od, annual growth
has been of the order of 5% to 6%. This remarkable achievement has
been reflected in 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 industrialization (with a
view to modernization and to exports), agricultural diversification,
and tourism. Economic performance in 1991-96 continued strong with
solid growth and low unemployment.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $11.7 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 5% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $10,300 (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 9.3%
industry : 31.6%
services: 59.1% (1995 est.)

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 6% (1995)

Labor force:
total : 479,500 (1993 est.)
by occupation: construction and industry 37%, services 24%,
agriculture and fishing 15%, trade, restaurants, hotels 14%,
transportation and communication 7%, finance 3%

Unemployment rate: 2.4% (1991 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $732 million
expenditures: $550 million, including capital expenditures of $123
million (FY94/95 est.)

Industries: food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles, wearing
apparel; chemicals, metal products, transport equipment, nonelectrical
machinery; tourism

Industrial production growth rate: 5.8% (1992)

Electricity - capacity: 235,000 kW (1991)

Electricity - production: 425 million kWh (1991)

Electricity - consumption per capita: 393 kWh (1991 est.)

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

Exports:
total value: $1.57 billion (f.o.b., 1995)
commodities: clothing and textiles 67%, sugar 25%
partners: UK 34%, France 21%, US 15%, Germany 6%, Italy 4%

Imports:
total value: $1.98 billion (c.i.f., 1995)
commodities : manufactured goods 50%, capital equipment 17%,
foodstuffs 13%, petroleum products 8%, chemicals 7%
partners: France 20%, India 8%, Hong Kong 7%, UK 6%, Germany 5%

Debt - external: $996.8 million (1993 est.)

Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $NA

Currency: 1 Mauritian rupee (MauR) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: Mauritian rupees (MauRs) per US$1 - 18.528 (January
1997), 17.948 (1996), 17.386 (1995), 17.960 (1994), 17.648 (1993),
15.563 (1992)

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

@Mauritius:Communications

Telephones: 65,000 (1985