-thirds of the
12,000 inhabitants fled the island. Some began to return in 1998, but
lack of housing limited the number. The agriculture sector continued
to be affected by the lack of suitable land for farming and the
destruction of crops. Construction was the dominant activity in 1997
and 1998. GDP declined again in 1998. Prospects for the economy depend
largely on developments in relation to the volcano and on public
sector construction activity. The UK committed about $100 million in
1996-98 to help reconstruct the economy and has programmed additional
aid for 1999-2001.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $31 million (1998 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: -16% (1998 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $NA

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 5.4%
industry: 13.6%
services: 81% (1996 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5% (1998)

Labor force: 4,521 (1992); note - recently lowered by flight of people
from volcanic activity

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services
NA%

Unemployment rate: 20% (1996 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $31.4 million
expenditures: $31.6 million, including capital expenditures of $8.4
million (1997 est.)

Industries: tourism, rum, textiles, electronic appliances

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity - production: 10 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1998)

Electricity - consumption: 9 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1998)

Agriculture - products: cabbages, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes,
onions, peppers; livestock products

Exports: $1.5 million (1998)

Exports - commodities: electronic components, plastic bags, apparel,
hot peppers, live plants, cattle

Exports - partners: US, Antigua and Barbuda (1993)

Imports: $26 million (1998)

Imports - commodities: machinery and transportation equipment,
foodstuffs, manufactured goods, fuels, lubricants, and related
materials

Imports - partners: US, UK, Trinidad and Tobago, Japan, Canada (1993)

Debt - external: $8.9 million (1997)

Economic aid - recipient: $9.8 million (1995); note - about $100
million (1996-98) in reconstruction aid from the UK; Country Policy
Plan (1999) is a three-year program for spend