Economy - overview:
The Greek Cypriot economy is prosperous but highly susceptible to
external shocks. Erratic growth rates over the past decade reflect
the economy's vulnerability to swings in tourist arrivals, caused by
political instability in the region and fluctuations in economic
conditions in Western Europe. Economic policy is focused on meeting
the criteria for admission to the EU. As in the Turkish sector,
water shortages are a perennial problem; a few desalination plants
are now online. The Turkish Cypriot economy has roughly one-third of
the per capita GDP of the south. Because it is recognized only by
Turkey, it has had much difficulty arranging foreign financing and
investment. It remains heavily dependent on agriculture and
government service, which together employ about half of the work
force. To compensate for the economy's weakness, Turkey provides
grants and loans to support economic development. Ankara provided
$200 million in 2002 and pledged $450 million for the 2003-05
period. Future events throughout the island will be highly
influenced by the outcome of negotiations on the UN-sponsored
agreement to unite the Greek and Turkish areas and by the
arrangements under which the island joins the EU.
GDP:
Greek Cypriot area: purchasing power parity - $9.4 billion (2001
est.); Turkish Cypriot area: purchasing power parity - $787 million
(2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
Greek Cypriot area: 1.7% (2001 est.); Turkish Cypriot area: 2.6%
(2002 est.)
GDP - per capita:
Greek Cypriot area: purchasing power parity - $15,000 (2001 est.);
Turkish Cypriot area: purchasing power parity - $6,000 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
Greek Cypriot area: agriculture 4.6%; industry 19.9%; services 19.9%
Turkish Cypriot area: agriculture 75.5%; industry 20.7%; services
71% (2001)
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Greek Cypriot area: 2.8% (2001 est.); Turkish Cypriot area: 24.5%
(2002 est.)
Labor force:
Greek Cypriot area: 291,000; Turkish Cypriot area: 86,300 (2000)
Labor force - by occupation:
Greek Cypriot area: services 73%, industry 22%, agriculture 5%
(2000); Turkish Cypriot area: services 56.4%, industry 22.8%,
agriculture 20.8% (1998)
Unemployment rate:
Greek Cypriot area: 3.3%; Turkish Cypriot area: 5.6% (2002 est.)
Budget:
revenues: Greek Cypriot area - $4.4 billion, Turkish Cypriot area -
$231.3 million (2002 est.)
expenditures: $3.7 billion, Greek Cypriot area - $539 million,
including capital expenditures of $539 million, Turkish Cypriot area
- $432.8 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.)
Industries:
food, beverages, textiles, chemicals, metal products, tourism, wood
products
Industrial production growth rate:
Greek Cypriot area: -1.4% (2002); Turkish Cypriot area: -0.3% (2002)
Electricity - production:
3.401 billion kWh; Turkish Cypriot area: NA kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
other: 0% (2001)
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:
Greek Cypriot area: 3.163 billion kWh; Turkish Cypriot area: NA kWh
(2001)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
49,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
NA (2001)
Oil - imports:
NA (2001)
Agriculture - products:
potatoes, citrus, vegetables, barley, grapes, olives, vegetables
Exports:
Greek Cypriot area: $1.03 billion f.o.b. Turkish Cypriot area: $46
million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities:
Greek Cypriot area: citrus, potatoes, pharmaceuticals, cement,
clothing and cigarettes; Turkish Cypriot area: citrus, potatoes,
textiles
Exports - partners:
UK 28.2%, Greece 7%, UAE 5.3%, France 5.2% (2002)
Imports:
Greek Cypriot area: $3.9 billion f.o.b.; Turkish Cypriot area: $301
million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities:
Greek Cypriot area: consumer goods, petroleum and lubricants,
intermediate goods, machinery, transport equipment; Turkish Cypriot
area: food, minerals, chemicals, machinery
Imports - partners:
Russia 17.9%, Greece 7.4%, Germany 6.7%, France 6.6%, UK 6.6%,
Italy 6.6%, South Korea 5.7%, Japan 5.3% (2002)
Debt - external:
Greek Cypriot area: $8 billion; Turkish Cypriot area: $NA (2002)
Economic aid - recipient:
Greek Cypriot area - $17 million (1998);; Turkish Cypriot area -
$700 million from Turkey in grants and loans (1990-97), which are
usually forgiven (1998)
Currency:
Greek Cypriot area: Cypriot pound (CYP); Turkish Cypriot area:
Turkish lira (TRL)
Currency code:
CYP; TRL
Exchange rates:
Cypriot pounds per US dollar - 0.61 (2002), 0.64 (2001), 0.62
(2000), 0.54 (1999), 0.52 (1998), Turkish lira per US dollar NA
(2002), 1,225,590 (2001), 625,218 (2000), 418,783 (1999), 260,724
(1998)
Fiscal year:
calendar year