| Economy - overview | The economy consists primarily of tourism, subsistence agriculture, and fishing. The government is the major employer of the work force, relying heavily on financial assistance from the US. Business and tourist arrivals numbered 63,000 in 2003. The population enjoys a per capita income roughly 50% higher than that of the Philippines and much of Micronesia. Long-run prospects for the key tourist sector have been greatly bolstered by the expansion of air travel in the Pacific, the rising prosperity of leading East Asian countries, and the willingness of foreigners to finance infrastructure development. |
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| GDP | NA |
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| GDP - real growth rate | 5.5% (2005 est.) |
|
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 6.2%
industry: 12%
services: 81.8% (2003) |
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| Population below poverty line | NA% |
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Household income or consumption
by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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| Labor force | 9,777 (2005) |
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| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 20%
industry: NA%
services: NA% (1990) |
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| Unemployment rate | 4.2% (2005 est.) |
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| Budget | revenues: $72.07 million
expenditures: $72.43 million; including capital expenditures of $12.98 million (FY04/05 est.) |
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| Industries | tourism, craft items (from shell, wood, pearls), construction, garment making |
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| Industrial production growth rate | NA% |
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Electricity -
production by source | NA |
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| Agriculture - products | coconuts, copra, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes; fish |
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| Exports | $5.882 million f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
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| Exports - commodities | shellfish, tuna, copra, garments |
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| Exports - partners | US, Japan, Singapore (2004) |
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| Imports | $107.3 million f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
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| Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, fuels, metals; foodstuffs |
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| Imports - partners | US, Singapore, Japan, South Korea (2004) |
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| Debt - external | $0 (FY99/00) |
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| Economic aid - recipient | $19.6 million; note - the Compact of Free Association with the US, entered into after the end of the UN trusteeship on 1 October 1994, provides Palau with up to $700 million in US aid over 15 years in return for furnishing military facilities (2004) |
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| Currency code | USD |
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| Exchange rates | the US dollar is used |
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| Fiscal year | 1 October - 30 September |
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