Economy - overview: The economy depends largely on financial assistance from the UK, which amounted to about $5 million in 1997 or almost one-half of annual budgetary revenues. The local population earns income from fishing, raising livestock, and sales of handicrafts. Because there are few jobs, 25% of the work force has left to seek employment on Ascension Island, on the Falklands, and in the UK.

GDP:

GDP - real growth rate: NA

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,500 (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

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

Labor force: 3,500 note: 1,200 work offshore (1998 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture and fishing 6%, industry (mainly construction) 48%, services 46% (1987 est.)

Unemployment rate: 14% (1998 est.)

Budget: revenues: $11.2 million expenditures: $11 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY92/93)

Industries: construction, crafts (furniture, lacework, fancy woodwork), fishing

Industrial production growth rate: NA

Electricity - production: 5 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - production by source:

Electricity - consumption: 4.65 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2002)

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

Oil - consumption: 200 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports: NA

Oil - imports: NA

Oil - proved reserves:

Natural gas - production:

Natural gas - consumption:

Natural gas - exports:

Natural gas - imports:

Natural gas - proved reserves:

Agriculture - products: corn, potatoes, vegetables; timber; fish, crawfish (on Tristan da Cunha)

Exports: $17 million f.o.b. (2002)

Exports - commodities: fish (frozen, canned, and salt-dried skipjack, tuna), coffee, handicrafts

Exports - partners: Tanzania 30.3%, US 23.8%, Japan 10.4%, UK 7.1%, Spain 6.3% (2004)

Imports: $42 million c.i.f. (2002)

Imports - commodities: food, beverages, tobacco, fuel oils, animal feed, building materials, motor vehicles and parts, machinery and parts

Imports - partners: UK 35.7%, US 17.6%, South Africa 17.5%, Tanzania 10.4%, Australia 5.5%, Spain 4.1% (2004)

Debt - external: NA (1996)

Economic aid - recipient: $12.6 million (1995); note - $5.3 million from UK (1997)

Currency:

Currency code:

Exchange rates: Saint Helenian pounds per US dollar - 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001), 0.6609 (2000) note: the Saint Helenian pound is on par with the British pound

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March