constrained by a limited water supply and a labor shortage stemming from the lure of higher wages in tourism and construction. Manufacturing comprises enclave-type assembly for export with major products being bedding, handicrafts, and electronic components. Prospects for economic growth in the medium term will continue to depend on income growth in the industrialized world, especially in the US, which accounts for slightly more than one-third of tourist arrivals. Since taking office in 2004, the SPENCER government has adopted an ambitious fiscal reform program, but will continue to be saddled by its debt burden with a debt-to-GDP ratio exceeding 100%.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1.526 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$1.089 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
6.1% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$18,300 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3.8% industry: 22% services: 74.3% (2002 est.)
Labor force:
30,000 (1991)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 7% industry: 11% services: 82% (1983)
Unemployment rate:
11% (2001 est.)
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $123.7 million expenditures: $145.9 million (2000 est.)
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.5% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
6.5% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
10.44% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$294.8 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$902 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$1.002 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
cotton, fruits, vegetables, bananas, coconuts, cucumbers, mangoes, sugarcane; livestock
Industries:
tourism, construction, light manufacturing (clothing, alcohol, household appliances)
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
105 million kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
97.65 million kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
4,109 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
157.7 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
4,556 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Current account balance:
$-211 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
$84.3 million (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
petroleum products, bedding, handicrafts, electronic components, transport equipment, food and live animals
Exports - partners:
Spain 34%, Germany 20.7%, Italy 7.7%, Singapore 5.8%, UK 4.9% (2006)
Imports:
$522.8 million (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
food and live animals, machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, oil
Imports - partners:
US 21.1%, China 16.4%, Germany 13.3%, Singapore 12.7%, Spain 6.5% (2006)
Economic aid - recipient:
$7.23 million (2005)
Debt - external:
$359.8 million (June 2006)
Currency (code):
East Caribbean dollar (XCD)
Currency code:
XCD
Exchange rates:
East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - 2.7 (2007), 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003) note: fixed rate since 1976
Communications
Antigua and Barbuda
Telephones - main lines in use:
37,500 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
110,200 (2006)
Telephone system:
general assessment: NA domestic: good automatic telephone system international: country code - 1–268; landing point for the East Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) submarine cable with links to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad; satellite earth stations - 2; tropospheric scatter to Saba (Netherlands Antilles) and Guadeloupe (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 4, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios:
36,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
2 (1997)
Televisions:
31,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.ag
Internet hosts:
2,215