chief of mission: Ambassador Earle I. MACK
embassy: Itainen Puistotie 14B, FIN-00140, Helsinki
mailing address: APO AE 09723
telephone: [358] (9) 616250
FAX: [358] (9) 6162 5800

Flag description:
white with a blue cross extending to the edges of the flag; the
vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style
of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)

Economy Finland

Economy - overview:
Finland has a highly industrialized, largely free-market economy,
with per capita output roughly that of the UK, France, Germany, and
Italy. Its key economic sector is manufacturing - principally the
wood, metals, engineering, telecommunications, and electronics
industries. Trade is important, with exports equaling one-third of
GDP. Except for timber and several minerals, Finland depends on
imports of raw materials, energy, and some components for
manufactured goods. Because of the climate, agricultural development
is limited to maintaining self-sufficiency in basic products.
Forestry, an important export earner, provides a secondary
occupation for the rural population. Rapidly increasing integration
with Western Europe - Finland was one of the 12 countries joining
the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) - will dominate the
economic picture over the next several years. Growth in 2003 was
held back by the global slowdown but will pick up in 2004 provided
the world economy suffers no further blows.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $142.2 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
1.9% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $27,400 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 4.3%
industry: 32.7%
services: 62.9% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
18% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line:
NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 4.2%
highest 10%: 21.6% (1991)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
25.6 (1991)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
0.9% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
2.599 million (2003 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture and forestry 8%, industry 22%, construction 6%,
commerce 14%, finance, insurance, and business services 10%,
transport and communications 8%, public services 32%

Unemployment rate:
9% (2003 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $87.03 billion
expenditures: $81.62 billion, including capital expenditures o