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Saint Lucia:
Economy

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Economy - overview
Changes in the EU import preference regime and the increased competition from Latin American bananas have made economic diversification increasingly important in Saint Lucia. The island nation has been able to attract foreign business and investment, especially in its offshore banking and tourism industries. Tourism is the main source of foreign exchange, with more than 700,000 arrivals in 2005. The manufacturing sector is the most diverse in the Eastern Caribbean area, and the government is trying to revitalize the banana industry. Economic fundamentals remain solid, even though unemployment needs to be cut.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$1.179 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$825 million (2005)
GDP - real growth rate
5.1% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita
$4,800 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 5%
industry: 15%
services: 80% (2005 est.)
Labor force
43,800 (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture: 21.7%
industry: 24.7%
services: 53.6% (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate
20% (2003 est.)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2.9% (2005 est.)
Budget
revenues: $141.2 million
expenditures: $146.7 million (2000 est.)
Agriculture - products
bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus, root crops, cocoa
Industries
clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated cardboard boxes, tourism; lime processing, coconut processing
Electricity - production
304.2 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - consumption
282.9 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports
0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports
0 kWh (2005)
Oil - production
0 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - consumption
2,800 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - exports
NA bbl/day
Oil - imports
NA bbl/day
Oil - proved reserves
0 bbl (1 January 2006)
Natural Gas - production
0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural Gas - consumption
0 cu m (2005 est.)
Exports
$82 million (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities
bananas 41%, clothing, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, coconut oil
Exports - partners
France 69.7%, US 10.2%, UK 8.8% (2006)
Imports
$410 million (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities
food 23%, manufactured goods 21%, machinery and transportation equipment 19%, chemicals, fuels
Imports - partners
US 21.1%, Trinidad and Tobago 14.9%, Italy 12.3%, France 11.8%, Venezuela 7.2%, UK 6.9%, Netherlands 5.8% (2006)
Debt - external
$257 million (2004)
Economic aid - recipient
$11.06 million (2005)
Currency (code)
East Caribbean dollar (XCD)
Exchange rates
East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002)
Fiscal year
1 April - 31 March


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