| Economy - overview: Singapore is blessed with a highly developed
and successful free-market economy, a remarkably open and corruption-free
business environment, stable prices, and the fifth highest per capita GDP
in the world. Exports, particularly in electronics and chemicals, and
services are the main drivers of the economy. Mainly because of robust
exports, especially electronic goods, the economy grew 10.1% in 2000.
Forecasters, however, are projecting only 4%-6% growth in 2001 largely
because of weaker global demand, especially in the US. The government
promotes high levels of savings and investment through a mandatory savings
scheme and spends heavily in education and technology. It also owns
government-linked companies (GLCs) - particularly in manufacturing - that
operate as commercial entities. As Singapore looks to a future
increasingly marked by globalization, the country is positioning itself as
the region's financial and high-tech hub. GDP: purchasing power parity -
$109.8 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 5.5% (1999 est.), 10.1% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $26,500 (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NEGL%
industry: 30%
services: 70%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.4% (2000)
Labor force: 2.1 million (2000)
Labor force - by occupation: financial, business, and other
services 35%, manufacturing 21%, construction 13%, transportation and
communication 9%
Unemployment rate: 3% (2000 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $18.1 billion
expenditures: $17.1 billion, including capital expenditures
of $9.5 billion (FY99/00 est.)
Industries: electronics, financial services, oil drilling equipment, petroleum
refining, rubber processing and rubber products, processed food and beverages, ship
repair, entrepot trade, biotechnology
Industrial production growth rate: 14% (2000 est.)
Electricity - production: 27.381 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999)
Electricity - consumption: 25.464 billion kWh (1999)
Agriculture - products: rubber, copra, fruit, vegetables; poultry, eggs, fish,
vegetables, orchids, ornamental fish
Exports: $137 billion (f.o.b., 2000)
Exports - commodities: machinery and equipment (including
electronics), chemicals, mineral fuels
Exports - partners: US 19%, Malaysia 17%, Hong Kong 8%, Japan 7%,
Taiwan 5%, Thailand 4%, UK 4%, Netherlands 3.8%, China 3%, South Korea 3%,
Germany 3% (1999)
Imports: $127 billion (f.o.b., 2000)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, mineral fuels,
chemicals, foodstuffs
Imports - partners: US 17%, Japan 17%, Malaysia 16%, Thailand 5%,
China 5%, Taiwan 4%, Germany 3%, Saudi Arabia 3% (1999)
Debt - external: $9.7 billion (2000)
Currency: Singapore dollar (SGD)
SOURCE: The World Factbook |