ic problems Sweden
faces in 1991: high inflation and absenteeism, growing unemployment
and deficits, and declining international competitiveness. In 1990,
to improve the economy, the government approved a mandate for
Sweden to seek EC membership and an austerity and privatization
package and implemented a major tax reform. These reforms may
succeed in turning the economy around in 1992.

_#_GDP: $137.8 billion, per capita $16,200; real growth rate 0.3%
(1990)

_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10.9% (1990)

_#_Unemployment rate: 1.6% (1990)

_#_Budget: revenues $60.1 billion; expenditures $56.7 billion,
including capital expenditures of $NA (FY89)

_#_Exports: $57.5 billion (f.o.b., 1990);

commodities--machinery, motor vehicles, paper products, pulp
and wood, iron and steel products, chemicals, petroleum and
petroleum products;

partners--EC 54.4%, (FRG 14.2%, UK 10.1%, Denmark 6.6%), US 8.6%,
Norway 8.2%

_#_Imports: $54.7 billion (c.i.f., 1990);

commodities--machinery, petroleum and petroleum products,
chemicals, motor vehicles, foodstuffs, iron and steel, clothing;

partners--EC 55.3%, US 8.4%

_#_External debt: $14.1 billion (December 1990)

_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 2.0% (1990)

_#_Electricity: 39,716,000 kW capacity; 142,000 million kWh produced,
16,700 kWh per capita (1990)

_#_Industries: iron and steel, precision equipment (bearings, radio
and telephone parts, armaments), wood pulp and paper products, processed
foods, motor vehicles

_#_Agriculture: animal husbandry predominates, with milk and dairy
products accounting for 37% of farm income; main crops--grains, sugar
beets, potatoes; 100% self-sufficient in grains and potatoes, 85%
self-sufficient in sugar beets

_#_Economic aid: donor--ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $10.3
billion

_#_Currency: Swedish krona (plural--kronor);
1 Swedish krona (SKr) = 100 ore

_#_Exchange rates: Swedish kronor (SKr) per US$1--5.6402 (January
1991), 5.9188 (1990), 6.4469 (1989), 6.1272 (1988), 6.3404 (1987), 7.1236
(1986), 8.6039 (1985)

_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June

_*_Communications
_#_Railroads: 12,000 km total; Swedish State Railways (SJ)--10,819 km
1.435-meter standard gauge, 6,955 km electrified and 1,152 km double
track; 182 km 0.891-meter gauge; 117 km rail ferry service; privately
owned railways--511 km 1.435-meter standard gauge (332 km electrified);
371 km 0.891-meter gauge (all elec