Overview: About 90% of the population depend on subsistence agriculture, fishing, and forestry for at least part of their livelihood. Agriculture, fishing, and forestry contribute about 75% to GDP, with the fishing and forestry sectors being important export earners. The service sector contributes about 25% to GDP. Most manufactured goods and petroleum products must be imported. The islands are rich in undeveloped mineral resources such as lead, zinc, nickel, and gold. The economy suffered from a severe cyclone in mid-1986 that caused widespread damage to the infrastructure.

GDP: $156 million, per capita $500 (1988); real growth rate 5.0% (1989 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 14.9% (1989)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget: revenues $44 million; expenditures $45 million, including capital expenditures of $22 million (1989 est.)

Exports: $75 million (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--fish 46%, timber 31%, copra 5%, palm oil 5%; partners--Japan 51%, UK 12%, Thailand 9%, Netherlands 8%, Australia 2%, US 2% (1985)

Imports: $117 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--plant and machinery 30%, fuel 19%, food 16%; partners--Japan 36%, US 23%, Singapore 9%, UK 9%, NZ 9%, Australia 4%, Hong Kong 4%, China 3% (1985)

External debt: $128 million (1988 est.)

Industrial production: growth rate 0% (1987); accounts for 5% of GDP

Electricity: 21,000 kW capacity; 39 million kWh produced, 115 kWh per capita (1990)

Industries: copra, fish (tuna)

Agriculture: including fishing and forestry, accounts for about 75% of GDP; mostly subsistence farming; cash crops--cocoa, beans, coconuts, palm kernels, timber; other products--rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit, cattle, pigs; not self-sufficient in food grains; 90% of the total fish catch of 44,500 metric tons was exported (1988)

Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1985), $16.1 million

Currency: Solomon Islands dollar (plural--dollars); 1 Solomon Islands dollar (SI$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: Solomon Islands dollars (SI$) per US$1--2.5934 (January 1991), 2.5288 (1990), 2.2932 (1989), 2.0825 (1988), 2.0033 (1987), 1.7415 (1986), 1.4808 (1985)

Fiscal year: calendar year

NOTE: The information regarding Solomon Islands on this page is re-published from the 1991 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Solomon Islands Economy 1991 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Solomon Islands Economy 1991 should be addressed to the CIA.