Introduction - Australia: |
Location - Australia: |
People - Australia: |
Government - Australia: |
Economy - Australia: |
Economy overview | Australia has an enviable Western-style capitalist economy with a per capita GDP on par with the four dominant West European economies. Robust business and consumer confidence and high export prices for raw materials and agricultural products are fueling the economy. Australias emphasis on reforms, low inflation, and growing ties with China are other key factors behind the economys strength. Drought and strong import demand pushed the trade deficit up in recent years, although the trade balance improved in 2006. Housing prices probably peaked in 2005, diminishing the prospect that interest rates would be raised to prevent a speculative bubble. Conservative fiscal policies have kept Australias budget in surplus since 2002. |
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Gdp purchasing power parity | $674.6 billion (2006 est.) |
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Gdp official exchange rate | $644.7 billion (2006 est.) |
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Gdp real growth rate | 2.7% (2006 est.) |
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Gdp per capita ppp | $33,300 (2006 est.) |
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Gdp composition by sector | agriculture: 3.8%
industry: 26.2%
services: 70% (2005 est.) |
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Labor force | 10.66 million (2006 est.) |
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Labor force by occupation | agriculture: 3.6%
industry: 21.2%
services: 75.2% (2004 est.) |
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Unemployment rate | 4.9% (2006 est.) |
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Population below poverty line | NA% |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 25.4% (1994) |
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Distribution of family income gini index | 35.2 (1994) |
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Inflation rate consumer prices | 3.8% (2006 est.) |
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Investment gross fixed | 26.8% of GDP (2006 est.) |
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Budget | revenues: $267 billion
expenditures: $258 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.) |
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Public debt | 14.1% of GDP (2006 est.) |
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Agriculture products | wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruits, cattle, sheep, poultry |
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Industries | mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, steel |
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Industrial production growth rate | -3.5% (2006 est.) |
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Electricity production | 225.3 billion kWh (2004) |
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Electricity consumption | 209.5 billion kWh (2004) |
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Electricity exports | 0 kWh (2004) |
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Electricity imports | 0 kWh (2004) |
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Oil production | 530,000 bbl/day (2005 est.) |
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Oil consumption | 877,300 bbl/day (2004 est.) |
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Oil exports | 333,200 bbl/day (2004) |
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Oil imports | 611,400 bbl/day (2004) |
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Oil proved reserves | 1.491 billion bbl (1 January 2005) |
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Natural gas production | 37.03 billion cu m (2004 est.) |
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Natural gas consumption | 26.37 billion cu m (2004 est.) |
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Natural gas exports | 10.66 billion cu m (2004 est.) |
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Natural gas imports | 0 cu m (2004 est.) |
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Natural gas proved reserves | 821.2 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.) |
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Current account balance | -$41.62 billion (2006 est.) |
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Exports | $117 billion (2006 est.) |
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Exports commodities | coal, gold, meat, wool, alumina, iron ore, wheat, machinery and transport equipment |
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Exports partners | Japan 19.6%, China 12.3%, South Korea 7.5%, US 6.2%, India 5.5%, NZ 5.5%, UK 5% (2006) |
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Imports | $127.7 billion (2006 est.) |
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Imports commodities | machinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines, telecommunication equipment and parts; crude oil and petroleum products |
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Imports partners | China 14.4%, US 14.1%, Japan 9.6%, Singapore 6%, Germany 5.1% (2006) |
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | $48.25 billion (2006 est.) |
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Economic aid donor | ODA, $894 million (FY99/00) |
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Debt external | $585.1 billion (30 June 2006 est.) |
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Currency code | Australian dollar (AUD) |
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Exchange rates | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3285 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002) |
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Communications - Australia: |
Transportation - Australia: |
Military - Australia: |
This page was last updated on 16 September, 2007