27 million in 2007, up 62% in three years. Macau's strong
economic growth has put pressure its labor market prompting
businesses to look abroad to meet their staffing needs. The
resulting influx of non-resident workers, who totaled one-fifth of
the workforce in 2006, has fueled tensions among some segments of
the population. Macau's traditional manufacturing industry has been
in a slow decline. In 2006, exports of textiles and garments
generated only $1.8 billion compared to $6.9 billion in gross gaming
receipts. Macau's textile industry will continue to move to the
mainland because of the termination in 2005 of the Multi-Fiber
Agreement, which provided a near guarantee of export markets,
leaving the territory more dependent on gambling and trade-related
services to generate growth. However, 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. Macau's currency, the Pataca, is
closely tied to the Hong Kong dollar, which is also freely accepted
in the territory.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$12.5 billion (2006)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$14.3 billion (2006)

GDP - real growth rate:

16.6% (2006)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$28,400 (2006)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 0.1%
industry: 3.9%
services: 96% (2006 est.)

Labor force:

275,000 (2006)

Labor force - by occupation:

manufacturing 11.1%, construction 11.7%, transport and
communications 6.3%, wholesale and retail trade 13.7%, restaurants
and hotels 11.3%, gambling 19.8%, public sector 7.7%, financial
services 2.6%, other services and agriculture 15.7% (2006)

Unemployment rate:

3.1% (2006)

Population below poverty line:

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Budget:

revenues: $4.6 billion
expenditures: $3.4 billion (2006)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

7.2% (2006)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

7.81% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$1.16 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$21.91 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

NA (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

only 2% of land area is cultivated, mainly by vegetable growers;
fishing, mostly for crustaceans, is important; some of t