About 
Information on the Economy
Economy overview: The Philippines was less severely affected by the Asian financial crisis of 1998 than its neighbors, aided in part by annual remittances of $6-7 billion from overseas workers. From a 0.6% decline in 1998, GDP expanded by 2.4% in 1999, and 4.4% in 2000, but slowed to 3.2% in 2001 in the context of a global economic slowdown, an export slump, and political and security concerns. GDP growth accelerated to 4.4% in 2002 and 4.2% in 2003, reflecting the continued resilience of the service sector, gains in industrial output, and improved exports. Nonetheless, it will take a higher, sustained growth path to make appreciable progress in poverty alleviation given the Philippines' high annual population growth rate and unequal distribution of income. The MACAPAGAL-ARROYO Administration has promised to continue economic reforms to help the Philippines match the pace of development in the newly industrialized countries of East Asia. The strategy includes improving the infrastructure, strengthening tax collection to bolster government revenues, furthering deregulation and privatization of the economy, enhancing the viability of the financial system, and increasing trade integration with the region. Prospects for 2004 will depend on the economic performance of two major trading partners, the US and Japan, and on increased confidence on the part of the international investment community.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $390.7 billion (2003 est.)
GDP: real growth rate: 4.5% (2003 est.)
GDP: per capita: purchasing power parity - $4,600 (2003 est.)
GDP: composition by sector:
agriculture: 15%
industry: 35%
services: 50% (2003 est.)
Population below poverty line: 40% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.7%
highest 10%: 38.4% (2000)
Distribution of family income: Gini index: 48.1 (2000)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.1% (2003 est.)
Labor force: 34.6 million (2003)
Labor force by occupation: agriculture 45%, industry 15%, services 40% (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate: 11.4% (2003)
Budget:
revenues: $10.9 billion
expenditures: $15.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.4 million $NA (2002)
Industries: textiles, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, wood products, food processing, electronics assembly, petroleum refining, fishing
Industrial production growth rate: 3.7% (2002 est.)
Electricity production: 45.21 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity production by source:
fossil fuel: 55.6%
hydro: 17.5%
nuclear: 0%
other: 26.9% (2001)
Electricity consumption: 42.04 billion kWh (2001)
Oil - proved reserves: 164 million bbl (1 January 2002)
Natural gas:
production: 10 million cu m (2001 est.)
consumption: 10 million cu m (2001 est.)
proven reserves: 104.6 billion cu m (1 January 2002)
Agriculture products: rice, coconuts, corn, sugarcane, bananas, pineapples, mangoes; pork, eggs, beef; fish
Exports: $34.56 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Exports commodities: electronics and telecommunications 51%, machinery and transport 10%, garments 9%, other 30%
Exports partners: US 24.7%, Japan 15%, Netherlands 8.7%, Taiwan 7.1%, Singapore 7%, Hong Kong 6.7%, Malaysia 4.7% (2002)
Imports: $35.97 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Imports commodities: raw materials and intermediate goods 43%, capital goods 36%, consumer goods 9%, fuels 9%
Imports partners: US 20.6%, Japan 20.4%, South Korea 7.8%, Singapore 6.5%, Taiwan 5%, Hong Kong 4.5% (2002)
Debt external: $56.7 billion (2003)
Economic aid recipient: ODA commitments, $1.2 billion (2002)
Currency (Code): 1 Philippine peso (PHP) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: Philippine pesos (PHP) per USD1.00 54.2 (2003), 51.6 (2002), 50.99 (2001), 44.19 (2000), 39.09 (1999), 40.893 (1998), 29.471 (1997), 26.216 (1996), 25.714 (1995), 26.417 (1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year