Economy of Vatican City
The unique, noncommercial economy of the Vatican City is supported financially by contributions (known as Peter's Pence) from Roman Catholics throughout the world, the sale of postage stamps and tourist mementos, fees for admission to museums, and the sale of publications. Vatican has its own financial system and banks, with interests worldwide. The incomes of lay workers are sensibly better than those of correspondent counterparts who work in the city of Rome. Living standards may be different, at least in their public evidence, due to particular sober lifestyle required.
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%:
NA%
highest 10%:
NA%
Labor force: NA
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%; note - dignitaries, priests, nuns, guards, and 3,000 lay workers live outside the Vatican
Budget:
revenues:
$209.6 million
expenditures:
$198.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997)
Industries: printing and production of a small amount of mosaics and staff uniforms; worldwide banking and financial activities
Electricity - production: 0 kWh (1998)
Electricity - imports: NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by Italy
Economic aid - recipient: none
Currency: Since 2002, the Vatican Euro. Previously, 1 Vatican lira (VLit) = 100 centesimi. Vatican depends on Italy for practical production of banknotes, stamps and other valuable titles. Due to its rarity, Vatican euro coins are highly sought by collectors.
Exchange rates: euros per US$1 - 0.9867 (January 2000), 0.9386 (1999); Vatican lire (VLit) per US$1 - 1,688.7 (January 1998), 1,736.2 (1998), 1,703.1 (1997), 1,542.9 (1996), 1,628.9 (1995); note - the Vatican lira is at par with the Italian lira which circulates freely; now this turned into Euro equivalence.
Fiscal year: calendar year