The economy, one of the most prosperous in the Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, which generates an estimated 45% of the national income. An estimated 350,000 tourists, mainly from the US, visited the islands in 1997. In the mid-1980s, the government began offering offshore registration to companies wishing to incorporate in the islands, and incorporation fees now generate substantial revenues. An estimated 250,000 companies were on the offshore registry by yearend 1997. The adoption of a comprehensive insurance law in late 1994, which provides a blanket of confidentiality with regulated statutory gateways for investigation of criminal offenses, is expected to make the British Virgin Islands even more attractive to international business. Livestock raising is the most important agricultural activity; poor soils limit the islands' ability to meet domestic food requirements. Because of traditionally close links with the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands has used the dollar as its currency since 1959.
Agriculture Products
fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish
Industries
tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center
Industrial Production Growth Rate
4% (1985)
Labor Force
4,911 (1980)
Electricity production
42 million kWh (1998)
Electricity production by source
Fossil fuel: 100%
Hydro: 0%
Nuclear: 0%
Other: 0% (1998)
Electricity Consumption
39 million kWh (1998)
Electricity Exports
0 kWh (1998)
Electricity Imports
0 kWh (1998)
Currency
1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents
Unemployment Rate
3% (1995)
Population Below Poverty Line
NA%
Household Income or Consumption by Percentage Share
Lowest 10%: NA%
Highest 10%: NA%
Budget
Revenues: $121.5 million
Expenditures: $115.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997)
