Puerto Rico Economy

Economy - overview: Puerto Rico has one of the most dynamic economies in the Caribbean region. A diverse industrial sector has far surpassed agriculture as the primary locus of economic activity and income. Encouraged by duty-free access to the US and by tax incentives, US firms have invested heavily in Puerto Rico since the 1950s. US minimum wage laws apply. Sugar production has lost out to dairy production and other livestock products as the main source of income in the agricultural sector. Tourism has traditionally been an important source of income, with estimated arrivals of nearly 5 million tourists in 1999. Growth fell off in 2001-03, largely due to the slowdown in the US economy, and has recovered in 2004.

GDP:

GDP - real growth rate: 2.7% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $17,700 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1% industry: 45% services: 54% (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA

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

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

Labor force: 1.3 million (2000)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 3%, industry 20%, services 77% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate: 12% (2002)

Budget: revenues: $6.7 billion expenditures: $9.6 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (FY99/00)

Industries: pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, food products, tourism

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity - production: 22.09 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - production by source:

Electricity - consumption: 20.54 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2002)

Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption: 190,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports: NA

Oil - imports: NA

Oil - proved reserves:

Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption: 630 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports: 630 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

Agriculture - products: sugarcane, coffee, pineapples, plantains, bananas, livestock products, chickens

Exports: $46.9 billion f.o.b. (2001)

Exports - commodities: chemicals, electronics, apparel, canned tuna, rum, beverage concentrates, medical equipment

Exports - partners: US 90.3%, UK 1.6%, Netherlands 1.4%, Dominican Republic 1.4% (2002 est.)

Imports: $29.1 billion c.i.f. (2001)

Imports - commodities: chemicals, machinery and equipment, clothing, food, fish, petroleum products

Imports - partners: US 55.0%, Ireland 23.7%, Japan 5.4% (2002 est.)

Debt - external: NA

Economic aid - recipient: NA (2001)

Currency:

Currency code:

Exchange rates: the US dollar is used

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June



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Areas in Puerto Rico: Culebra | Dorado | Isla Verde | San Juan | Vieques