Economía - descripción: Cape Verde's low per capita GDP reflects a poor natural resource base, including serious water shortages exacerbated by cycles of long-term drought. The economy is service-oriented, with commerce, transport, and public services accounting for almost 70% of GDP. Although nearly 70% of the population lives in rural areas, the share of agriculture in GDP in 1998 was only 13%, of which fishing accounts for 1.5%. About 90% of food must be imported. The fishing potential, mostly lobster and tuna, is not fully exploited. Cape Verde annually runs a high trade deficit, financed by foreign aid and remittances from emigrants; remittances constitute a supplement to GDP of more than 20%. Economic reforms, launched by the new democratic government in 1991, are aimed at developing the private sector and attracting foreign investment to diversify the economy. Prospects for 2000 depend heavily on the maintenance of aid flows, remittances, and the momentum of the government's development program.

Producto Bruto Interno (PBI): purchasing power parity - $618 million (1999 est.)

PBI - Indice de Incremento real: 5% (1999 est.)

PBI - por capital: purchasing power parity - $1,500 (1999 est.)

PBI - Composición por Sector:
agriculture: 13%
industry: 19%
services: 68% (1998)

Población bajo linea de pobertad: NA%

Ingreso en casa o porcentage de consumción:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Indice de Inflación (precios del consumidor): 5% (1999)

Fuerza Laboral: NA

Indice de desempleo: NA%

Presupuesto:
revenues: $188 million
expenditures: $228 million, including capital expenditures of $116 million (1996)

Industrias: food and beverages, fish processing, shoes and garments, salt mining, ship repair

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricidad - Producción: 40 million kWh (1998)

Electricidad - producción por fuente:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1998)

Electricidad - consumción: 37 million kWh (1998)

Electricidad - exportaciones: 0 kWh (1998)

Electricidad - importaciones: 0 kWh (1998)

Agricultura - productos: bananas, corn, beans, sweet potatoes, sugarcane, coffee, peanuts; fish

Exportaciones: $38 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.)

Exporationes - comodidades: fuel, shoes, garments, fish, bananas, hides

Exportaciones - socios: Portugal, Germany, Spain, France, UK, Malaysia

Importaciones: $225 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.)

Importaciones - comodidades: foodstuffs, industrial products, transport equipment, fuels

Importaciones - socios: Portugal, Netherlands, France, UK, Spain, US

Deuda - externa: $220 million (1998)

Ayuda economica - recipiente: $111.3 million (1995)

Moneda: 1 Cape Verdean escudo (CVEsc) = 100 centavos

Indice de intercambio: Cape Verdean escudos (CVEsc) per US$1 - 107.280 (December 1999), 102.700 (1999), 98.158 (1998), 93.177 (1997), 82.591 (1996), 76.853 (1995)

Año Fiscal: calendar year