Economy
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Economic overview: The economy is a mixture of foreign and
domestic entrepreneurship, government regulation and welfare
measures, and village tradition. It is almost totally supported by
exports of crude oil and natural gas, with revenues from the
petroleum sector accounting for more than 40% of GDP. Per capita GDP
is among the highest in the Third World, and substantial income from
overseas investment supplements domestic production. The government
provides for all medical services and subsidizes food and housing.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $4.6 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate: 2% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $15,800 (1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector:
agriculture: 3%
industry: 42%
services: 55%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.4% (1994 est.)
Labor force: 119,000 (1993 est.); note - includes members of the
Army
by occupation: government 47.5%, production of oil, natural gas,
services, and construction 41.9%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing
3.8% (1986)
note: 33% of labor force is foreign (1988)
Unemployment rate: 4.8% (1994 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $2.1 billion
expenditures: $2.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $427
million (1993)
Industries: petroleum, petroleum refining, liquefied natural gas,
construction
Industrial production growth rate: 12.9% (1987)
Electricity:
capacity: 380,000 kW
production: 1.2 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 3,971 kWh (1993)
Agriculture: rice, cassava (tapioca), bananas; water buffalo, pigs
Exports: $2.4 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
commodities: crude oil, liquefied natural gas, petroleum products
partners: Japan 50%, UK 19%, Thailand 10%, Singapore 9% (1994 est.)
Imports: $1.8 billion (c.i.f., 1994 est.)
commodities: machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods,
food, chemicals
partners: Singapore 29%, UK 19%, US 13%, Malaysia 9%, Japan 5% (1994
est.)
External debt: 0
Economic aid: $NA
Currency: 1 Bruneian dollar (B$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Bruneian dollars (B$) per US$1 - 1.4214 (January
1996), 1.4174 (1995), 1.5274 (1994), 1.6158 (1993), 1.6290 (1992),
1.7276 (1991); note - the Bruneian dollar is at par with the
Singapore dollar
Fiscal year: calendar year
Transportation
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Railways:
total: 13 km private line
narrow gauge: 13 km 0.610-m gauge
Highways:
total: 2,443 km
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