ng the development of a tourist industry to
relieve high unemployment, which amounts to more than 40% of the labor
force. The gap in Reunion between the well-off and the poor is
extraordinary and accounts for the persistent social tensions. The
white and Indian communities are substantially better off than other
segments of the population, often approaching European standards,
whereas minority groups suffer the poverty and unemployment typical of
the poorer nations of the African continent. The outbreak of severe
rioting in February 1991 illustrates the seriousness of socioeconomic
tensions. The economic well-being of Reunion depends heavily on
continued financial assistance from France.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $3.4 billion (1998 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 3.8% (1998 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $4,800 (1998 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%

Population below poverty line: NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%

Labor force: 261,000 (1995)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 8%, industry 19%, services
73% (1990)

Unemployment rate: 42.8% (1998)

Budget:
revenues: $1.2 billion
expenditures: $2.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $260
million (1995)

Industries: sugar, rum, cigarettes, handicraft items, flower oil
extraction

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity - production: 1.11 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 54.05%
hydro: 45.95%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1998)

Electricity - consumption: 1.032 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1998)

Agriculture - products: sugarcane, vanilla, tobacco, tropical fruits,
vegetables, corn

Exports: $214.162 million (f.o.b., 1997)

Exports - commodities: sugar 63%, rum and molasses 4%, perfume
essences 2%, lobster 3%, (1993)

Exports - partners: France 74%, Japan 6%, Comoros 4% (1994)

Imports: $2.5 billion (c.i.f., 1997)

Imports - commodities: manufactured goods, food, beverages, tobacco,
machinery and transportation equipment, raw materials, and petroleum
products

Imports - partners: France 64%, Bahrain 3%, Germany 3%, Italy 3%
(1994)

Debt - external: $NA

Economic aid - recipient: $NA; note - substantial annual subsidies
from France

Currency: 1 Frenc