Economy - overview The economy depends on agriculture, tourism, light industry, and services. It is also dependent upon France for large subsidies and imports. Tourism is a key industry, with most tourists from the US; an increasingly large number of cruise ships visit the islands. The traditional sugarcane crop is slowly being replaced by other crops, such as bananas (which now supply about 50% of export earnings), eggplant, and flowers. Other vegetables and root crops are cultivated for local consumption, although Guadeloupe is still dependent on imported food, mainly from France. Light industry features sugar and rum production. Most manufactured goods and fuel are imported. Unemployment is especially high among the young.

GDP purchasing power parity - $3.7 billion (1995 est.)

GDP - real growth rate NA%

GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $9,200 (1995 est.)

GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 6%
industry: 9%
services: 85% (1993 est.)

Inflation rate - consumer price index 3.7% (1990)

Labor force
total: 128,000
by occupation: agriculture 15%, industry 20%, services 65% (1993)

Unemployment rate 31.3% (1995)

Budget
revenues: $300 million
expenditures: $460 million, including capital expenditures of $90 million (1995)

Industries construction, cement, rum, sugar, tourism

Industrial production growth rate NA%

Electricity - capacity 388,000 kW (1995)

Electricity - production 1 billion kWh (1995)

Electricity - consumption per capita 2,483 kWh (1995)

Agriculture - products bananas, sugarcane, tropical fruits and vegetables; cattle, pigs, goats

Exports
total value: $145 million (f.o.b., 1994)
commodities: bananas, sugar, rum
partners: France 75%, Martinique 13% (1994)

Imports
total value: $1.6 billion (c.i.f., 1994)
commodities: foodstuffs, fuels, vehicles, clothing and other consumer goods, construction materials
partners: France 64%, EU 13%, Martinique 4%, US, Japan (1994)

Debt - external $NA

Economic aid
recipient: ODA, $NA
note: substantial annual French subsidies

Currency 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates French francs (F) per US$1 - 6.0836 (January 1998), 5.8367 (1997), 5.1155(1996), 4.9915 (1995), 5.5520 (1994), 5.6632 (1993)

Fiscal year calendar year

NOTE: The information regarding Guadeloupe 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 Guadeloupe Economy 1998 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Guadeloupe Economy 1998 should be addressed to the CIA.