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Economy

 
 Economy - overview Austria with its well-developed market economy and high standard of living is closely tied to other EU economies, especially Germany's. Membership in the EU has drawn an influx of foreign investors attracted by Austria's access to the single European market and proximity to EU aspirant economies. In 2000, Austria moved to further cut government spending and raise taxes to meet EMU deficit targets after facing unexpected difficulties in reducing the public deficit. To meet increased competition from both EU and Central European countries, Austria will need to emphasize knowledge-based sectors of the economy and continue to deregulate the service sector. Growth is expected to remain at about 3% in 2001.
 
 GDP purchasing power parity - $203 billion (2000 est.)
 
 GDP - real growth rate 3.1% (2000 est.)
 
 GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $25,000 (2000 est.)
 
 GDP - composition by sector
 agriculture2.2%
 industry30.4%
 services67.4% (1999 est.)
 
 Population below poverty line NA%
 
 Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2% (2000 est.)
 
 Labor force 3.7 million (1999)
 
 Labor force - by occupation services 68%, industry and crafts 29%, agriculture and forestry 3% (1999 est.)
 
 Unemployment rate 5.4% (2000 est.)
 
 Budget
 revenues$56.3 billion
 expenditures$60.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
 
 Industries construction, machinery, vehicles and parts, food, chemicals, lumber and wood processing, paper and paperboard, communications equipment, tourism
 
 Industrial production growth rate 4.2% (2000)
 
 Electricity - production 59.283 billion kWh (1999)
 
 Electricity - production by source
 fossil fuel29.53%
 hydro67.65%
 nuclear0%
 other2.82% (1999)
 
 Electricity - consumption 53.231 billion kWh (1999)
 
 Electricity - exports 13.507 billion kWh (1999)
 
 Electricity - imports 11.605 billion kWh (1999)
 
 Agriculture - products grains, potatoes, sugar beets, wine, fruit; dairy products, cattle, pigs, poultry; lumber
 
 Exports $63.2 billion (2000 est.)
 
 Exports - commodities machinery and equipment, paper and paperboard, metal goods, chemicals, iron and steel; textiles, foodstuffs
 
 Exports - partners EU 64.2% (Germany 35.7%, Italy 8.7%, France 4.5%), Switzerland 5.9%, US 4.5%, Hungary 3.9% (1999)
 
 Imports $65.6 billion (2000 est.)
 
 Imports - commodities machinery and equipment, chemicals, metal goods, oil and oil products; foodstuffs
 
 Imports - partners EU 70.3% (Germany 42.5%, Italy 7.9%, France 5.3%), US 5.4%, Switzerland 3.0%, Hungary 2.8% (1999)
 
 Debt - external $16 billion (1999)
 
 Economic aid - donor ODA, $472 million (1999)
 
 Currency Austrian schilling (ATS); euro (EUR)
 noteon 1 January 1999, the EU introduced the euro as a common currency that is now being used by financial institutions in Austria at a fixed rate of 13.7603 Austrian shillings per euro and will replace the local currency for all transactions in 2002
 
 Currency code ATS; EUR
 
 Exchange rates euros per US dollar - 1.0659 (January 2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); Austrian schillings per US dollar - 11.86 (January 1999), 12.91 (1999), 12.379 (1998), 12.204 (1997), 10.587 (1996)
 
 Fiscal year calendar year

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