Mauritius:
Economy

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Economy - overview	Definition Since independence in 1968, Mauritius has developed from a low-income, agriculturally based economy to a middle-income diversified economy with growing industrial, financial, and tourist sectors. For most of the period, annual growth has been in the order of 5% to 6%. This remarkable achievement has been reflected in more equitable income distribution, increased life expectancy, lowered infant mortality, and a much-improved infrastructure. The economy rests on sugar, tourism, textiles and apparel, and financial services, and is expanding into fish processing, information and communications technology, and hospitality and property development. Sugarcane is grown on about 90% of the cultivated land area and accounts for 15% of export earnings. The government's development strategy centers on creating vertical and horizontal clusters of development in these sectors. Mauritius has attracted more than 32,000 offshore entities, many aimed at commerce in India, South Africa, and China. Investment in the banking sector alone has reached over $1 billion. Mauritius, with its strong textile sector, has been well poised to take advantage of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
GDP (purchasing power parity)	Definition - World rank and map $14.06 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)	Definition $6.959 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	Definition - World rank and map 4.6% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita	Definition - World rank and map $11,200 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	Definition agriculture: 4.8% industry: 25% services: 70.1% (2007 est.)
Labor force	Definition 574,000 (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	Definition agriculture and fishing 9%, construction and industry 30%, transportation and communication 7%, trade, restaurants, hotels 22%, finance 6%, other services 25% (2007)
Unemployment rate	Definition - World rank and map 8.8% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line	Definition 8% (2006 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	Definition lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Distribution of family income - Gini index	Definition - World rank and map 39 (2006 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	Definition - World rank and map 8.8% (2007 est.)
Investment (gross fixed)	Definition - World rank and map 25.1% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget	Definition revenues: $1.331 billion expenditures: $1.632 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2007 est.)
Public debt	Definition - World rank and map 58.8% of GDP (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products	Definition sugarcane, tea, corn, potatoes, bananas, pulses; cattle, goats; fish
Industries	Definition food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles, clothing, mining, chemicals, metal products, transport equipment, nonelectrical machinery, tourism
Industrial production growth rate	Definition - World rank and map 4.7% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production	Definition - World rank and map 2.35 billion kWh (2006)
Electricity - consumption	Definition - World rank and map 2.068 billion kWh (2006)
Electricity - consumption per capita	Definition - World rank and map 1,623 kWh (2006)
Electricity - exports	Definition 0 kWh (2006)
Electricity - imports	Definition 0 kWh (2006)
Oil - production	Definition - World rank and map 0 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - consumption	Definition - World rank and map 23,650 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - consumption per 1,000 people	Definition - World rank and map 18.6 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports	Definition - World rank and map 0 bbl/day (2006)
Oil - imports	Definition - World rank and map 23,650 bbl/day (2006)
Oil - proved reserves	Definition - World rank and map 0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production	Definition - World rank and map 0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - consumption	Definition - World rank and map 0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - consumption per capita	Definition - World rank and map 0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - exports	Definition - World rank and map 0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - imports	Definition - World rank and map 0 cu m (2005)
Natural gas - proved reserves	Definition - World rank and map 0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Current account balance	Definition - World rank and map -$549 million (2007 est.)
Exports	Definition - World rank and map $2.218 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities	Definition clothing and textiles, sugar, cut flowers, molasses, fish
Exports - partners	Definition UK 28.4%, UAE 14.2%, France 13.2%, US 7.9%, Madagascar 5.7%, Italy 4.4%, Belgium 4% (2006)
Imports	Definition - World rank and map $3.628 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities	Definition manufactured goods, capital equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals
Imports - partners	Definition India 15.1%, France 13.1%, South Africa 8.2%, China 7.9% (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold	Definition - World rank and map $1.822 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external	Definition - World rank and map $2.136 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home	Definition $NA
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad	Definition $NA
Market value of publicly traded shares	Definition $5.7 billion (2007)
Economic aid - recipient	Definition $31.93 million (2005)
Currency (code)	Definition Mauritian rupee (MUR)
Exchange rates	Definition Mauritian rupees per US dollar - 31.798 (2007), 31.656 (2006), 29.496 (2005), 27.499 (2004), 27.902 (2003)
Fiscal year	Definition 1 July - 30 June

Mauritius: Economy

Mauritius:
Economy