Short facts about the economy in Cayman Islands

Economy - overview:

With no direct taxation, the islands are a thriving offshore financial center. More than 40,000 companies were registered in the Cayman Islands as of 1997, including almost 600 banks and trust companies; banking assets exceed $500 billion. A stock exchange was opened in 1997. Tourism is also a mainstay, accounting for about 70% of GDP and 75% of foreign currency earnings. The tourist industry is aimed at the luxury market and caters mainly to visitors from North America. Total tourist arrivals exceeded 1.2 million visitors in 1997. About 90% of the islands' food and consumer goods must be imported. The Caymanians enjoy one of the highest outputs per capita and one of the highest standards of living in the world.

GDP:	purchasing power parity - $930 million (1997 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

4.9% (1999 est.)

GDP - per capita:

purchasing power parity - $24,500 (1997 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture:  1.4% industry:  3.2% services:  95.4% (1994 est.)

Population below poverty line:

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%:  NA% highest 10%:  NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

3% (1998)

Labor force:

19,820 (1995)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture 1.4%, industry 12.6%, services 86% (1995)

Unemployment rate:

4.1% (1997)

Budget:

revenues:  $265.2 million expenditures:  $248.9 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997)

Industries:

tourism, banking, insurance and finance, construction, construction materials, furniture

Industrial production growth rate:

NA%

Electricity - production:

330 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel:  100% hydro:  0% nuclear:  0% other:  0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption:

306.9 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products:

vegetables, fruit; livestock, turtle farming

Exports:

$1.5 million (1998)

Exports - commodities:

turtle products, manufactured consumer goods

Exports - partners:

mostly US

Imports:

$507.6 million (1998)

Imports - commodities:

foodstuffs, manufactured goods

Imports - partners:

US, Trinidad and Tobago, UK, Netherlands Antilles, Japan

Debt - external:

$70 million (1996)

Economic aid - recipient:

$NA

Currency:

Caymanian dollar (KYD)

Currency code:

KYD

Exchange rates:

Caymanian dollars per US dollar - 0.83 (3 November 1995), 0.85 (22 November 1993)

Fiscal year:

1 April - 31 March

Source: World Factbook