Mauritius
Type of Government: Parliamentary Democracy
Independence: 1968 from the UK
Head of State: President Sir Anerood Jugnauth (since October 7, 2003)
2007/2008 UN Development Index ranking (out of 177 countries): 65
2007 TI Corruption Perception Index (out of 179): 53
Political Development: A stable democracy with regular free elections and a positive human rights record, the country has attracted considerable foreign investment and has earned one of Africa’s highest per capita incomes. Recent poor weather and declining sugar prices have slowed economic growth, leading to some protests over standards of living in the Creole community. The country has also seen a drop in its corruption rating recently.
Adult HIV Rate: 0.1%
Life Expectancy: 72.88
GDP: $7.182 billion
Inflation: 8.9%
Poverty: 10%
Petroleum: N/A
Leading Export Partner: UK (32.5%)
Economic Note: Mauritius has developed from a low-income, agriculturally based economy to a middle-income diversified economy with growing industrial, financial, and tourist sectors. For most of the period, annual growth has been in the order of 5% to 6%. This remarkable achievement has been reflected in more equitable income distribution, increased life expectancy, lowered infant mortality, and a much-improved infrastructure. The government’s development strategy centers on expanding local financial institutions and building a domestic information telecommunications industry. Mauritius has attracted more than 9,000 offshore entities, many aimed at commerce in India and South Africa, and investment in the banking sector alone has reached over $1 billion.
