Swiss Economy, Switzerland Economy

Economy - overview: Switzerland is a peaceful, prosperous, and stable modern market economy with low unemployment, a highly skilled labor force, and a per capita GDP larger than that of the big Western European economies. The Swiss in recent years have brought their economic practices largely into conformity with the EU's to enhance their international competitiveness. Switzerland remains a safe haven for investors, because it has maintained a degree of bank secrecy and has kept up the franc's long-term external value. Reflecting the anemic economic conditions of Europe, GDP growth dropped in 2001 to about 0.8%, to 0.2% in 2002, and to -0.3% in 2003, with a small rise to 1.8% in 2004. Even so, unemployment has remained at less than half the EU average.

GDP: 1% (FY01)

GDP - real growth rate: 1.8% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita: Purchasing power parity - $33,800 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: Agriculture: 1.5% industry: 34% services: 64.5% (2003 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share: Lowest 10%: 2.6% highest 10%: 25.2% (1992)

Distribution of family income - Gini index: 33.1 (1992)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

Labor force: 3.77 million (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: Agriculture 4.6%, industry 26.3%, services 69.1% (1998)

Unemployment rate: 3.4% (2004 est.)

Budget: Revenues: $131.5 billion expenditures: $140.4 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)

Industries: Machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles, precision instruments

Industrial production growth rate: 4.7% (2004 est.)

Electricity - production: 63.47 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - production by source:

Electricity - consumption: 54.53 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports: 32.3 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports: 27.8 billion kWh (2002)

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

Oil - consumption: 290,400 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports: 10,420 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports: 289,500 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:

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

Natural gas - consumption: 3.093 billion cu m (2001 est.)

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

Natural gas - imports: 3.093 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

Agriculture - products: Grains, fruits, vegetables; meat, eggs

Exports: $130.7 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities: Machinery, chemicals, metals, watches, agricultural products

Exports - partners: Germany 20.2%, US 10.5%, France 8.7%, Italy 8.3%, UK 5.1%, Spain 4% (2004)

Imports: $121.1 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities: Machinery, chemicals, vehicles, metals; agricultural products, textiles

Imports - partners: Germany 32.8%, Italy 11.3%, France 9.9%, US 5.2%, Netherlands 5%, Austria 4.3% (2004)

Debt - external: $NA (2000)

Economic aid - recipient:

Currency:

Currency code:

Exchange rates: Swiss francs per US dollar - 1.2435 (2004), 1.3467 (2003), 1.5586 (2002), 1.6876 (2001), 1.6888 (2000)

Fiscal year: Calendar year

Facts, Flags, Maps for all the world's countries

The information here has been derived from Public Domain Sources such as the CIA World Factbook. No liability can be taken for any inaccuracies.

Tot: 0.116s; Tpl: 0.009s; cc: 6; qc: 8; dbt: 0.0204s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1; ; mem: 1.1mb