Overview: The economy is based on sugar, manufacturing (mainly textiles), and tourism. Sugarcane is grown on about 90% of the cultivated land area and accounts for 40% of export earnings. The government's development strategy centers on industrialization (with a view to exports), agricultural diversification, and tourism. Economic performance in 1992 was impressive, with 6% real growth and low unemployment.

National product: GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $8.6 billion (1993 est.)

National product real growth rate: 6.3% (1992 est.)

National product per capita: $7,800 (1993 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.6% (1992 est.)

Unemployment rate: 2.4% (1991 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $557 million
expenditures: $607 million, including capital expenditures of $111 million (1990 est.)

Exports: $1.32 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
commodities: textiles 44%, sugar 40%, light manufactures 10%
partners: EC and US have preferential treatment, EU 77%, US 15%

Imports: $1.63 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
commodities: manufactured goods 50%, capital equipment 17%, foodstuffs 13%, petroleum products 8%, chemicals 7%
partners: EC, US, South Africa, Japan

External debt: $991 million (1992 est.)

Industrial production: growth rate 7% (1990); accounts for 25% of GDP

Electricity:
capacity: 235,000 kW
production: 630 million kWh
consumption per capita: 570 kWh (1992)

Industries: food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles, wearing apparel, chemicals, metal products, transport equipment, nonelectrical machinery, tourism

Agriculture: accounts for 10% of GDP; about 90% of cultivated land in sugarcane; other products - tea, corn, potatoes, bananas, pulses, cattle, goats, fish; net food importer, especially rice and fish

Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; heroin consumption and transshipment are growing problems

Economic aid:
recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $76 million; Western (non-US) countries (1970-89), $709 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $54 million

Currency: 1 Mauritian rupee (MauR) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Mauritian rupees (MauRs) per US$1 - 18.696 (January 1994), 17.648 (1993), 15.563 (1992), 15.652 (1991), 14.839 (1990), 15.250 (1989)

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

NOTE: The information regarding Mauritius 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 Mauritius Economy 1995 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Mauritius Economy 1995 should be addressed to the CIA.