Saint Helena Economy:
The economy depends largely on financial assistance from the UK, which amounted to about $5 million in 1997 or almost one-half of annual budgetary revenues. The local population earns income from fishing, raising livestock, and sales of handicrafts. Because there are few jobs, 25% of the work force has left to seek employment on Ascension Island, on the Falklands, and in the UK.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$18 million (1998 est.)
GDP — real growth rate:
NA
GDP — per capita:
purchasing power parity: $2,500 (1998 est.)
Labor force:
3,500 (1998 est.)
note: 1,200 work offshore
Labor force — by occupation:
agriculture and fishing: 6%, industry: 48% (mainly construction), services: 46% (1987 est.)
Unemployment rate:
14% (1998 est.)
Population below poverty line:
NA
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.2% (1997 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $11.2 million
expenditures: $11 million including capital expenditures of NA (FY92/93 est.)
Agriculture — products:
Corn, potatoes, vegetables; timber; fish, crawfish (on Tristan da Cunha)
Industries:
construction, crafts (furniture, lacework, fancy woodwork), fishing
Industrial production growth rate:
NA
Electricity — production:
5 million kWh (2002 est.)
Electricity — consumption:
4.65 million kWh (2002 est.)
Electricity — exports:
0 kWh (2002 est.)
Electricity — imports:
0 kWh (2002 est.)
Oil — production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil — consumption:
200 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil — exports:
NA
Oil — imports:
NA
Exports:
$17 million (f.o.b. 2002 est.)
Exports — commodities:
fish, coffee, handicrafts
Exports — partners:
Tanzania 30.3%, US 23.8%, UK 7.1%, Japan 10.4%, Spain 6.3% (2004)
Imports:
$42 million (c.i.f. 2002 est.)
Imports — commodities:
food, beverages, tobacco, fuel oils, animal feed, building materials, motor vehicles and parts, machinery and parts
Imports — partners:
Tanzania 10.4%, US 17.6%, UK 35.7%, Spain 4.1%, South Africa 17.5%, Australia 5.5% (2004)
Debt — external:
NA (1996 est.)
Economic aid — recipient:
$12.6 million (1995 est.)
note: $5.3 million from UK (1997)
Currency:
Saint Helenian pound (SHP)
Exchange rates:
Saint Helenian pounds per US$: 0.55 (2004 est.), 0.61 (2003 est.), 0.67 (2002 est.), 0.69 (2001 est.), 0.66 (2000 est.)
note: The Saint Helenian pound is on par with the British pound
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March
|
