| Economy overview |
Bermuda enjoys one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, equal to that of the US. Its economy is primarily based on providing financial services for international business and luxury facilities for tourists. The effects of 11 September 2001 have had both positive and negative ramifications for Bermuda. On the positive side, a number of new reinsurance companies have located on the island, contributing to the expansion of an already robust international business sector. On the negative side, Bermuda's tourism industry - which derives over 80% of its visitors from the US - was severely hit as American tourists chose not to travel. Tourism rebounded somewhat in 2002-03. Most capital equipment and food must be imported. Bermuda's industrial sector is small, although construction continues to be important; the average cost of a house in June 2003 had risen to $976,000. Agriculture is limited, only 6% of the land being arable. |
| GDP |
purchasing power parity - $2.33 billion (2003 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate |
2% (2003 est.) |
| GDP - per capita |
purchasing power parity - $36,000 (2003 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector |
agriculture: 1%
industry: 10%
services: 89% (2002 est.) |
| Investment gross fixed |
|
| Population below poverty line |
19% (2000) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share |
lowest 10%: na
highest 10%: na |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index |
|
| Inflation rate consumer prices |
3.3% (mid-2003 est.) |
| Labor force |
37,470 (2000) |
| Labor force by occupation |
agriculture and fishing 3%, laborers 17%, clerical 22%, professional and technical 17%, administrative and managerial 13%, sales 8%, services 20% (2000 est.) |
| Unemployment rate |
5% (2002 est.) |
| Budget |
revenues: $671.1 million
expenditures: $594.6 million, including capital expenditures of $55 million (fy03/04) |
| Public debt |
|
| Agriculture products |
bananas, vegetables, citrus, flowers; dairy products |
| Industries |
tourism, international business, light manufacturing |
| Industrial production growth rate |
NA |
| Electricity production |
643.7 million kWh (2001) |
| Electricity production by source |
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
| Electricity consumption |
598.6 million kWh (2001) |
| Electricity exports |
0 kWh (2001) |
| Electricity imports |
0 kWh (2001) |
| Oil production |
0 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
| Oil consumption |
4,000 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
| Oil exports |
NA (2001) |
| Oil imports |
NA (2001) |
| Oil proved reserves |
|
| Natural gas production |
|
| Natural gas consumption |
|
| Natural gas exports |
|
| Natural gas imports |
|
| Natural gas proved reserves |
|
| Current account balance |
|
| Exports |
$879 million (2002) |
| Exports commodities |
reexports of pharmaceuticals |
| Exports partners |
France 62%, Norway 13.8%, UK 7.5% (2003) |
| Imports |
$5.523 billion (2002) |
| Imports commodities |
machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, chemicals, food and live animals |
| Imports partners |
Kazakhstan 46.7%, France 32.5%, US 8.5% (2003) |
| Reserves of foreign exchange gold |
|
| Debt external |
$160 million (FY99/00) |
| Economic aid recipient |
NA |
| Currency |
Bermudian dollar (BMD) |
| Currency code |
BMD |
| Exchange rates |
Bermudian dollar per US dollar - 1.0000 (fixed rate pegged to the US dollar) |
| Fiscal year |
1 April - 31 March |