Economy - overview Tourism, petroleum refining, and offshore finance are the mainstays of this small economy, which is closely tied to the outside world. Although GDP has declined in each of the past five years, the islands enjoy a high per capita income and a well-developed infrastructure compared with other countries in the region. Almost all consumer and capital goods are imported, the US and Mexico being the major suppliers. Poor soils and inadequate water supplies hamper the development of agriculture.

GDP purchasing power parity - $2.4 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate -3.5% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $11,400 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 1%
industry: 15%
services: 84% (1996 est.)

Population below poverty line NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 5.8% (2000 est.)

Labor force 89,000

Labor force - by occupation agriculture 1%, industry 13%, services 86% (1994 est.)

Unemployment rate 15% (1998 est.)

Budget
revenues: $710.8 million
expenditures: $741.6 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)

Industries tourism (Curacao, Sint Maarten, and Bonaire), petroleum refining (Curacao), petroleum transshipment facilities (Curacao and Bonaire), light manufacturing (Curacao)

Industrial production growth rate NA%

Electricity - production 1.175 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption 1.093 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2000)

Agriculture - products aloes, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit

Exports $276 million (f.o.b., 2000)

Exports - commodities petroleum products

Exports - partners US 35.9%, Guatemala 9.4%, Venezuela 8.7%, France 5.4%, Singapore 2.8% (2000)

Imports $1.5 billion (f.o.b., 2000)

Imports - commodities crude petroleum, food, manufactures

Imports - partners US 25.8%, Mexico 20.7%, Gabon 6.6%, Italy 5.8%, Netherlands 5.5% (2000)

Debt - external $1.35 billion (1996)

Economic aid - recipient IMF provided $61 million in 2000, and the Netherlands continued its support with $40 million

Currency Netherlands Antillean guilder (ANG)

Currency code ANG

Exchange rates Netherlands Antillean guilders per US dollar - 1.790 (fixed rate since 1989)

Fiscal year calendar year

NOTE: The information regarding Netherlands Antilles on this page is re-published from the 2002 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Netherlands Antilles Economy 2002 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Netherlands Antilles Economy 2002 should be addressed to the CIA.