Growth In Cayman Islands Economy

The Cayman Islands’ economy recorded growth in the first quarter of the 2011, according to estimates from the government Economics and Statistics Office.

The growth from January to March was 1.2 percent when compared to the same quarter in 2010. Cayman’s economy actually contracted in the first quarter of 2010 by 1.3 percent.

The report for the first quarter 2011 was released by the statistics office on Friday.

Among the good results for Cayman’s economy: new company registrations increased in the first quarter by 11.9 percent; air arrivals grew by 6.8 percent; cruise ship passengers increased by 8.2 percent; and the number of property transfers increased by 20.3 percent – which means more properties were sold and a more money was made from those sales compared to an anaemic first quarter in 2010.

“Along with the government, I am very upbeat with respect to the future performance of the economy – which is based not only on positive results achieved in the first quarter of 2011 but also on the partnerships and initiatives that the government has forged with the private sector,” Premier McKeeva Bush said. “We are encouraged by the 2011 first quarter results and by the Islands’ bright future prospects.”