
clothing, textiles, footwear, toys, electronics, machinery and parts
Exports — partners:
US 48.7%, China 13.9%, Germany 8.3%, Hong Kong 7.6%, UK 4.4% (2004)
Imports:
$2.76 billion (c.i.f. 2003 est.)
Imports — commodities:
raw materials and semi-manufactured goods, consumer goods, capital goods, mineral fuels, oils
Imports — partners:
China 44.4%, Hong Kong 10.6%, Japan 9.6%, Taiwan 4.9%, Singapore 4.1%, US 4.1% (2004)
Debt — external:
$2.7 billion (2003 est.)
Economic aid — recipient:
NA
Currency:
pataca (MOP)
Exchange rates:
patacas per US$: 8.02 (2004 est.), 8.02 (2003 est.), 8.03 (2002 est.), 8.03 (2001 est.), 8.03 (2000 est.)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
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