ia telephone: [685] 21631 FAX:
[685] 22030

Flag description: red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side
quadrant bearing five white five-pointed stars representing the Southern
Cross constellation

Economy Samoa

Economy - overview: The economy of Samoa has traditionally been dependent
on development aid, family remittances from overseas, and agricultural
exports. The country is vulnerable to devastating storms. Agriculture
employs two-thirds of the labor force, and furnishes 90% of exports,
featuring coconut cream, coconut oil, and copra. The manufacturing sector
mainly processes agricultural products. The decline of fish stocks in the
area is a continuing problem. Tourism is an expanding sector, accounting
for 16% of GDP; about 85,000 tourists visited the islands in 2000. The
Samoan Government has called for deregulation of the financial sector,
encouragement of investment, and continued fiscal discipline. Observers
point to the flexibility of the labor market as a basic strength for
future economic advances. Foreign reserves are in a relatively healthy
state, the external debt is stable, and inflation is low.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $618 million (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 6% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,500 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 16% industry: 18% services:
66% (2000 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.5% (2001 est.)

Labor force: 90,000 (2000 est.)

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

Unemployment rate: NA%; note - substantial underemployment

Budget: revenues: $105 million expenditures: $119 million, including
capital expenditures of $NA (2001/2002)

Industries: food processing, building materials, auto parts

Industrial production growth rate: 2.8% (2000)

Electricity - production: 103 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 59.22% hydro: 40.78%
other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption: 95.79 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)

Agriculture - products: coconuts, bananas, taro, yams

Exports: $17 million (f.o.b., 2000)

Exports - commodities: fish, coconut oil and cream, copra, taro,
garments, beer