Current Statistics for Crete and mainland Greece.

Regional GNP

The per capita GNP of Region Crete is higher than the corresponding medium per capita GNP of country. Concretely amounts in the 105,7% of means per capita GNP of country for year 1994, presenting a light improvement concerning the year 1989 that was 104,7%.
At head GNP of Region corresponds in the 75% of means at head GNP of European Union in 1996 and it is classified in the poor Regions of EU, improving however her place concerning the year 1986, that amounted in the 57% of means at head GNP of Union and found in the 21st place between the Regions with lowest at head GNP.
The Region produces the 5,7% of total GNP of country. In the primary sector are produced the 31%, in the secondary 13% and in the tertiary sector of the 56% of regional Crude Domestic Product. The corresponding percentages for the country are 15% for the primary sector, 25% for secondary and 60% for tertiary. The bigger part of GNP of Region is produced in the prefecture of Heraklion (51,1%), while follow the prefectures of Chania (23,4%), Lasithi (13,7%) and Rethymno(11,8%).
With regard to the productivity, the Region is found in the same precisely level with the country, while it falls short concerning the productivity of EU. Concretely, in year 1996 the productivity of Crete covers the 72% of m.t. of EU (M.t. Greece = 72%), presenting however continuous improvement the last years. (in 1993 the corresponding percentage was 69%, while in 1988 was 64%).

Employment

The economically active population of Region Crete amounts in 229,6 kms, while occupied in 219,1 kms (1997). The diachronic development of active population and employment last years (1993-97) presents increase, make that keeps pace with the diachronic increase of total population of Region.
The 37,8% occupied worked in the primary sector, the 12,5% in the secondary sector and the 49,7% in the tertiary sector, while the equivalents national percentages are 19,8%, 22,5% and 57,7% (1997). With regard to the diachronic development of sectoral composition of employment, at duration of period 1993-1997 is observed a tendency of aid tertiary and primary sector, while in the secondary sector is observed relative bending.

Unemployment

The rate of unemployment in the Region in year 1997 reaches the 4,6% and it is found in considerably lower level than corresponding national that is amounted in 10,3%. The diachronic development of unemployment of Region Crete the last years presents small increase.
Concretely, the rate of unemployment in year 1993 was 4,2%, while in 1997 it reached in the 4,6% (the equivalents national rates of unemployment are 9,7% and 10,3%). The situation is better in the Region that in the country, with regard to the special categories of unemployeds.
The rate of unemployment for the women is 7,3%, while the new unemployeds occupy the 20,7% of unemployeds, in equivalence with the country where the percentages is 15,9% and 32,3%. The rate of long-lasting unemployment for Crete amounts in the 49,7%, while for the country in 57,1%. the intense circularity and epohjko'tita the basic activities of local economy they require increased polyejdj'keysi amining at the increase of mobility of workforce. 

Education level

The education level of workers in the Region of Crete shows deviations from the whole country. Underdeveloped graduates and graduates in secondary education and the specialization of the economy in the primary sector and tourism generates high skills requirements and skills.

According to the Labor Force Survey National Statistics for 1997, a significant percentage of about 50.3% of the working population have education up to primary (compared to 38.1% of the country). The 32.3% have high school diploma or high school, while the remaining 16.5% is higher and higher education (compared to national rates are 39% and 22.9%)

Production Areas

¨ Primary sector

The GDP of the primary sector occupies 12% of the GDP of the country's primary and 31% of total regional GDP figures very significantly, which shows the importance of the sector to regional and national economy. Despite the involvement of the aggregates, the primary sector is characterized by long-term structural weakness due to the small and polytemachismenou agricultural lot. Also, Crete falls far short of the national average in irrigated areas.

The structure of crops in the region highlights the specificity of traditional crops such as olive and viticulture. Horticulture cover only 3% of the total cultivated area, but concentrated in Crete about 50% of greenhouses in the country. The region has comparative advantages in the production of fresh vegetables and flowers.

Livestock production in Crete is primarily extensive, with few organized holdings. The bulk of livestock consists of sheep grazing in the fields. Important are the conditions of growth in production of hard cheese, involving 25% to domestic production.

Despite the insularity of the region, the problems faced fish found mainly in the lack of infrastructure, management and marketing of fish and modernization and restructuring of the fishing fleet and fishing methods. Finally, Crete has the advantage in beekeeping beekeeping current climate and flora.

¨ Secondary Sector

The main processing is the processing of primary products (food - beverages), but also to industries of construction materials and plastics. The participation of around 5.3% of the total EPR in 1994.

Business processing is relatively small except in the cooperative. On Crete only 1.8% of the branches of large industry and only 25 units with a turnover exceeding 1 billion drachmas

The processing of primary products sector presents problems of organization, quality, design and standardization and modernization of production facilities. The problems are also associated with the failure of organization of trade networks to promote local products in international markets. Linking manufacturing and services, networking and linking with research centers are low. Poor is planning / town planning processing, thereby causing environmental burdens and under pressure from urban expansion and development of other sectors of the local economy. The operation of the Industrial Area of Heraklion and Chania VIOPA have positive results.

¨ Tertiary sector

The administrative, educational and financial services and transport services are mainly concentrated in large urban centers. Because of the insularity of the local economy and export-oriented companies have developed very strong transport and shipping companies (7.6% of total turnover in the economy of the region).

In the 1980s created in Crete university, polytechnic and technical education institutions, and major research centers (ITE I.THA.VI.K., etc.). Research activities are concentrated mainly in Heraklion on a smaller scale in Chania and Rethymno.

The involvement of Crete in the key indicators of research activity is significantly higher than other regions of the country. The Crete region ranks second in the ranking of regions according to the percentage distribution of research institutes in Greece with 14% (1993).

The research institutions have developed partnerships with industries outside of Crete, but the orientation to the local economy is still low. Additionally there is a good level of synergy among all the research and academic institutions in the Region. The infrastructure created within the Technological Park of Heraklion, have not been sufficiently after attracting business is small. In the healthcare sector has developed significant research activity on a multidisciplinary basis, with the development of telemedicine can make a significant contribution to the effective management and utilization of health infrastructure.

Tourism in Crete is the most dynamically growing sector. The GDP of the sector is still increasing from 8,844 million drachmas in 1981 to 13,863 million drachmas in 1991 and 15,933 million drachmas in 1994. Note that for the period 1991-94 GDP growth of tourism in Crete is higher than that of the country. Is increased and employment in tourism (hotels and restaurants in Crete employed 8.5% of active population) with a rate nearly twice of that of the country.