hip in the
European Union. However, the island is divided politically over the
question of joining the EU. The sizable budget deficit remains a key
concern.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $5.6 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 3.4% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $14,300 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 2.8%

industry: 25.5%

services: 71.7% (1999)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%

highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.5% (2000 est.)

Labor force: 145,901 (1999)

Labor force - by occupation: industry 24%, services 71%, agriculture
5% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate: 4.5% (3rd Quarter 2000)

Budget: revenues: $1.6 billion

expenditures: $1.73 billion, including capital expenditures of
$265.4 million (1999)

Industries: tourism; electronics, ship building and repair,
construction; food and beverages, textiles, footwear, clothing,
tobacco

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity - production: 1.65 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100%

hydro: 0%

nuclear: 0%

other: 0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: 1.534 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products: potatoes, cauliflower, grapes, wheat,
barley, tomatoes, citrus, cut flowers, green peppers; pork, milk,
poultry, eggs

Exports: $2 billion (f.o.b., 1999)

Exports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment,
manufactures

Exports - partners: US 21.4%, France 15.2%, Germany 12.6%, UK 9.3%,
Italy 4.9% (1999)

Imports: $2.6 billion (f.o.b., 1999)

Imports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment,
manufactured and semi-manufactured goods; food, drink, and tobacco

Imports - partners: France 19.1%, Italy 16.7%, UK 10.9%, Germany
10.0%, US 8.5% (1999)

Debt - external: $130 million (1997)

Economic aid - recipient: $NA

Currency: Maltese lira (MTL)

Currency code: MTL

Exchange rates: Maltese liri per US dollar - 0.4370 (January 2001),
0.4376 (2000), 0.3994 (1999), 0.3885 (1998), 0.3857 (1997), 0.3604
(1996)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Malta Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 187,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 17,691 (1997)

Telephone system: general assessment: automatic system satisfies
norma