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EMBARGOED UNTIL RELEASE AT 7:00 P.M. EST, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2016
Technical:
Media:

Kevin Furlong (BEA)
Jeannine Aversa (BEA)
Tanya Harris Joshua (OIA)

(301) 278-9075
(301) 278-9003
(202) 208-6008

BEA 16-63

territories@bea.gov
Jeannine.Aversa@bea.gov
Tanya_Joshua@ios.doi.gov

GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT FOR THE COMMONWEALTH OF
THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS INCREASES FOR THE
FOURTH YEAR IN A ROW
CAPITOL HILL, SAIPAN (November 30, 2016) -- Today, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) is releasing
estimates of gross domestic product (GDP) for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
(CNMI) for 2015, in addition to estimates of GDP by industry and compensation by industry for 2014.1
These estimates were developed under the Statistical Improvement Program funded by the Office of
Insular Affairs (OIA) of the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Revised estimates of GDP for 2013 and 2014, as well as revised estimates of GDP by industry and
compensation by industry for 2013, are presented in this release.
Gross Domestic Product for 2015
The estimates of GDP for the CNMI show that real GDP–GDP adjusted to remove price changes–
increased 3.5 percent in 2015 after increasing 2.8 percent in 2014 (see Table 1.3). For comparison, real
GDP for the United States (excluding the territories) increased 2.6 percent in 2015 after increasing 2.4
percent in 2014.

1

These estimates are based on limited source data and are subject to revision.

The growth in the CNMI economy reflected widespread increases among the components of
GDP (see Table 1.4). These increases were partly offset by an increase in imports of goods and services,
which is a subtraction item in the calculation of GDP.
Private fixed investment was the largest contributor to economic growth in 2015, increasing over 60
percent. This growth reflected investments by the gaming industry, including a temporary training
facility and an integrated casino resort under construction in Garapan.
Territorial government spending increased, reflecting recovery operations and reconstruction following
Typhoon Soudelor. The typhoon struck the CNMI in early August 2015, damaging the local power plant
and the island’s power distribution systems.
Exports of services, which consists primarily of spending by tourists, grew for the fourth year in a row.
The increase reflected growth in visitor arrivals from Korea and China.
Gross Domestic Product by Industry and Compensation by Industry for 2014
The estimates of GDP by industry for the CNMI show that the private sector was the source of the
increase in real GDP in 2014 (see Table 2.5). The largest contributor to growth was the accommodations
and amusement sector, reflecting growth in spending by tourists.
The compensation by industry estimates, which are measured in current dollars, show trends in
compensation for major industries (see Table 2.6). Total compensation increased in 2014, reflecting
increases in all sectors except the federal government.
The accompanying tables present estimates for GDP and its major components, GDP by industry, and
compensation by industry. Also included in this release are estimates for the major components of gross
domestic income.
Revisions to GDP
Estimates for 2013 and 2014 that were released on February 29, 2016 have been revised in order to
incorporate improvements to source data, including:
 newly available data for territorial government spending from government financial statements, and
 updated international trade data provided by the CNMI government.
The revised estimates show a similar pattern of inflation-adjusted growth as the previously published
estimates (see Table 1.7).
Future directions
Moving forward, an agreement between OIA and BEA will extend and improve the estimates of GDP for
the CNMI. The information provided by the CNMI government will continue to be critical to the
successful production of these estimates.
BEA currently plans to release GDP estimates for 2016 in the summer of 2017. GDP by industry and
compensation by industry estimates for 2015 will also be released at the same time.

-2-

Additional Information
total CNMI expenditures that is accounted for by goods
and services provided by the rest of the world.

Resources


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

Stay informed about BEA developments by
reading the BEA blog, signing up for BEA’s email
subscription service, or following BEA on Twitter
@BEA_News.
Historical time series for these estimates can be
accessed at BEA’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
for the U.S. Territories.
Access BEA data by registering for BEA’s Data
Application Programming Interface (API).
For more on BEA’s statistics, see our monthly
online journal, the Survey of Current Business.
BEA's news release schedule

Government consumption expenditures and gross
investment, or “government spending,” measures the
portion of GDP that is accounted for by the government
sector. Government consumption expenditures consists of
spending by government to produce and provide services
to the public. Gross investment consists of spending by
government for fixed assets that directly benefit the public
or that assist government agencies in their production
activities.
Gross domestic income (GDI) is the sum of incomes earned
and costs incurred in the production of GDP. In national
economic accounting, GDP and GDI are conceptually
equal.

Definitions

Current-dollar estimates are valued in the prices of the
period when the transactions occurred—that is, at
“market value.” Also referred to as “nominal estimates” or
as “current-price estimates.”

Gross domestic product (GDP) is the value of the goods
and services produced by the CNMI economy less the
value of the goods and services used up in production.
GDP is also equal to the sum of personal consumption
expenditures, private fixed investment, net exports of
goods and services, and government consumption
expenditures and gross investment.

Real values are inflation-adjusted estimates—that is,
estimates that exclude the effects of price changes.

Personal consumption expenditures (PCE), also referred to
as “consumer spending,” measures the goods and services
purchased by “persons”—that is, by households and by
nonprofit institutions serving households (NPISHs)—who
are resident in CNMI.

Statistical Conventions
Quantities and prices. Quantities, or “real” volume
measures, and prices are expressed as index numbers with
a specified reference year equal to 100 (currently 2009).
Quantity and price indexes are calculated using a Fisher
chain-weighted formula that incorporates weights from
two adjacent years. “Real” dollar series are calculated by
multiplying the quantity index by the current-dollar value
in the reference year (2009) and then dividing by 100.

Private fixed investment (PFI) measures spending by
private businesses, nonprofit institutions, and households
on fixed assets in the CNMI economy. Fixed assets consist
of structures, equipment, and software that are used in
the production of goods and services.

Chained-dollar values are not additive because the
relative weights for a given period differ from those of the
reference year.

Net exports of goods and services is the difference
between exports of goods and services and imports of
goods and services. Exports measures the portion of total
CNMI production of goods and services that is provided to
the rest of the world. Imports measures the portion of

-3-

List of News Release Tables
Table 1.1.
Table 1.2.
Table 1.3.
Table 1.4.
Table 1.5.
Table 1.6.
Table 1.7.
Table 2.1.
Table 2.2.
Table 2.3.
Table 2.4.
Table 2.5.
Table 2.6.

Gross Domestic Product
Real Gross Domestic Product, Chained Dollars
Percent Change From Preceding Year in Real Gross Domestic Product
Contributions to Percent Change in Real Gross Domestic Product
Percent Change From Preceding Year in Prices for Gross Domestic Product and Price
Indexes for Gross Domestic Product
Gross Domestic Income
Revisions to Percent Change in Real Gross Domestic Product
Value Added by Industry
Value Added by Industry as a Percentage of GDP
Real Value Added by Industry
Percent Changes in Real Value Added by Industry
Contributions to Percent Change in Real Gross Domestic Product by Industry
Compensation of Employees by Industry

-4-

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
1. Domestic Product and Income
Table 1.1. Gross Domestic Product
[Millions of dollars]
Line
Gross domestic product

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

1

938

939

795

799

733

751

780

836

922

Personal consumption expenditures
Goods
Durable goods
Nondurable goods
Services
Net foreign travel

2
3
4
5
6
7

480
358
137
222
409
-287

504
387
142
245
427
-310

431
332
119
213
381
-283

442
354
130
224
398
-309

451
366
132
234
378
-293

469
399
143
256
427
-357

486
438
166
272
459
-411

539
470
186
284
510
-441

545
476
194
282
521
-453

Private fixed investment

8

79

83

85

77

74

79

90

142

227

Net exports of goods and services
Exports
Goods
Services
Imports
Goods
Services

9
10
11
12
13
14
15

47
627
333
293
579
498
81

29
488
172
316
459
394
66

-47
312
23
289
360
307
53

-70
335
19
316
405
346
59

-132
317
17
300
449
384
65

-98
380
16
364
478
409
69

-109
435
17
418
544
467
77

-159
463
15
448
622
534
87

-197
474
14
460
671
556
116

Government consumption
expenditures and gross investment
Federal
Territorial

16
17
18

332
13
319

324
15
308

327
20
306

349
22
327

340
22
318

301
21
279

312
20
292

314
22
292

347
29
318p

NOTE. Detail may not add to total because of rounding.
(p) The fiscal year 2015 CNMI government-wide audited financial statements were not available in time for incorporation into the
estimates of GDP. Preliminary estimates of central government spending reflect information on the CNMI government’s fiscal year
budgets and on federal grant awards.

-5-

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

Table 1.2. Real Gross Domestic Product, Chained Dollars
[Millions of chained (2009) dollars]
Line
Gross domestic product

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

1

1,084

964

795

806

744

748

765

787

814

Personal consumption expenditures
Goods
Durable goods
Nondurable goods
Services
Net foreign travel

2
3
4
5
6
7

516
395
149
246
434
-313

509
400
149
251
433
-324

431
332
119
213
381
-283

444
349
127
222
389
-294

430
338
121
217
354
-263

440
363
131
232
390
-313

457
402
155
247
414
-356

502
424
173
252
444
-365

512
440
188
253
455
-381

Private fixed investment

8

80

82

85

78

72

76

87

138

223

Net exports of goods and services
Exports
Goods
Services
Imports
Goods
Services

9
10
11
12
13
14
15

147
747
396
320
600
511
88

48
476
138
331
428
361
67

-47
312
23
289
360
307
53

-56
320
19
300
376
320
56

-82
284
15
269
367
308
59

-52
333
14
319
384
323
61

-61
377
15
362
438
368
70

-116
385
13
371
501
423
79

-200
399
12
387
599
496
104

Government consumption
expenditures and gross investment
Federal
Territorial

16
17
18

348
13
335

326
16
310

327
20
306

341
21
320

327
21
307

286
20
265

289
19
270

281
20
261

309
26
283p

Addenda:
Population (thousands)1
Per capita real GDP (chained dollars)

19
20

59.3
18,280

57.6
16,736

55.5
14,324

53.5
15,065

52.2
14,253

51.4
14,553

51.2
14,941

51.5
15,282

52.3
15,564

(1) Source: U.S. Census Bureau
(p) The fiscal year 2015 CNMI government-wide audited financial statements were not available in time for incorporation into the
estimates of GDP. Preliminary estimates of central government spending reflect information on the CNMI government’s fiscal year
budgets and on federal grant awards.

-6-

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

Table 1.3. Percent Change From Preceding Year in Real Gross Domestic Product
[Percent]
Line
Gross domestic product

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

1

-11.1

-17.5

1.3

-7.7

0.6

2.3

2.8

3.5

Personal consumption expenditures
Goods
Durable goods
Nondurable goods
Services
Net foreign travel

2
3
4
5
6
7

-1.4
1.3
0.2
2.0
-0.3
……..

-15.4
-17.1
-20.2
-15.3
-11.9
……..

3.0
5.1
6.7
4.1
2.0
……..

-3.2
-3.0
-5.0
-1.9
-9.1
……..

2.4
7.4
8.5
6.8
10.4
……..

3.9
10.7
18.1
6.6
6.0
……..

9.9
5.5
11.7
1.8
7.5
……..

1.9
3.7
8.5
0.5
2.3
……..

Private fixed investment

8

2.1

4.4

-8.9

-6.9

5.6

14.4

57.5

61.8

Net exports of goods and services
Exports
Goods
Services
Imports
Goods
Services

9
10
11
12
13
14
15

……..
-36.3
-65.2
3.4
-28.6
-29.3
-24.3

……..
-34.4
-83.4
-12.5
-16.0
-15.0
-21.2

……..
2.4
-16.7
3.8
4.5
4.3
6.0

……..
-11.1
-20.8
-10.5
-2.5
-3.8
5.7

……..
17.1
-8.6
18.5
4.8
5.0
3.8

……..
13.3
6.9
13.6
13.9
14.0
13.7

……..
2.0
-11.7
2.6
14.5
14.7
13.0

……..
3.8
-9.0
4.2
19.6
17.4
32.3

Government consumption
expenditures and gross investment
Federal
Territorial

16
17
18

-6.4
19.2
-7.4

0.2
30.7
-1.3

4.4
4.4
4.4

-4.0
-3.6
-4.0

-12.8
-2.5
-13.5

1.1
-6.5
1.7

-2.7
7.3
-3.3

10.0
28.5
8.6p

(p) The fiscal year 2015 CNMI government-wide audited financial statements were not available in time for incorporation into
the estimates of GDP. Preliminary estimates of central government spending reflect information on the CNMI government’s
fiscal year budgets and on federal grant awards.

-7-

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

Table 1.4. Contributions to Percent Change in Real Gross Domestic Product
Line

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

Percent change:
Gross domestic product
Percentage points:
Personal consumption expenditures
Goods
Durable goods
Nondurable goods
Services
Net foreign travel

1

-11.1

-17.5

1.3

-7.7

0.6

2.3

2.8

3.5

2
3
4
5
6
7

-0.68
0.48
0.03
0.45
-0.13
-1.02

-8.36
-7.20
-3.14
-4.06
-5.45
4.28

1.65
2.14
1.02
1.12
0.99
-1.47

-1.80
-1.39
-0.84
-0.55
-4.67
4.25

1.47
3.69
1.52
2.17
5.37
-7.60

2.43
5.62
3.40
2.21
3.39
-6.57

6.06
3.07
2.46
0.61
4.37
-1.38

1.18
1.98
1.81
0.17
1.36
-2.16

Private fixed investment

8

0.17

0.38

-0.96

-0.67

0.56

1.51

6.54

10.15

Net exports of goods and services
Exports
Goods
Services
Imports
Goods
Services

9
10
11
12
13
14
15

-8.43
-25.55
-26.56
1.01
17.13
15.13
2.00

-9.64
-17.22
-12.91
-4.31
7.58
6.08
1.50

-1.19
0.95
-0.49
1.44
-2.14
-1.74
-0.41

-3.46
-4.80
-0.53
-4.27
1.35
1.78
-0.43

4.44
7.39
-0.20
7.58
-2.95
-2.62
-0.33

-2.07
6.71
0.14
6.57
-8.78
-7.54
-1.24

-8.74
1.14
-0.25
1.38
-9.88
-8.62
-1.26

-11.51
2.01
-0.16
2.17
-13.52
-10.24
-3.28

Government consumption
expenditures and gross investment
Federal
Territorial

16
17
18

-2.12
0.24
-2.36

0.08
0.51
-0.43

1.82
0.11
1.71

-1.75
-0.10
-1.65

-5.92
-0.07
-5.84

0.45
-0.19
0.63

-1.06
0.19
-1.25

3.67
0.74
2.93p

(p) The fiscal year 2015 CNMI government-wide audited financial statements were not available in time for incorporation into
the estimates of GDP. Preliminary estimates of central government spending reflect information on the CNMI government’s
fiscal year budgets and on federal grant awards.

-8-

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

Table 1.5. Percent Change From Preceding Year in Prices for Gross Domestic Product
and Price Indexes for Gross Domestic Product
Line
Gross domestic product
Personal consumption expenditures
Gross domestic product
Personal consumption expenditures

2007

2008

2009

1

1.6

12.5

2.7

2

3.2

6.3

1.1

3

86.5

4

93.0

2010

2011

-0.8

2012

[Percent]
-0.7

2013

2014

2015

1.9

1.5

4.3

6.6

-0.4

0.9

-0.8p

97.4

-0.4
5.3
1.6
[Index numbers, 2009=100]
100.0
99.2
98.5
100.4

101.9

106.2

113.2

98.9

100.0

106.2

107.2

106.4p

99.6

104.9

106.6

(p) The 2015 CNMI Consumer Price Index was not available in time for incorporation into the estimates of GDP. The preliminary PCE
price index for 2015 reflects trends in the Guam Consumer Price Index.

Table 1.6. Gross Domestic Income
[Millions of dollars]
Line

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

Gross domestic product

1

938

939

795

799

733

751

780

836

922

Compensation of employees

2

533

501

455

456

431

415

433

470

493

Taxes on production and imports
less subsidies

3

119

109

99

94

95

102

121

152

144

Gross operating surplus

4

286

329

241

249

207

234

226

214

285

NOTE. Detail may not add to total because of rounding.

Table 1.7. Revisions to Percent Change in Real Gross Domestic Product
Line

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

Percent change:
Revised
Previously published

1
2

-11.1
-11.1

-17.5
-17.5

1.3
1.3

-7.7
-7.7

0.6
0.6

2.3
2.6

2.8
3.0

Percentage points:
Revision

3

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

-0.3

-0.2

-9-

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
2. GDP by Industry
Table 2.1. Value Added by Industry
[Millions of dollars]
Line
Gross domestic product

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

1

938

939

795

799

733

751

780

836

Private industries
Manufacturing
Distributive Services
Accommodations and Amusement
All Other

2
3
4
5
6

717
174
140
111
291

727
50
165
122
390

586
18
135
105
328

589
16
149
110
314

540
15
153
97
274

563
12
157
114
280

581
11
170
133
268

632
15
178
147
292

Government
Federal
Territorial

7
8
9

222
13
209

212
14
197

209
16
193

210
14
196

193
15
178

188
15
173

199
15
184

204
14
189

NOTE. Detail may not add to total because of rounding.

Table 2.2. Value Added by Industry as a Percentage of GDP
[Percent]
Line
Gross domestic product

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

1

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

Private industries
Manufacturing
Distributive Services
Accommodations and Amusement
All Other

2
3
4
5
6

76
19
15
12
31

77
5
18
13
42

74
2
17
13
41

74
2
19
14
39

74
2
21
13
37

75
2
21
15
37

74
1
22
17
34

76
2
21
18
35

Government
Federal
Territorial

7
8
9

24
1
22

23
1
21

26
2
24

26
2
25

26
2
24

25
2
23

26
2
24

24
2
23

- 10 -

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

Table 2.3. Real Value Added by Industry
[Millions of chained (2009) dollars]
Line
Gross domestic product

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

1

1,084

964

795

806

744

748

765

787

Private industries
Manufacturing
Distributive Services
Accommodations and Amusement
All Other

2
3
4
5
6

846
181
147
120
391

745
52
169
128
396

586
18
135
105
328

601
16
147
110
328

560
15
148
98
298

573
11
148
110
303

584
10
158
125
287

606
13
165
135
288

Government
Federal
Territorial

7
8
9

237
13
224

219
15
205

209
16
193

204
14
191

184
14
170

176
14
163

182
13
169

182
13
169

Table 2.4. Percent Changes in Real Value Added by Industry
[Percent]
Line
Gross domestic product

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

1

-11.1

-17.5

1.3

-7.7

0.6

2.3

2.8

Private industries
Manufacturing
Distributive Services
Accommodations and Amusement
All Other

2
3
4
5
6

-12.0
-71.4
15.1
6.9
1.2

-21.3
-65.4
-20.4
-17.8
-17.1

2.6
-10.5
9.3
4.2
0.1

-6.9
-7.8
0.8
-11.0
-9.1

2.3
-27.3
-0.3
13.0
1.6

2.0
-6.5
7.1
13.5
-5.2

3.7
32.4
3.9
8.2
0.4

Government
Federal
Territorial

7
8
9

-7.5
10.0
-8.6

-4.6
9.9
-5.6

-2.3
-15.1
-1.2

-9.9
1.5
-10.8

-4.3
-2.4
-4.5

3.2
-2.2
3.7

0.0
-3.6
0.3

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Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

Table 2.5. Contributions to Percent Change in Real Gross Domestic Product by Industry
Line

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

Percent change:
Gross domestic product
Percentage points:
Private industries
Manufacturing
Distributive Services
Accommodations and Amusement
All Other

1

-11.1

-17.5

1.3

-7.7

0.6

2.3

2.8

2
3
4
5
6

-9.27
-12.60
2.16
0.78
0.39

-16.49
-3.50
-3.58
-2.34
-7.07

1.94
-0.24
1.58
0.55
0.04

-5.05
-0.16
0.16
-1.52
-3.53

1.68
-0.58
-0.06
1.74
0.58

1.50
-0.10
1.48
2.06
-1.94

2.79
0.45
0.83
1.38
0.13

Government
Federal
Territorial

7
8
9

-1.71
0.13
-1.84

-1.04
0.15
-1.19

-0.61
-0.32
-0.30

-2.65
0.03
-2.68

-1.13
-0.05
-1.08

0.82
-0.04
0.86

0.00
-0.07
0.06

NOTE. Percentage-point contributions do not sum to the percent change in real gross domestic product because of
rounding and differences in source data used to estimate GDP by industry and the expenditures measure of real GDP.

Table 2.6. Compensation of Employees by Industry
[Millions of dollars]
Line

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

1

533

501

455

456

431

415

433

470

Private industries
Manufacturing
Distributive Services
Accommodations and Amusement
All Other

2
3
4
5
6

336
74
62
61
140

307
26
72
67
142

263
9
58
58
137

264
8
62
60
134

259
8
62
54
135

252
8
63
64
119

267
7
67
74
117

298
10
71
83
135

Government
Federal
Territorial

7
8
9

197
13
184

194
14
180

192
16
176

191
14
177

172
14
158

163
14
149

166
14
152

172
14
158

Total compensation

NOTE. Detail may not add to total because of rounding.

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