Overview: Agriculture, dominated by banana production, is the most important sector of the economy. The services sector, based mostly on a growing tourist industry, is also important. The economy continues to have a high unemployment rate of 35%-40% because of an overdependence on the weather-plagued banana crop as a major export earner. Government progress toward diversifying into new industries has been relatively unsuccessful.

National product: GDP - exchange rate conversion - $171 million (1992 est.)

National product real growth rate: 3% (1992 est.)

National product per capita: $1,500 (1992 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.3% (1991 est.)

Unemployment rate: 35%-40% (1992 est.)

Budget: revenues $62 million; expenditures $67 million, including capital expenditures of $21 million (FY90 est.)

External debt: $50.9 million (1989)

Industrial production: growth rate 0% (1989); accounts for 14% of GDP

Electricity: 16,600 kW capacity; 64 million kWh produced, 555 kWh per capita (1992)

Industries: food processing, cement, furniture, clothing, starch

Agriculture: accounts for 15% of GDP and 60% of labor force; provides bulk of exports; products - bananas, coconuts, sweet potatoes, spices; small numbers of cattle, sheep, hogs, goats; small fish catch used locally

Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $11 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $81 million

Currency: 1 EC dollar (EC$)=100 cents

Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)

Fiscal year: calendar year