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Economy Cayman Islands

Economy - overview:
With no direct taxation, the islands are a thriving offshore
financial center. More than 40,000 companies were registered in the
Cayman Islands as of 1998, including almost 600 banks and trust
companies; banking assets exceed $500 billion. A stock exchange was
opened in 1997. Tourism is also a mainstay, accounting for about 70%
of GDP and 75% of foreign currency earnings. The tourist industry is
aimed at the luxury market and caters mainly to visitors from North
America. Total tourist arrivals exceeded 1.2 million in 1997, with
600,000 from the US. About 90% of the islands' food and consumer
goods must be imported. The Caymanians enjoy one of the highest
outputs per capita and one of the highest standards of living in the
world.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $1.27 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
1.7% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $35,000 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1.4%
industry: 3.2%
services: 95.4% (1994 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA (2002 est.)

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.8% (2002)

Labor force:
19,820 (1995)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 1.4%, industry 12.6%, services 86% (1995)

Unemployment rate:
4.1% (1997)

Budget:
revenues: $265.2 million
expenditures: $248.9 million, including capital expenditures of NA
(1997)

Agriculture - products:
vegetables, fruit; livestock, turtle farming

Industries:
tourism, banking, insurance and finance, construction, construction
materials, furniture

Industrial production growth rate:
NA

Electricity - production:
381.9 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
355.2 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
2,400 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Exports:
$1.2 million (1999)

Exports - commodities:
turtle products, manufactured consumer goods

Exports - partners:
mostly US

Imports:
$457.4 million (1999)

Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, manufactured goods

Imports - partners:
US, Trinidad and Tobago, UK, Netherlands Antilles, Japan