nd liberalized than the one inherited by its predecessor. Even
though export demand is likely to remain slack in some key markets -
especially the Andean countries - GDP growth in 2000 probably will be
3% to 4%. Key reform initiatives from the previous administration -
including the privatization of public utilities - remain uncompleted.
Although President MOSCOSO is unlikely to overturn any previous
reforms, her populist leanings make it unlikely any new initiatives
will be undertaken in the near future. Indeed, the government has
failed to formulate a comprehensive economic policy framework, and the
only concrete step it has taken by yearend 1999 has been a hike in
agricultural tariffs.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $21 billion (1999 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 4.4% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $7,600 (1999 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 8%
industry: 25%
services: 67% (1997 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 0.5%
highest 10%: 42.5% (1991)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5% (1999 est.)
Labor force: 1.044 million (1997 est.)
note: shortage of skilled labor, but an oversupply of unskilled labor
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 18%, industry 18%, services
64% (1997 est.)
Unemployment rate: 13.1% (1997 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $2.4 billion
expenditures: $2.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $341
million (1997 est.)
Industries: construction, petroleum refining, brewing, cement and
other construction materials, sugar milling
Industrial production growth rate: 0.4% (1995 est.)
Electricity - production: 4.523 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 25.56%
hydro: 73.78%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0.66% (1998)
Electricity - consumption: 4.329 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity - exports: 13 million kWh (1998)
Electricity - imports: 136 million kWh (1998)
Agriculture - products: bananas, rice, corn, coffee, sugarcane,
vegetables; livestock; shrimp
Exports: $4.7 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.)
Exports - commodities: bananas, shrimp, sugar, coffee
Exports - partners: US 40%, Sweden, Costa Rica, Spain, Benelux,
Honduras (1998)
Imports: $6.4 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.)
Imports - commodities: capital goods, crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer
goods, chemicals
Imports - partners: US 40%, Central America and Caribbean, Japan
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