Economy - overview:
This island economy suffers from a poor natural resource base,
including serious water shortages exacerbated by cycles of long-term
drought. The economy is service-oriented, with commerce, transport,
tourism, and public services accounting for 72% of GDP. Although
nearly 70% of the population lives in rural areas, the share of
agriculture in GDP in 2001 was only 11%, of which fishing accounts
for 1.5%. About 82% of food must be imported. The fishing potential,
mostly lobster and tuna, is not fully exploited. Cape Verde annually
runs a high trade deficit, financed by foreign aid and remittances
from emigrants; remittances supplement GDP by more than 20%.
Economic reforms are aimed at developing the private sector and
attracting foreign investment to diversify the economy. Prospects
for 2003 depend heavily on the maintenance of aid flows, tourism,
remittances, and the momentum of the government's development
program.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $600 million (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,400 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 11%
industry: 17%
services: 72% (2001)
Population below poverty line:
30% (2000)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3% (2002)
Labor force:
NA
Unemployment rate:
21% (2000 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $112 million
expenditures: $198 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2000)
Industries:
food and beverages, fish processing, shoes and garments, salt
mining, ship repair
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
42.03 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:
39.08 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
2,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
NA (2001)
Oil - imports:
NA (2001)
Agriculture - products:
bananas, corn, beans, sweet potatoes, sugarcane, coffee, peanuts;
fish
Exports:
$30 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities:
fuel, shoes, garments, fish, hides
Exports - partners:
Portugal 38.5%, UK 26.4%, France 23.1%, US 8.2% (2002)
Imports:
$220 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, industrial products, transport equipment, fuels
Imports - partners:
Portugal 49.1%, Netherlands 7.2%, Germany 5.7% (2002)
Debt - external:
$325 million (2002)
Economic aid - recipient:
$136 million (1999)
Currency:
Cape Verdean escudo (CVE)
Currency code:
CVE
Exchange rates:
Cape Verdean escudos (CVE) per US dollar - NA (2002), 123.21
(2001), 115.88 (2000), 102.7 (1999), 98.16 (1998)
Fiscal year:
calendar year