ustry,
extensive government welfare measures, comfortable living standards,
and high dependence on foreign trade. Denmark is a net exporter of
food. The center-left coalition government will concentrate on
reducing the persistently high unemployment rate and the budget
deficit as well as following the previous government's policies of
maintaining low inflation and a current account surplus. The coalition
also vows to maintain a stable currency. The coalition has lowered
marginal income taxes while maintaining overall tax revenues; boosted
industrial competitiveness through labor market and tax reforms and
increased research and development funds; and improved welfare
services for the neediest while cutting paperwork and delays. Prime
Minister RASMUSSEN's reforms focus on adapting Denmark to the criteria
for European integration by 1999; Copenhagen has won from the European
Union (EU) the right to opt out of the European Monetary Union (EMU).
Denmark is, in fact, one of the few EU countries likely to fit into
the EMU on time.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $118.2 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 2% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $22,700 (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 4%
industry: 27%
services: 69% (1995)

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 2.1% (1996 est.)

Labor force:
total: 2,895,950
by occupation: private services 40%, government services 30%,
manufacturing and mining 19%, construction 6%, agriculture, forestry,
and fishing 5% (1995)

Unemployment rate: 8.2% (November 1996)

Budget:
revenues: $62.1 billion
expenditures: $66.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1996 est.)

Industries: food processing, machinery and equipment, textiles and
clothing, chemical products, electronics, construction, furniture, and
other wood products, shipbuilding

Industrial production growth rate: 3.4% (1996)

Electricity - capacity: 9.458 million kW 000 kW

Electricity - production: 34.6 billion kWh

Electricity - consumption per capita: 6,411 kWh (1995)

Agriculture - products: grain, potatoes, rape, sugar beets; meat,
dairy products; fish

Exports:
total value: $47.6 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
commodities: machinery and instruments 25%, meat and meat products,
fuels, dairy products, ships, fish, chemicals
partners : Germany 22.5%, Sweden 9.7%, UK 7.9%, Norway 5.9%, France
5.4%, Netherlands 4.4%, US 4.0% (1995)

Imports:
total