emains highly vulnerable to climatic
conditions. Hurricane Luis devastated the country's banana crop in
1995 after tropical storms wiped out a quarter of the 1994 crop. The
subsequent recovery has been fueled by increases in construction, soap
production, and tourist arrivals. Development of the tourism industry
remains difficult however, because of the rugged coastline, lack of
beaches, and the absence of an international airport. Economic growth is
sluggish, and unemployment is greater than 20%. The government has been
attempting to develop an offshore financial sector in order to diversify
the island's production base.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $262 million (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: -3.2% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,700 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 18% industry: 23% services:
59% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1% (2001 est.)

Labor force: 25,000

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 40%, industry and commerce 32%,
services 28%

Unemployment rate: 23% (2000 est.)

Budget: revenues: $72 million expenditures: $79.9 million, including
capital expenditures of $11.5 million (FY97/98)

Industries: soap, coconut oil, tourism, copra, furniture, cement
blocks, shoes

Industrial production growth rate: -10% (1997 est.)

Electricity - production: 67 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 47.76% hydro: 52.24%
other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption: 62.31 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)

Agriculture - products: bananas, citrus, mangoes, root crops, coconuts,
cocoa; forest and fishery potential not exploited

Exports: $49 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Exports - commodities: bananas, soap, bay oil, vegetables, grapefruit,
oranges

Exports - partners: Caricom countries 47%, UK 36%, US 7% (1996 est.)

Imports: $132 million (c.i.f., 2000 est.)

Imports - commodities: manufactured goods, machinery and equipment,
food, chemicals

Imports - partners: US 41%, Caricom countries 25%, UK 13%, Netherlands,
Canada (1996 est.)

Debt - external: $150 million (2000)

Economic aid - recipient: $24.4 million (1995)

Currency: East Caribbean dollar (XCD)

Currency