| FINANCE | 2000 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mortgage debt outstanding (billion dollars) | 6,761 | 8,244 | 9,234 | 10,472 | 11,942 |
| Consumer credit outstanding (billion dollars) | 1,705 | 1,922 | 2,010 | 2,097 | 2,158 |
| Interest rates: | |||||
| New-home mortgage yields (percent) 1 | 7.52 | 6.43 | 5.80 | 5.77 | 5.94 |
| Prime rate charged by banks (percent) | 9.23 | 4.67 | 4.12 | 4.34 | 6.19 |
| Standard & Poor's common index (500 stocks) 2 | 1,320 | 880 | 1,112 | 1,212 | 1,248 |
| FOREIGN COMMERCE | 2000 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 |
| Current account balance (billion dollars) | -415 | -472 | -528 | -865 | -792 |
| Merchandise trade balance (billion dollars) | -436 | -468 | -532 | -651 | -767 |
| Exports (billion dollars) 3 | 782 | 693 | 725 | 819 | 906 |
| General imports (billion dollars) | 1,218 | 1,161 | 1,257 | 1,470 | 1,673 |
NA Not available.
\1 Effective rate on conventional mortgages.
\2 1941-43=10. Closing value as
of end of December.
\3 Domestic and foreign exports; free
alongside ship (f.a.s.) value basis.
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