Mauritius - Economic Indicators

Economic Overview

Since independence in 1968, Mauritius has undergone a remarkable economic transformation from a low-income, agriculturally-based economy to a diversified, upper middle-income economy with growing industrial, financial, and tourist sectors. Mauritius has achieved steady growth over the last several decades, resulting in more equitable income distribution, increased life expectancy, lowered infant mortality, and a much-improved infrastructure. The economy currently depends on sugar, tourism, textiles and apparel, and financial services, but is expanding into fish processing,...

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GDP Reference Last Previous Units Frequency
Private Consumption 2020 Q2 53,836,000,000 86,550,000,000 MUR, NSA Quarterly
Nominal Gross Domestic Product 2020 Q2 84,189,000,000 116,891,000,000 MUR, NSA Quarterly
Investment 2020 Q2 7,555,000,000 21,518,000,000 MUR, NSA Quarterly
Nominal Fixed Investment (gross fixed capital formation) 2017 79,439,000,000 74,990,000,000 NCU Annual
Real Investment 2016 115,491,015,800 102,064,571,400 NCU Annual
Real Fixed Investment (gross fixed capital formation) 2016 53,805,403,900 51,885,635,400 NCU Annual
Government Consumption 2016 Q4 16,916 16,341 Mil. MUR Quarterly
Real Gross Domestic Product 2016 Q4 147.09 130.14 Index 2005=100 Quarterly
Price Reference Last Previous Units Frequency
Consumer Price Index (CPI) Feb 2024 138.62 135.16 Index 2017=100, NSA Monthly
Labor Reference Last Previous Units Frequency
Unemployment Dec 2021 31,904 38,384 #, NSA Monthly
Agriculture Employment 2017 44,063 43,521 # Annual
Labor Force 2016 604,135 607,122 # Annual
Unemployment Rate 2016 Q4 6.64 7.65 % Quarterly
Labor Force Employment 2016 Q4 546.6 536.3 Ths. Quarterly
Total Employment 2011 552,959 549,266 ages 15+ Annual
Trade Reference Last Previous Units Frequency
Balance of Goods 2023 Q3 -893,221,901 -943,760,185 USD, NSA Quarterly
Exports of Goods 2023 Q3 603,215,361 552,702,003 USD, NSA Quarterly
Imports of Goods 2023 Q3 1,496,437,263 1,496,462,189 USD, NSA Quarterly
Current Account Balance 2023 Q3 -183,031,764 -234,159,834 USD, NSA Quarterly
Exports of Goods and Services 2020 Q2 22,248,000,000 45,556,000,000 MUR, NSA Quarterly
Imports of Goods and Services 2020 Q2 41,870,000,000 60,681,000,000 MUR, NSA Quarterly
Real Imports of Goods and Services 2016 190,824,735,200 191,207,149,500 NCU Annual
Real Exports of Goods and Services 2016 164,762,413,000 173,251,748,700 NCU Annual
Government Reference Last Previous Units Frequency
Government Revenues 2016 99,339,717,000 46,980,570,000 NCU Annual
Government Budget Balance 2011 -17,405,600,000 -11,484,760,000 current LCU Annual
Markets Reference Last Previous Units Frequency
Money Market Rate Jan 2024 3.1 3.1 % p.a., NSA Monthly
Lending Rate Jun 2017 4 4 % - End of period Monthly
Business Reference Last Previous Units Frequency
Capacity Utilization 2009 60.3 % Annual
Demographics Reference Last Previous Units Frequency
Population 2020 1,271,767 1,269,670 # Annual
Net Migration 2017 0 # Annual
Birth Rate 2016 10.4 10.1 # per Ths. pop. Annual
Death Rate 2013 7.5 # per Ths. pop. Annual

Factbook

Background

Background:
Although known to Arab and Malay sailors as early as the 10th century, Mauritius was first explored by the Portuguese in the 16th century and subsequently settled by the Dutch - who named it in honor of Prince Maurits van NASSAU - in the 17th century. The French assumed control in 1715, developing the island into an important naval base overseeing Indian Ocean trade, and establishing a plantation economy of sugar cane. The British captured the island in 1810, during the Napoleonic Wars. Mauritius remained a strategically important British naval base, and later an air station, playing an important role during World War II for anti-submarine and convoy operations, as well as the collection of signals intelligence. Independence from the UK was attained in 1968. A stable democracy with regular free elections and a positive human rights record, the country has attracted considerable foreign investment and has one of Africa's highest per capita incomes.

Geography

Location:
Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, about 800 km (500 mi) east of Madagascar
Geographic coordinates:
20 17 S, 57 33 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 2,040 sq km
land: 2,030 sq km
water: 10 sq km
note: includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon), and Rodrigues
country comparison to the world: 181
Area - comparative:
almost 11 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
177 km
Maritime claims:
measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate:
tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May)
Terrain:
small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling central plateau
Elevation:
mean elevation: NA
elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Piton 828 m
Natural resources:
arable land, fish
Land use:
agricultural land: 43.8%
arable land 38.4%; permanent crops 2%; permanent pasture 3.4%
forest: 17.3%
other: 38.9% (2011 est.)
Irrigated land:
190 sq km (2012)
Population - distribution:
population density is one of the highest in the world; urban cluster are found throught the main island, with a greater density in and around Port Luis; population on Rodrigues Island is spread across the island with a slightly denser cluster on the north coast
Natural hazards:
cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by reefs that may pose maritime hazards
Environment - current issues:
water pollution, degradation of coral reefs
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
the main island, from which the country derives its name, is of volcanic origin and is almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs; former home of the dodo, a large flightless bird related to pigeons, driven to extinction by the end of the 17th century through a combination of hunting and the introduction of predatory species

People & Society

Population:
1,356,388 (July 2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 156
Nationality:
noun: Mauritian(s)
adjective: Mauritian
Ethnic groups:
Indo-Mauritian (compose approximately two thirds of the total population), Creole, Sino-Mauritian, Franco-Mauritian
note: Mauritius has not had a question on ethnicity on its national census since 1972
Languages:
Creole 86.5%, Bhojpuri 5.3%, French 4.1%, two languages 1.4%, other 2.6% (includes English, the official language of the National Assembly, which is spoken by less than 1% of the population), unspecified 0.1% (2011 est.)
Religions:
Hindu 48.5%, Roman Catholic 26.3%, Muslim 17.3%, other Christian 6.4%, other 0.6%, none 0.7%, unspecified 0.1% (2011 est.)
Demographic profile:
Mauritius has transitioned from a country of high fertility and high mortality rates in the 1950s and mid-1960s to one with among the lowest population growth rates in the developing world today. After World War II, Mauritius’ population began to expand quickly due to increased fertility and a dramatic drop in mortality rates as a result of improved health care and the eradication of malaria. This period of heightened population growth – reaching about 3% a year – was followed by one of the world’s most rapid birth rate declines.
The total fertility rate fell from 6.2 children per women in 1963 to 3.2 in 1972 – largely the result of improved educational attainment, especially among young women, accompanied by later marriage and the adoption of family planning methods. The family planning programs’ success was due to support from the government and eventually the traditionally pronatalist religious communities, which both recognized that controlling population growth was necessary because of Mauritius’ small size and limited resources. Mauritius’ fertility rate has consistently been below replacement level since the late 1990s, a rate that is substantially lower than nearby countries in southern Africa.
With no indigenous population, Mauritius’ ethnic mix is a product of more than two centuries of European colonialism and continued international labor migration. Sugar production relied on slave labor mainly from Madagascar, Mozambique, and East Africa from the early 18th century until its abolition in 1835, when slaves were replaced with indentured Indians. Most of the influx of indentured labor – peaking between the late 1830s and early 1860 – settled permanently creating massive population growth of more than 7% a year and reshaping the island’s social and cultural composition. While Indians represented about 12% of Mauritius’ population in 1837, they and their descendants accounted for roughly two-thirds by the end of the 19th century. Most were Hindus, but the majority of the free Indian traders were Muslims.
Mauritius again turned to overseas labor when its success in clothing and textile exports led to a labor shortage in the mid-1980s. Clothing manufacturers brought in contract workers (increasingly women) from China, India, and, to a lesser extent Bangladesh and Madagascar, who worked longer hours for lower wages under poor conditions and were viewed as more productive than locals. Downturns in the sugar and textile industries in the mid-2000s and a lack of highly qualified domestic workers for Mauritius’ growing services sector led to the emigration of low-skilled workers and a reliance on skilled foreign labor. Since 2007, Mauritius has pursued a circular migration program to enable citizens to acquire new skills and savings abroad and then return home to start businesses and to invest in the country’s development.
Age structure:
0-14 years: 20.16% (male 139,721/female 133,765)
15-24 years: 14.8% (male 101,453/female 99,288)
25-54 years: 43.74% (male 296,795/female 296,485)
55-64 years: 11.59% (male 74,650/female 82,585)
65 years and over: 9.71% (male 53,985/female 77,661) (2017 est.)
population pyramid:
Dependency ratios:
total dependency ratio: 41.6
youth dependency ratio: 27.5
elderly dependency ratio: 14.1
potential support ratio: 7.1 (2015 est.)
Median age:
total: 35.3 years
male: 34.2 years
female: 36.3 years (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 77
Population growth rate:
0.59% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 149
Birth rate:
13 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 153
Death rate:
7.1 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 127
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 91
Population distribution:
population density is one of the highest in the world; urban cluster are found throught the main island, with a greater density in and around Port Luis; population on Rodrigues Island is spread across the island with a slightly denser cluster on the north coast
Urbanization:
urban population: 39.4% of total population (2017)
rate of urbanization: 0.07% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)
Major urban areas - population:
PORT LOUIS (capital) 135,000 (2014)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio:
53 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93
Infant mortality rate:
total: 9.8 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 11.6 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 7.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 140
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.8 years
male: 72.4 years
female: 79.5 years (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 98
Total fertility rate:
1.75 children born/woman (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 160
Contraceptive prevalence rate:
63.8% (2014)
Health expenditures:
4.8% of GDP (2014)
country comparison to the world: 146
Physicians density:
2.19 physicians/1,000 population (2016)
Hospital bed density:
3.59 beds/1,000 population (2016)
Drinking water source:
improved:
urban: 99.9% of population
rural: 99.8% of population
total: 99.9% of population
unimproved:
urban: 0.1% of population
rural: 0.2% of population
total: 0.1% of population (2015 est.)
Sanitation facility access:
improved:
urban: 93.9% of population
rural: 92.6% of population
total: 93.1% of population
unimproved:
urban: 6.1% of population
rural: 7.4% of population
total: 6.9% of population (2015 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Obesity - adult prevalence rate:
10.8% (2016)
country comparison to the world: 137
Education expenditures:
5.1% of GDP (2017)
country comparison to the world: 123
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92.7%
male: 94.9%
female: 90.7% (2015 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 15 years
male: 14 years
female: 15 years (2015)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24:
total: 26.3%
male: 21.6%
female: 32.7% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 46

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Mauritius
conventional short form: Mauritius
local long form: Republic of Mauritius
local short form: Mauritius
note: pronounced mar-i-shus
etymology: island named after Prince Maurice VAN NASSAU, stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, in 1598
Government type:
parliamentary republic
Capital:
name: Port Louis
geographic coordinates: 20 09 S, 57 29 E
time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
9 districts and 3 dependencies*; Agalega Islands*, Black River, Cargados Carajos Shoals*, Flacq, Grand Port, Moka, Pamplemousses, Plaines Wilhems, Port Louis, Riviere du Rempart, Rodrigues*, Savanne
Independence:
12 March 1968 (from the UK)
National holiday:
Independence and Republic Day, 12 March (1968 & 1992); note - became independent and a republic on the same date in 1968 and 1992 respectively
Constitution:
history: several previous; latest adopted 12 March 1968
amendments: proposed by the National Assembly; passage of amendments affecting constitutional articles including the sovereignty of the state, fundamental rights and freedoms, citizenship, or the branches of government requires approval in a referendum by at least three-fourths majority of voters followed by a unanimous vote by the Assembly; passage of other amendments requires only two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly; amended many times, last in 2016 (2017)
Legal system:
civil legal system based on French civil law with some elements of English common law
International law organization participation:
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship:
citizenship by birth: yes
citizenship by descent: yes
dual citizenship recognized: yes
residency requirement for naturalization: 5 out of the previous 7 years including the last 12 months
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Acting President Paramaslyum (aka Barlen) Pillay VYAPOORY (since 23 March 2018); Vice President Paramaslyum (aka Barlen) Pillay VYAPOORY (since 4 April 2016); note - President Ameenah GURIB-FAKIM (since 5 June 2015) resigned on 23 March 2018 amid a credit card scandal
head of government: Prime Minister Pravind JUGNAUTH (since 23 January 2017); note - Prime Minister Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 17 December 2014) stepped down on 23 January 2017 in favor of his son, Pravind Kumar JUGNAUTH who was then appointed prime minister; Anerood JUGNAUTH now holds the position of Mentor Minister, a position created when he stepped down
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers (Council of Ministers) appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
elections/appointments: president and vice president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for 5-year renewable terms; election last held on 4 June 2015 (next to be held in 2020); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president, responsible to the National Assembly
election results: Ameenah GURIB-FAKIM (independent) elected president by the National Assembly - unanimous vote; note - GURIB-FAKIM was Mauritius' first female president
Legislative branch:
description: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (70 seats maximum; 62 members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and up to 8 seats allocated to non-elected party candidates by the Electoral Commissioner's Office; members serve a 5-year term)
elections: last held on 10 December 2014 following dissolution of the Assembly on 6 October 2014 (next to be held by 2019)
election results: percent of vote by party - Alliance Lepep 49.8%, PTR-MMM 38.5%, FSM 2.1%, OPR 1.1%, other 8.5%; elected seats by party - Alliance Lepep 47, PTR-MMM 13, OPR 2; appointed seats Alliance Lepep 4, PTR-MMM 3
Judicial branch:
highest court(s): Supreme Court of Mauritius (consists of the chief justice, a senior puisne judge, and 17 puisne judges); note - the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) serves as the final court of appeal
judge selection and term of office: chief justice appointed by the president after consultation with the prime minister; senior puisne judge appointed by the president with the advice of the chief justice; other puisne judges appointed by the president with the advice of the Judicial and Legal Commission, a 4-member body of judicial officials including the chief justice; all judges serve until retirement at age 67
subordinate courts: lower regional courts known as District Courts, Court of Civil Appeal; Court of Criminal Appeal; Public Bodies Appeal Tribunal
Political parties and leaders:
Alliance Lepep (Alliance of the People) [Pravind JUGNAUTH] (coalition including MSM, PMSD, and ML)
Labor Party (Parti Travailliste) or PTR or MLP [Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM]
Mauritian Militant Movement (Mouvement Militant Mauricien) or MMM [Paul BERENGER]
Mauritian Social Democratic Party (Parti Mauricien Social Democrate) or PMSD [Xavier Luc DUVAL]
Mauritian Solidarity Front (Front Solidarite Mauricienne) or FSM [Cehl FAKEERMEEAH, known as Cehl MEEAH]
Militant Socialist Movement (Mouvement Socialist Mauricien) or MSM [Pravind JUGNAUTH]
Muvman Liberater or ML [Ivan COLLENDAVELLOO]
Rodrigues Peoples Organization (Organisation du Peuple Rodriguais) or OPR [Serge CLAIR]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Lalit Political Party
Resistance and Alternative (Rezistans ek Alternativ)
Say No to Coal!
other: various labor unions
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AOSIS, AU, C, CD, COMESA, CPLP (associate), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, SAARC (observer), SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Sooroojdev PHOKEER (since 3 August 2015)
chancery: 1709 N Street NW, Washington, DC 20036; administrative offices at 3201 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 441, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 244-1491 through 1492
FAX: [1] (202) 966-0983
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador David D. REIMER (since 6 February 2018); note - also accredited to Seychelles
embassy: 4th Floor, Rogers House, John Kennedy Avenue, Port Louis
mailing address: international mail: P.O. Box 544, Port Louis; US mail: American Embassy, Port Louis, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2450
telephone: [230] 202-4400
FAX: [230] 208-9534
Flag description:
four equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, yellow, and green; red represents self-determination and independence, blue the Indian Ocean surrounding the island, yellow has been interpreted as the new light of independence, golden sunshine, or the bright future, and green can symbolize either agriculture or the lush vegetation of the island
National symbol(s):
dodo bird, Trochetia Boutoniana flower; national colors: red, blue, yellow, green
National anthem:
name: "Motherland"
lyrics/music: Jean Georges PROSPER/Philippe GENTIL
note: adopted 1968

Economy

Economy - overview:
Since independence in 1968, Mauritius has undergone a remarkable economic transformation from a low-income, agriculturally-based economy to a diversified, upper middle-income economy with growing industrial, financial, and tourist sectors. Mauritius has achieved steady growth over the last several decades, resulting in more equitable income distribution, increased life expectancy, lowered infant mortality, and a much-improved infrastructure.
The economy currently depends on sugar, tourism, textiles and apparel, and financial services, but is expanding into fish processing, information and communications technology, and hospitality and property development. Sugarcane is grown on about 90% of the cultivated land area and accounts for 11% of exports. The government's development strategy centers on creating vertical and horizontal clusters of development in these sectors. Mauritius has attracted more than 32,000 offshore entities, many aimed at commerce in India, South Africa, and China. Investment in the banking sector alone has reached over $1 billion. Mauritius’ textile sector has taken advantage of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act, a preferential trade program that allows duty free access to the US market, with Mauritian exports to the US growing by 40% from 2000 to 2014.
Mauritius' sound economic policies and prudent banking practices helped mitigate negative effects of the global financial crisis in 2008-09. GDP grew in the 3-4% per year range in 2010-17, and the country continues to expand its trade and investment outreach around the globe. Growth in the US and Europe fostered goods and services exports, including tourism, while lower oil prices kept inflation low in 2016. Mauritius continues to rank as one of the most business-friendly environments on the continent, and in mind-2017 passed a Business Facilitation Act to improve competitiveness and long-term growth prospects.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$27.44 billion (2017 est.)
$26.41 billion (2016 est.)
$25.42 billion (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 137
GDP (official exchange rate):
$12.27 billion (2017 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3.9% (2017 est.)
3.9% (2016 est.)
3.5% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 75
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$21,600 (2017 est.)
$20,900 (2016 est.)
$20,100 (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 86
Gross national saving:
13.7% of GDP (2017 est.)
16.3% of GDP (2016 est.)
16.3% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 131
GDP - composition, by end use:
household consumption: 76.5%
government consumption: 16%
investment in fixed capital: 18.1%
investment in inventories: -0.5%
exports of goods and services: 46%
imports of goods and services: -56.1% (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture: 4%
industry: 21.8%
services: 74.2% (2017 est.)
Agriculture - products:
sugarcane, tea, corn, potatoes, bananas, pulses; cattle, goats; fish
Industries:
food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles, clothing, mining, chemicals, metal products, transport equipment, nonelectrical machinery, tourism
Industrial production growth rate:
3% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 102
Labor force:
633,900 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 154
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture and fishing: 8%
construction and industry: 29.8%
transportation and communication: 63.5%
trade, restaurants, hotels: 22%
finance: 6%
other services: 25% (2014 est.)
Unemployment rate:
6.9% (2017 est.)
7.2% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 100
Population below poverty line:
8% (2006 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
35.9 (2012 est.)
39 (2006 est.)
country comparison to the world: 95
Budget:
revenues: $2.912 billion
expenditures: $3.337 billion (2017 est.)
Taxes and other revenues:
23.7% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 124
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
-3.5% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 132
Public debt:
66% of GDP (2017 est.)
65% of GDP (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60
Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.2% (2017 est.)
1% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 162
Central bank discount rate:
9% (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 33
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
8.5% (31 December 2017 est.)
8.5% (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 101
Stock of narrow money:
$3.096 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$2.833 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 117
Stock of broad money:
$14.57 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$13.27 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 100
Stock of domestic credit:
$15.41 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$13.7 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 96
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$7.239 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$8.751 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
$8.942 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 78
Current account balance:
$-710 million (2017 est.)
$-531 million (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 114
Exports:
$2.329 billion (2017 est.)
$2.359 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 136
Exports - commodities:
clothing and textiles, sugar, cut flowers, molasses, fish, primates (for research)
Exports - partners:
France 14.8%, UK 12%, US 11.4%, South Africa 8.2%, Madagascar 7.3%, Italy 6.8%, Spain 4.5% (2016)
Imports:
$4.545 billion (2017 est.)
$4.408 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 127
Imports - commodities:
manufactured goods, capital equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals
Imports - partners:
China 17.7%, India 16.5%, France 7.8%, South Africa 7.5% (2016)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$5.068 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$4.967 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 92
Debt - external:
$14.67 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$14.34 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 104
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
NA
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$NA
Exchange rates:
Mauritian rupees (MUR) per US dollar -
35.17 (2017 est.)
35.54 (2016 est.)
35.54 (2015 est.)
35.06 (2014 est.)
30.62 (2013 est.)

Energy

Electricity access:
electrification - total population: 100% (2016)
Electricity - production:
2.857 billion kWh (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 134
Electricity - consumption:
2.68 billion kWh (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 139
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 169
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 174
Electricity - installed generating capacity:
1.056 million kW (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 127
Electricity - from fossil fuels:
66.3% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 114
Electricity - from nuclear fuels:
0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 143
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:
5.8% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 128
Electricity - from other renewable sources:
29.4% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 17
Crude oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 171
Crude oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 164
Crude oil - imports:
0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 161
Crude oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 169
Refined petroleum products - production:
0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 175
Refined petroleum products - consumption:
26,000 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 128
Refined petroleum products - exports:
0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 180
Refined petroleum products - imports:
24,790 bbl/day (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 107
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 170
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 209
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 151
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 156
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 173
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:
5.4 million Mt (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 124

Communications

Telephones - fixed lines:
total subscriptions: 389,500
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 29 (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 104
Telephones - mobile cellular:
total: 1.814 million
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 134 (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 154
Telephone system:
general assessment: small system with good service
domestic: monopoly over fixed-line services terminated in 2005; fixed-line teledensity roughly 30 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular services launched in 1989 with teledensity approaching 135 per 100 persons in 2016
international: country code - 230; landing point for the SAFE submarine cable that provides links to Asia and South Africa where it connects to the SAT-3/WASC submarine cable that provides further links to parts of East Africa, and Europe; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean); new microwave link to Reunion; HF radiotelephone links to several countries (2016)
Broadcast media:
the government maintains control over TV broadcasting through the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), which only operates digital TV stations since June 2015; MBC is a shareholder in a local company that operates 2 pay-TV stations; the state retains the largest radio broadcast network with multiple stations; several private radio broadcasters have entered the market since 2001; transmissions of at least 2 international broadcasters are available (2017)
Internet country code:
.mu
Internet users:
total: 717,618
percent of population: 53.2% (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 142

Transportation

National air transport system:
number of registered air carriers: 1
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 13
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 1,466,527
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 168.773 million mt-km (2015)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix:
3B (2016)
Airports:
5 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 182
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
over 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2017)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 1 (2013)
Roadways:
total: 2,428 km
paved: 2,379 km (includes 99 km of expressways)
unpaved: 49 km (2015)
country comparison to the world: 173
Merchant marine:
total: 28
by type: general cargo 2, oil tanker 3, other 23 (2017)
country comparison to the world: 129
Ports and terminals:
major seaport(s): Port Louis

Military & Security

Military expenditures:
0.19% of GDP (2016)
0.18% of GDP (2015)
0.15% of GDP (2014)
0.19% of GDP (2013)
0.14% of GDP (2012)
country comparison to the world: 151
Military branches:
no regular military forces; Mauritius Police Force, Special Mobile Force, National Coast Guard (2014)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Islands; claims French-administered Tromelin Island
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Mauritius is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Mauritian girls are induced or sold into prostitution, often by peers, family members, or businessmen offering other forms of employment; Mauritian adults have been identified as labor trafficking victims in the UK, Belgium, and Canada, while Mauritian women from Rodrigues Island are also subject to domestic servitude in Mauritius; Malagasy women transit Mauritius en route to the Middle East for jobs as domestic servants and subsequently are subjected to forced labor; Cambodian men are victims of forced labor on foreign fishing vessels in Mauritius’ territorial waters; other migrant workers from East and South Asia and Madagascar are also subject to forced labor in Mauritius’ manufacturing and construction sectors
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List – Mauritius does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; in 2014, the government made modest efforts to address child sex trafficking but none related to adult forced labor; law enforcement lacks an understanding of trafficking crimes outside of child sex trafficking, despite increasing evidence of other forms of human trafficking; authorities made no trafficking prosecutions or convictions and made modest efforts to assist a couple of child sex trafficking victims; officials sustained an extensive public awareness campaign to prevent child sex trafficking, but no efforts were made to raise awareness or reduce demand for forced adult or child labor (2015)
Illicit drugs:
consumer and transshipment point for heroin from South Asia; small amounts of cannabis produced and consumed locally; significant offshore financial industry creates potential for money laundering, but corruption levels are relatively low and the government appears generally to be committed to regulating its banking industry

Economic Indicators for Mauritius including actual values, historical data, and latest data updates for the Mauritius economy.