Overview: The economy is based primarily on subsistence farming that provides a living for about 80% of the population. Agriculture, fishing, tourism, and the finance sector provide almost all foreign revenue. Mineral deposits are negligible, and the country has no known petroleum deposits. There is some light industry that caters mainly to the local market.

GDP: $84 million, per capita $580; real growth rate - 1.0% (1986)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.6% (1987)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget: revenues $53 million; expenditures $58 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1986)

Exports: $17.0 million, including reexports of $5.5 million (f.o.b., 1987); @m5commodities--copra 37%, cocoa 11%, meat 9%, fish 8%, timber 4%; @m5partners--Netherlands 34%, France 27%, Japan 17%, Belgium 4%, New Caledonia 3%, Singapore 2%

Imports: $68.0 million, including reexports of $2 million (f.o.b., 1987); @m5commodities--machines and vehicles 25%, food and beverages 23%, basic manufactures 18%, raw materials and fuels 11%, chemicals 6%; @m5partners--Australia 36%, Japan 13%, NZ 10%, France 8%, Fiji 5%

External debt: $109 million (1985)

Industrial production: growth rate NA%

Electricity: 10,000 kW capacity; 20 million kWh produced, 130 kWh per capita (1988)

Industries: food and fish freezing, forestry processing, meat canning

Agriculture: export crops--copra, cocoa, coffee, and fish; subsistence crops--copra, taro, yams, coconuts, fruits, and vegetables

Aid: Australia (1970-86), $55 million

Currency: vatu (plural--vatu); 1 vatu (VT) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates: vatu (VT) per US$1--107.17 (January 1989), 104.43 (1988), 109.85 (1987), 106.08 (1986), 106.03 (1985)

Fiscal year: calendar year

NOTE: The information regarding Vanuatu on this page is re-published from the 1989 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Vanuatu Economy 1989 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Vanuatu Economy 1989 should be addressed to the CIA.