After the establishment of the CEP (Centre d'Experimentation du Pacifique) in 1963, the standard of living in French Polynesia increased considerably and as a result, many Polynesians abandoned traditional activities and many islanders decided to emigrate to the capital of Tahiti: Papeete .
Even though the standard of living in Polynesia is elevated (due mainly to France's monetary input), the economy is extremely reliant on imports.The main trading partners are: France (about 40% of imports and about 25% of exports), the USA, Japan, Australia and New-Zealand.
French Polynesia exports mostly pearls(about 30% of exports), vanilla, fruits, flowers, monoi, fish, coprah oil, noni. But the exports only represent 20% of the imports (mostly equipment and food).
Unemployment affects about 13% of the active population, especially women and unqualified young people. Iin remote islands and some atolls, this is not really a problem but in Tahiti, it has created some social concerns.
At the cessation of CEP activities, Francesigned the Progress Pact with the Terrirory and decided to compensate the loss of financial resources and assist in many fields such as education, tourism, etc...Transfers to the Territory will be of about US$150 Million per year until December 31, 2005.