©
Flickr@Airflore
New Zealand Travel Guide
©
Flickr@Airflore
If you find a country with a healthy and prosperous economic situation upon your travels to New Zealand, it is because a few years ago the government was able to make the whole country turn a corner, from agriculture to greater industrialisation.
The country's economy has relied on agriculture for a long time. Sectors such as tourism and industry were developed so that the country could remain stable and prosperous, and this is how you will find the economic situation on your visit to New Zealand.
The country's GDP is over 168 billion dollars and the GDP per capita per year is around $30,400 (€27,300). The unemployment rate is very low at just 3.5%, and the rate of growth is around 2.5%. The inflation rate is low as well, since it is kept at 1.3%. Public debt represents around 30% of the GDP and the sum of all exports is a bit more that the sum of all imports. New Zealand's main commercial partners are Australia, the USA, Japan, China. Malaysia, Singapore and Germany.
The agricultural sector employs 7% of the population and it only makes up 4% of the GDP. A large part of produce is exported. Fishing also plays an important role, and the sector provides the whole world with wool, dairy products and meat. The sheep farms are very large and the paschal lamb that you enjoy every year with your family often comes from New Zealand.
The industrial sector employs just under 20% of the population and accounts for more than 25% of the GDP The country's main industries are food-processing, textiles and mining.
The service industries, and especially tourism, are witnessing a real boom. Almost 75% of the population works in the services industry, creating 70% of the country's wealth. If New Zealand's economy is prospering, it is essentially thanks to the dynamic performance of this sector.
