coconut oil and
copra. The economy depends on emigrant remittances and foreign aid
to supplement GDP and to support a level of imports much greater
than export earnings. Tourism has become the most important growth
industry. The economy continued to falter in 1994, as remittances
and tourist earnings remained low. Production of taro, the primary
food export crop, dropped 97% in 1993/94 when a fungal disease
threatened the country's basic food crops. Nevertheless, the
government is relying on recovery and further expansion in
agricultural production to sustain economic growth of around 5% over
the next several years.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $415 million (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate: 5% (1995 est.)

GDP per capita: $1,900 (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector:
agriculture: 50%
industry: NA%
services: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 18% (1994)

Labor force: 45,635 (1986 est.)
by occupation: agriculture 65%, services 30%, industry 5% (1995 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget:
revenues: $78.6 million
expenditures: $81.9 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1995 est.)

Industries: timber, tourism, food processing, fishing

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity:
capacity: 29,000 kW
production: 50 million kWh
consumption per capita: 200 kWh (1993)

Agriculture: coconuts, bananas, taro, yams

Exports: $6.4 million (f.o.b., 1993)
commodities: coconut oil and cream, taro, copra, cocoa
partners: New Zealand 34%, American Samoa 21%, Germany 18%,
Australia 11%

Imports: $11.5 million (c.i.f., 1992 est.)
commodities: intermediate goods 58%, food 17%, capital goods 12%
partners: New Zealand 37%, Australia 25%, Japan 11%, Fiji 9%

External debt: $141 million (June 1993)

Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $NA

Currency: 1 tala (WS$) = 100 sene

Exchange rates: tala (WS$) per US$1 - 2.5195 (January 1996),
2.4722 (1995), 2.5349 (1994), 2.5681 (1993), 2.4655 (1992), 2.3975
(1991)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Transportation
--------------

Railways: 0 km

Highways:
total: 2,030 km
paved: 373 km
unpaved: 1,657 km (1988 est.)

Ports: Apia, Asau, Mulifanua, Salelologa

Merchant marine:
total: 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling
3,838 GRT/5,536 DWT (1995 est.)

Airports:
total: 3
with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 1
with paved runways under 914 m: 2 (