Holy See (Vatican City) Economy Profile 2009

Economy - overview

The Holy See is supported financially by a variety of sources, including investments, real estate income, and donations from Catholic individuals, dioceses, and institutions; these help fund the Roman Curia (Vatican bureaucracy), diplomatic missions, and media outlets. The separate Vatican City State budget includes the Vatican museums and post office and is supported financially by the sale of stamps, coins, medals, and tourist mementos; by fees for admission to museums; and by publications sales. Moreover, an annual collection taken up in dioceses and direct donations go to a non-budgetary fund known as Peter's Pence, which is used directly by the Pope for charity, disaster relief, and aid to churches in developing nations. The incomes and living standards of lay workers are comparable to those of counterparts who work in the city of Rome.

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$NA

Population below poverty line

NA%

Labor force

NA

Labor force - by occupation

note: essentially services with a small amount of industry; nearly all dignitaries, priests, nuns, guards, and the approximately 3,000 lay workers live outside the Vatican

Budget

revenues: $374 million
expenditures: $388 million (2007)

Industries

printing; production of coins, medals, postage stamps; mosaics and staff uniforms; worldwide banking and financial activities

Electricity - production

NA kWh

Electricity - consumption

NA kWh

Electricity - imports

NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by Italy; a small portion of electricity is self-produced from solar panels

Currency (code)

EUR

Currency (code)

euro (EUR)

Exchange rates

euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6827 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)

Fiscal year

calendar year