Overview: The prosperous economy is based primarily on small-scale light industry and tourism. Industry accounts for 53% of total employment, the service sector 45% (mostly based on tourism), and agriculture and forestry 2%. The sale of postage stamps to collectors is estimated at $10 million annually. Low business taxes (the maximum tax rate is 20%) and easy incorporation rules have induced about 25,000 holding or so-called letter box companies to establish nominal offices in Liechtenstein. Such companies, incorporated solely for tax purposes, provide 30% of state revenues. The economy is tied closely to Switzerland's economy in a customs union, and incomes and living standards parallel those of the more prosperous Swiss groups.

National product: GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $630 million (1990 est.)

National product real growth rate: NA%

National product per capita: $22,300 (1990 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.4% (1990)

Unemployment rate: 1.5% (1990)

Budget:
revenues: $259 million
expenditures: $292 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990 est.)

Exports: $NA
commodities: small specialty machinery, dental products, stamps, hardware, pottery
partners: EFTA countries 20.9% (Switzerland 15.4%), EC countries 42.7%, other 36.4% (1990)

Imports: $NA
commodities: machinery, metal goods, textiles, foodstuffs, motor vehicles
partners: NA

External debt: $NA

Industrial production: growth rate NA%

Electricity:
capacity: 23,000 kW
production: 150 million kWh
consumption per capita: 5,230 kWh (1992)

Industries: electronics, metal manufacturing, textiles, ceramics, pharmaceuticals, food products, precision instruments, tourism

Agriculture: livestock, vegetables, corn, wheat, potatoes, grapes

Economic aid: none

Currency: 1 Swiss franc, franken, or franco (SwF) = 100 centimes, rappen, or centesimi
Exchange rates: Swiss francs, franken, or franchi (SwF) per US$1 - 1.4715 (January 1994), 1.4776 (1993), 1.4062 (1992), 1.4340 (1991), 1.3892 (1990), 1.6359 (1989)

Fiscal year: calendar year

NOTE: The information regarding Liechtenstein on this page is re-published from the 1995 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Liechtenstein Economy 1995 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Liechtenstein Economy 1995 should be addressed to the CIA.