Part 608

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 2.8% (1996 est.)

Labor force: total : 1,634,500 (September 1995) by occupation: services 64.6%, industry 25.0%, agriculture 10.4% (1994)

Unemployment rate: 5.9% (December 1996)

Budget: revenues : $22.18 billion expenditures: $20.28 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY95/96 est.)

Industries: food processing, wood and paper products, textiles, machinery, transportation equipment, banking and insurance, tourism, mining

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity - capacity: 7.75 million kW (1994)

Electricity - production: 34.4 billion kWh (1995)

Electricity - consumption per capita: 9,198 kWh (1995 est.)

Agriculture - products: wheat, barley, potatoes, pulses, fruits, vegetables; wool, meat, dairy products; fish catch reached a record 503,000 metric tons in 1988

Exports: total value: $13.7 billion (1995) commodities: wool, lamb, mutton, beef, fish, cheese, chemicals, forestry products, fruits and vegetables, manufactures, dairy products, wood partners: Australia 19%, Japan 15%, UK 15%, US 12%

Imports: total value : $14 billion (1995) commodities: machinery and equipment, vehicles and aircraft, petroleum, consumer goods, plastics partners: Australia 21%, US 18%, Japan 16%, UK 6%

Debt - external: $38.5 billion (September 1994)

Economic aid: donor: ODA, $98 million (1993)

Currency: 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1 - 1.4247 (January 1997), 1.4543 (1996), 1.5235 (1995), 1.6844 (1994), 1.8495 (1993), 1.8584 (1992)

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

@New Zealand:Communications

Telephones: 1.7 million (1986 est.)

Telephone system: excellent international and domestic systems domestic: NA international: submarine cables to Australia and Fiji; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 64, FM 2, shortwave 0

Radios: 3.215 million (1992 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 14 (1986 est.)

Televisions: 1.53 million (1992 est.)

@New Zealand:Transportation

Railways: total: 3,973 km narrow gauge: 3,973 km 1.067-m gauge (504 km electrified)

Highways: total: 92,306 km paved: 53,537 km (including 144 km of expressways) unpaved : 38,769 km (1993 est.)

Waterways: 1,609 km; of little importance to transportation