Cayman Islands Economy - 2006

Economy - overview:
With no direct taxation, the islands are a thriving offshore financial center. More than 40,000 companies were registered in the Cayman Islands as of 1998, including almost 600 banks and trust companies; banking assets exceed $500 billion. A stock exchange was opened in 1997. Tourism is also a mainstay, accounting for about 70% of GDP and 75% of foreign currency earnings. The tourist industry is aimed at the luxury market and caters mainly to visitors from North America. Total tourist arrivals exceeded 1.2 million in 1997, with 600,000 from the US. About 90% of the islands' food and consumer goods must be imported. The Caymanians enjoy one of the highest outputs per capita and one of the highest standards of living in the world.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1.391 billion (2004 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
NA

GDP - real growth rate:
1.7% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$32,300 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1.4%
industry: 3.2%
services: 95.4% (1994 est.)

Labor force:
19,820 (1995)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 1.4%
industry: 12.6%
services: 86% (1995)

Unemployment rate:
4.1% (1997)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.8% (2002)

Budget:
revenues: $265.2 million
expenditures: $248.9 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (1997)

Agriculture - products:
vegetables, fruit; livestock; turtle farming

Industries:
tourism, banking, insurance and finance, construction, construction materials, furniture

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
441.9 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - consumption:
411 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2003)

Oil - consumption:
2,450 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:
$1.2 million (1999)

Exports - commodities:
turtle products, manufactured consumer goods

Exports - partners:
mostly US (2004)

Imports:
$457.4 million (1999)

Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, manufactured goods

Imports - partners:
US, Trinidad and Tobago, UK, Netherlands Antilles, Japan (2004)

Debt - external:
$70 million (1996)

Economic aid - recipient:
$NA

Currency (code):
Caymanian dollar (KYD)

Exchange rates:
Caymanian dollars per US dollar - 0.82 (29 October 2001), 0.83 (3 November 1995), 0.85 (22 November 1993)