Economy - overview:
The government continues to balance the need for economic loosening against a desire for firm political control. It has rolled back limited reforms undertaken in the 1990s to increase enterprise efficiency and alleviate serious shortages of food, consumer goods, and services. The average Cuban's standard of living remains at a lower level than before the downturn of the 1990s, which was caused by the loss of Soviet aid and domestic inefficiencies. In 2006, high metals prices continued to boost Cuban earnings from nickel and cobalt production. Havana continued to invest in the country's energy sector to mitigate electrical blackouts that have plagued the country since 2004.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$44.54 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$40 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
7.5% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$3,900 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 5.1%
industry: 27.2%
services: 67.6% (2006 est.)

Labor force:
4.82 million
note: state sector 78%, non-state sector 22% (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 20%
industry: 19.4%
services: 60.6% (2005)

Unemployment rate:
1.9% (2006 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
11.9% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $35.07 billion
expenditures: $36.41 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products:
sugar, tobacco, citrus, coffee, rice, potatoes, beans; livestock

Industries:
sugar, petroleum, tobacco, construction, nickel, steel, cement, agricultural machinery, pharmaceuticals

Industrial production growth rate:
17.6% (2006 est.)

Electricity - production:
15.34 billion kWh (2005)

Electricity - consumption:
14.1 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
72,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:
204,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
259 million bbl (2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:
704 million cu m (2004)

Natural gas - consumption:
704 million cu m (2004)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
70.79 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

Current account balance:
$-1.218 billion (2006 est.)

Exports:
$2.956 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities:
sugar, nickel, tobacco, fish, medical products, citrus, coffee

Exports - partners:
Netherlands 25.7%, Canada 21%, China 9.9%, Spain 6.8% (2005)

Imports:
$9.51 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities:
petroleum, food, machinery and equipment, chemicals

Imports - partners:
China 14.5%, Spain 13.7%, Canada 8.4%, US 8.3%, Germany 7.2%, Brazil 5.6%, Italy 5.6%, Mexico 5.1%, Japan 4% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$2.618 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external:
$15.15 billion (convertible currency); another $15-20 billion owed to Russia (2006 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$68.2 million (1997 est.)

Currency (code):
Cuban peso (CUP) and Convertible peso (CUC)

Exchange rates:
Convertible pesos per US dollar - 0.93 (2006), note, Cuba has three currencies in circulation: the Cuban peso (CUP), the convertible peso (CUC), and the US dollar (USD), although the dollar is being withdrawn from circulation; in April 2005 the official exchange rate changed from $1 per CUC to $1.08 per CUC (0.93 CUC per $1), both for individuals and enterprises; individuals can buy 24 Cuban pesos (CUP) for each CUC sold, or sell 25 Cuban pesos for each CUC bought; enterprises, however, must exchange CUP and CUC at a 1:1 ratio.