The 2008 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

(2006)

      Investment (gross fixed):

      27.3% of GDP (2007 est.)

      Budget:

      revenues: $321.9 billion expenditures: $315.8 billion (2007 est.)

      Fiscal year:

      1 July - 30 June

      Public debt:

      15.6% of GDP note: the Commonwealth government eliminated its net debt in 2006, but continues a gross debt issue to support the market for risk-free securities (2007 est.)

      Inflation rate (consumer prices):

      2.3% (2007 est.)

      Central bank discount rate:

      NA

      Commercial bank prime lending rate:

      10.02% (31 December 2007)

      Stock of money:

      $298.5 billion (31 December 2007)

      Stock of quasi money:

      $667.2 billion (31 December 2007)

      Stock of domestic credit:

      $1.312 trillion (31 December 2007)

      Agriculture - products:

      wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruits, cattle, sheep, poultry

      Industries:

      mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, steel

      Industrial production growth rate:

      4.1% (2007 est.)

      Electricity - production:

      244.2 billion kWh (2007 est.)

      Electricity - consumption:

      220 billion kWh (2006 est.)

      Electricity - exports:

      0 kWh (2007 est.)

      Electricity - imports:

      0 kWh (2007 est.)

      Electricity - production by source:

      fossil fuel: 90.8% hydro: 8.3% nuclear: 0% other: 0.9% (2001)

      Oil - production:

      600,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)

      Oil - consumption:

      966,200 bbl/day (2007 est.)

      Oil - exports:

      337,400 bbl/day (2005)

      Oil - imports:

      615,000 bbl/day (2005)

      Oil - proved reserves:

      1.5 billion bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

      Natural gas - production:

      43.62 billion cu m (2007 est.)

      Natural gas - consumption:

      29.4 billion cu m (2007 est.)

      Natural gas - exports:

      19.91 billion cu m (2007 est.)

      Natural gas - imports:

      5.689 billion cu m (2007 est.)

      Natural gas - proved reserves:

      849.5 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

      Current account balance:

      -$56.78 billion (2007 est.)

      Exports:

      $142.1 billion (2007 est.)

      Exports - commodities:

      coal, iron ore, gold, meat, wool, alumina, wheat, machinery and transport equipment

      Exports - partners:

      Japan 18.9%, China 14.2%, South Korea 8%, US 6%, NZ 5.6%, India 5.5%, UK 4.2% (2007)

      Imports:

      $160 billion (2007 est.)

      Imports - commodities:

      machinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines, telecommunication equipment and parts; crude oil and petroleum products

      Imports - partners:

      China 15.5%, US 12.8%, Japan 9.6%, Singapore 5.6%, Germany 5.2%, UK 4.3%, Thailand 4.2% (2007)

      Economic aid - donor:

      ODA, $2.123 billion (2006)

      Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

      $26.91 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

      Debt - external:

      $826.4 billion (31 December 2007)

      Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

      $315 billion (2007 est.)

      Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

      $280.6 billion (2007 est.)

      Market value of publicly traded shares:

      $804.1 billion (2005)

      Currency (code):

      Australian dollar (AUD)

      Currency code:

      AUD

      Exchange rates:

      Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar - 1.2137 (2007), 1.3285 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003)

      Communications

       Australia

      Telephones - main lines in use:

      9.76 million (2007)

      Telephones - mobile cellular:

      21.26 million (2007)

      Telephone system:

      general assessment: excellent domestic and international service domestic: domestic satellite system; significant use of radiotelephone in areas of low population density; rapid growth of mobile cellular telephones international: country code - 61; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 optical telecommunications submarine cable with links to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; the Southern Cross fiber optic submarine cable provides links to New Zealand and the United States; satellite earth stations - 19 (10 Intelsat - 4 Indian Ocean and 6 Pacific Ocean, 2 Inmarsat - Indian and Pacific Ocean regions, 2 Globalstar, 5 other) (2007)

      Radio broadcast stations:

      AM 262, FM 345, shortwave 1 (1998)

      Radios:

      25.5 million (1997)

      Television broadcast stations:

      104 (1997)

      Televisions:

      10.15 million (1997)

      Internet country code:

      .au

      Internet hosts:

      11.134 million (2008)

      Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

      571 (2002)

      Internet users:

      11.24 million (2007)

      Transportation

       Australia

      Airports:

      461 (2007)

      Airports - with paved runways:

      total: 317 over 3,047 m: 11 2,438 to 3,047 m: 12 1,524 to 2,437 m: