Economy—overview: The economy is tied closely to that of France through subsidies and imports. Besides the French space center at Kourou fishing and forestry are the most important economic activities with exports of fish and fish products (mostly shrimp) accounting for more than 60% of total revenue in 1992. The large reserves of tropical hardwoods not fully exploited support an expanding sawmill industry that provides sawn logs for export. Cultivation of crops is limited to the coastal area where the population is largely concentrated. French Guiana is heavily dependent on imports of food and energy. Unemployment is a serious problem particularly among younger workers.

GDP: purchasing power parity—$800 million (1993 est.)

GDP—real growth rate: NA%

GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity—$6 000 (1993 est.)

GDP—composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%

Inflation rate—consumer price index: 2.5% (1992)

Labor force:
total: 46 300 (1993)
by occupation: services government and commerce 60.6% industry 21.2% agriculture 18.2% (1980)

Unemployment rate: 24.1% (1993 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $176 million
expenditures: $350 million including capital expenditures of $92 million (1994)

Industries: construction shrimp processing forestry products rum gold mining

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity—capacity: 165 000 kW (1995)

Electricity—production: 420 million kWh (1995)

Electricity—consumption per capita: 2 890 kWh (1995)

Agriculture—products: rice corn manioc cocoa vegetables bananas sugar; cattle pigs poultry

Exports:
total value: $81 million (f.o.b. 1994)
commodities: shrimp timber gold rum rosewood essence clothing
partners: France 60% EU 7%

Imports:
total value: $605 million (c.i.f. 1994)
commodities: food (grains processed meat) machinery and transport equipment fuels and chemicals
partners: France 62% Germany 4% Belgium-Luxembourg 4% US 2%

Debt—external: $1.2 billion (1988)

Economic aid:
recipient: ODA $NA

Currency: 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1—6.0836 (January 1998) 5.8367 (1997) 5.1155 (1996) 4.9915 (1995) 5.5520 (1994) 5.6632 (1993)

Fiscal year: calendar year