Economy - overview The economy depends primarily on financial assistance from the UK. The local population earns some income from fishing, the raising of livestock, and sales of handicrafts. Because there are few jobs, a large proportion of the work force has left to seek employment overseas.

GDP purchasing power parity - $NA

GDP - real growth rate NA%

GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $NA

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

Inflation rate - consumer price index NA%

Labor force
total: 2,416 (1991 est.)
by occupation: professional, technical, and related workers 8.7%, managerial, administrative, and clerical 12.8%, sales people 8.1%, farmer, fishermen, etc. 5.4%, craftspersons, production process workers 14.7%, others 50.3% (1987)
note: a large proportion of the work force has left to seek employment overseas

Unemployment rate NA%

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

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

Industrial production growth rate NA%

Electricity - capacity 4,000 kW (1995)

Electricity - production 6 million kWh (1995)

Electricity - consumption per capita 887 kWh (1995)

Agriculture - products maize, potatoes, vegetables; timber production being developed; fishing, including crawfishing on Tristan da Cunha

Exports
total value: $704,000 (f.o.b., 1995)
commodities: fish (frozen, canned, and salt-dried skipjack, tuna), handicrafts
partners: South Africa, UK

Imports
total value: $14.434 million (c.i.f., 1995)
commodities: food, beverages, tobacco, fuel oils, animal feed, building materials, motor vehicles and parts, machinery and parts
partners: UK, South Africa

Debt - external $NA

Economic aid
recipient: $5.3 million from UK (1997)

Currency 1 Saint Helenian pound (£S) = 100 pence

Exchange rates Saint Helenian pounds (£S) per US$1 - 0.6115 (January 1998), 0.6047 (1997), 0.6403 (1996), 0.6335 (1995), 0.6529 (1994), 0.6658 (1993); note - the Saint Helenian pound is at par with the British pound

Fiscal year 1 April - 31 March

NOTE: The information regarding Saint Helena on this page is re-published from the 1998 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Saint Helena Economy 1998 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Saint Helena Economy 1998 should be addressed to the CIA.