Iceland Business Resources

Economy - overview:
Iceland's Scandinavian-type economy is basically capitalistic, yet with an extensive welfare system (including generous housing subsidies), low unemployment, and remarkably even distribution of income. In the absence of other natural resources (except for abundant geothermal power), the economy depends heavily on the fishing industry, which provides 70% of export earnings and employs 8% of the work force. The economy remains sensitive to declining fish stocks as well as to fluctuations in world prices for its main exports: fish and fish products, aluminum, and ferrosilicon. Government policies include reducing the budget and current account deficits, limiting foreign borrowing, containing inflation, revising agricultural and fishing policies, diversifying the economy, and privatizing state-owned industries. The government remains opposed to EU membership, primarily because of Icelanders' concern about losing control over their fishing resources. Iceland's economy has been diversifying into manufacturing and service industries in the last decade, and new developments in software production, biotechnology, and financial services are taking place. The tourism sector is also expanding, with the recent trends in ecotourism and whale watching. Growth had been remarkably steady in 1996-2001 at 3%-5%, but could not be sustained in 2002 in an environment of global recession. Growth resumed in 2003, and estimates call for strong growth until 2007, slowly dropping until the end of the decade.

Airlines
Airlines in Europe
Airlines Worldwide

Airports
Airports in Europe
Airports Worldwide

Country Budget
revenues: $4.154 billion
expenditures: $4.058 billion, including capital expenditures of $467 million (2004 est.)

Currency (code)
Icelandic krona (ISK)

Currency Exchange Rate
Icelandic kronur per US dollar - 70.192 (2004), 76.709 (2003), 91.662 (2002), 97.425 (2001), 78.616 (2000)

Fiscal Year
calendar year

GDP (Gross Domestic Product)
GDP (purchasing power parity): $9.373 billion (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 1.8% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $31,900 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 11.2%
industry: 9.6%
services: 79.2% (2004 est.)

Imports / Exports
Exports: $2.902 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities: fish and fish products 70%, aluminum, animal products, ferrosilicon, diatomite
Exports - partners: UK 19.1%, Germany 17.2%, Netherlands 11.5%, US 9.8%, Spain 6.8%, Denmark 4.6% (2004)

Imports: $3.307 billion (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, petroleum products; foodstuffs, textiles
Imports - partners: Germany 12.3%, US 9.9%, Norway 9.7%, Denmark 7.9%, UK 7.2%, Sweden 6.7%, Netherlands 6% (2004)

Industries
fish processing; aluminum smelting, ferrosilicon production, geothermal power; tourism

Investing
Forex, Foreign Exchange Market: Currency Trading

Labor Force & Unemployment Rate
Labor force: 158,100 (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture, fishing and fish processing 10.3%, industry 18.3%, services 71.4% (2003)
Unemployment rate: 3.1% (2004 est.)