Economy - overview:
Bermuda's economy entered its seventh straight year of recession in 2015. Unemployment is 9%, public debt is growing and exceeds $2.3 billion, the government pension fund faces a $2.4 billion shortfall, and the economy has not attracted significant amounts of new foreign investment. Bermuda's FY 2015-16 budget proposal projects a 12% larger deficit than FY14/15. The government announced it would have to borrow $125 million in 2015 to meet current operating expenses. Still, Bermuda enjoys the fourth highest per capita income in the world, about 70% higher than that of the US. Tourism, which derives over 80% of its visitors from the US, accounts for 5.2% of GDP but a much larger share of employment. Tourism has struggled in the wake of the global recession of 2008. International business, which consists primarily of reinsurance and other financial services, is the real bedrock of Bermuda's economy, consistently accounting for about 85% of the island's GDP. Even this sector, however, has lost roughly 5000 high-paying expatriate jobs since 2008, weighing heavily on household consumption and retail sales. Bermuda must import almost everything. Agriculture and industry are limited due to the small size of the island.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$5.198 billion (2013 est.)
$5.331 billion (2012 est.)
$5.6 billion (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 173
[see also: GDP country ranks ]
GDP (official exchange rate):
$5.198 billion (2013 est.)
[see also: GDP (official exchange rate) country ranks ]
GDP - real growth rate:
-2.5% (2013 est.)
-4.8% (2012)
-3.5% (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 210
[see also: GDP - real growth rate country ranks ]
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$85,700 (2013 est.)
$85,400 (2012)
$86,000 (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 6
[see also: GDP - per capita country ranks ]
GDP - composition, by end use:
household consumption: 55.1%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - household consumption country ranks ]
government consumption: 17.3%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - government consumption country ranks ]
investment in fixed capital: 10.9%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in fixed capital country ranks ]
investment in inventories: -0.1%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in inventories country ranks ]
exports of goods and services: 47.3%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - exports of goods and services country ranks ]
imports of goods and services: -30.5%
(2015 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - imports of goods and services country ranks ]
GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture: 0.8%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 5.9%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - industry country ranks ]
services: 93.3% (2015 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - services country ranks ]
Agriculture - products:
bananas, vegetables, citrus, flowers; dairy products, honey
Industries:
international business, tourism, light manufacturing
Industrial production growth rate:
1.8% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 122
[see also: Industrial production growth rate country ranks ]
Labor force:
33,490 (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 203
[see also: Labor force country ranks ]
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 2%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 15%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - industry country ranks ]
services: 83% (2013 est.)
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - services country ranks ]
Unemployment rate:
9% (2014 est.)
7% (2013)
country comparison to the world: 105
[see also: Unemployment rate country ranks ]
Population below poverty line:
11% (2008 est.)
[see also: Population below poverty line country ranks ]
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10% country ranks ]
highest 10%: NA%
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - highest 10% country ranks ]
Budget:
revenues: $895.6 million
[see also: Budget revenues country ranks ]
expenditures: $1.106 billion (2015 est.)
[see also: Budget expenditures country ranks ]
Taxes and other revenues:
17.2% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 178
[see also: Taxes and other revenues country ranks ]
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
-4% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 147
[see also: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) country ranks ]
Public debt:
43% of GDP (FY14/15)
country comparison to the world: 105
[see also: Public debt country ranks ]
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.6% (2015 est.)
2% (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 94
[see also: Inflation rate (consumer prices) country ranks ]
Stock of narrow money:
$3.374 billion (30 September 2014)
$3.422 billion (31 December 2013)
note: figures do not include US dollars, which also circulate freely
country comparison to the world: 111
[see also: Stock of narrow money country ranks ]
Stock of broad money:
$22.1 billion (30 September 2014)
$25.1 billion (31 December 2013)
country comparison to the world: 87
[see also: Stock of broad money country ranks ]
Stock of domestic credit:
$NA
[see also: Stock of domestic credit country ranks ]
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$1.487 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
$1.436 billion (31 December 2011)
$1.535 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 103
[see also: Market value of publicly traded shares country ranks ]
Exports:
$12 million (2015 est.)
$11 million (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 216
[see also: Exports country ranks ]
Exports - commodities:
reexports of pharmaceuticals
Exports - partners:
Indonesia 8.5%, US 8.1% (2014)
Imports:
$958 million (2015 est.)
$968 million (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 181
[see also: Imports country ranks ]
Imports - commodities:
clothing, fuels, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, chemicals, food and live animals
Imports - partners:
South Korea 56.5%, US 17.9%, Singapore 9%, Turkmenistan 5.5%, China 5.2% (2014)
Debt - external:
$2.435 billion (2015 est.)
$1.4 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 147
[see also: Debt - external country ranks ]
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$2.641 billion (2014 est.)
$2.664 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 106
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - at home country ranks ]
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$889 million (2014 est.)
$NA (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 84
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad country ranks ]
Exchange rates:
Bermudian dollars (BMD) per US dollar -
1 (2015 est.)
1 (2014 est.)
1 (2013 est.)
1 (2012 est.)