Louis; US
mail: American Embassy, Port Louis, Department of State, Washington,
DC 20521-2450
telephone: [230] 202-4400
FAX: [230] 208-9534

Flag description:
four equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, yellow, and green

Economy Mauritius

Economy - overview:
Since independence in 1968, Mauritius has developed from a
low-income, agriculturally based economy to a middle-income
diversified economy with growing industrial, financial, and tourist
sectors. For most of the period, annual growth has been in the order
of 5% to 6%. This remarkable achievement has been reflected in more
equitable income distribution, increased life expectancy, lowered
infant mortality, and a much-improved infrastructure. Sugarcane is
grown on about 90% of the cultivated land area and accounts for 25%
of export earnings. The government's development strategy centers on
expanding local financial institutions and building a domestic
information telecommunications industry. Mauritius has attracted
more than 9,000 offshore entities, many aimed at commerce in India
and South Africa, and investment in the banking sector alone has
reached over $1 billion. Mauritius, with its strong textile sector,
has been well poised to take advantage of the Africa Growth and
Opportunity Act (AGOA).

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$15.68 billion (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
4.7% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $12,800 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 7.6%
industry: 30%
services: 62.4% (2004 est.)

Labor force:
560,000 (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture and fishing 14%, construction and industry 36%,
transportation and communication 7%, trade, restaurants, hotels 16%,
finance 3%, other services 24% (1995)

Unemployment rate:
10.8% (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line:
10% (2001 est.)

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

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
37 (1987 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.5% (2004 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
22.5% of GDP (2004 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $1.231 billion
expenditures: $1.582 billion, including capital expenditures of NA
(2004 est.)

Public debt:
29.2% of GDP (2004 est.)

Agriculture - products:
sugarcane, tea, corn, potatoes, bananas, pulses; cattle, go