al horizontal bands of blue (top, center, and bottom)
alternating with white; a red equilateral triangle based on the
hoist side bears a white, five-pointed star in the center

Economy Cuba

Economy - overview:
The government continues to balance the need for economic loosening
against a desire for firm political control. It has rolled back
limited reforms undertaken in the 1990s to increase enterprise
efficiency and alleviate serious shortages of food, consumer goods,
and services. The average Cuban's standard of living remains at a
lower level than before the downturn of the 1990s, which was caused
by the loss of Soviet aid and domestic inefficiencies. In 2006, high
metals prices continued to boost Cuban earnings from nickel and
cobalt production. Havana continued to invest in the country's
energy sector to mitigate electrical blackouts that have plagued the
country since 2004.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$44.54 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$40 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
7.5% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$3,900 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 5.1%
industry: 27.2%
services: 67.6% (2006 est.)

Labor force:
4.82 million
note: state sector 78%, non-state sector 22% (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 20%
industry: 19.4%
services: 60.6% (2005)

Unemployment rate:
1.9% (2006 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
11.9% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $35.07 billion
expenditures: $36.41 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2006 est.)

Agriculture - products:
sugar, tobacco, citrus, coffee, rice, potatoes, beans; livestock

Industries:
sugar, petroleum, tobacco, construction, nickel, steel, cement,
agricultural machinery, pharmaceuticals

Industrial production growth rate:
17.6% (2006 est.)

Electricity - production:
15.34 billion kWh (2005)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 93.9%
hydro: 0.6%
nuclear: 0%
other: 5.4% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
14.1 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
72,000 bbl/day (2005