Economy - overview:
Since 1962, when France stationed military personnel in the region, French Polynesia has changed from a subsistence agricultural economy to one in which a high proportion of the work force is either employed by the military or supports the tourist industry. With the halt of French nuclear testing in 1996, the military contribution to the economy fell sharply. Tourism accounts for about one-fourth of GDP and is a primary source of hard currency earnings. Other sources of income are pearl farming and deep-sea commercial fishing. The small manufacturing sector primarily processes agricultural products. The territory benefits substantially from development agreements with France aimed principally at creating new businesses and strengthening social services.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$4.58 billion (2003 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
NA

GDP - real growth rate:
NA% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$17,500 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 6%
industry: 18%
services: 76% (2002)

Labor force:
70,000 (1996)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 13%
industry: 19%
services: 68% (2002)

Unemployment rate:
11.8% (1994)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.5% (2002 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $1 billion
expenditures: $900 million; including capital expenditures of $185 million (1996)

Agriculture - products:
coconuts, vanilla, vegetables, fruits, coffee; poultry, beef, dairy products

Industries:
tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts, phosphates

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
493.7 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - consumption:
459.2 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption:
4,800 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day

Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2003 est.)

Exports:
$385 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities:
cultured pearls, coconut products, mother-of-pearl, vanilla, shark meat

Exports - partners:
France 36.6%, Japan 22.7%, US 16.1%, Niger 13%, Thailand 4.1% (2004)

Imports:
$1.437 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities:
fuels, foodstuffs, machinery and equipment

Imports - partners:
France 46.9%, NZ 9%, Singapore 8.5%, Australia 8.5%, US 7.2% (2004)

Debt - external:
$NA

Economic aid - recipient:
$367 million (1997)

Currency (code):
Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (XPF)

Exchange rates:
Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 95.89 (2005), 96.04 (2004), 105.66 (2003), 126.71 (2002), 133.26 (2001)
note: pegged at the rate of 119.25 XPF to the euro