A year of political upheaval in Fiji,...

A year of political upheaval in Fiji, once the South Pacific’s leading island economy, caused economic growth to plummet last year, the Asian Development Bank reported.

Preliminary estimates released by the Manila-based bank in its annual report said Fiji’s real gross domestic product shrank by 11.2% in 1987 after 9.2% growth in 1986.

The Fiji results, which the bank said reflected the impact of two military coups last year, led a generally discouraging performance by the struggling economies of South Pacific island states.

“The economic performance of the South Pacific . . . was not encouraging,” the bank said.

Cyclones hit the Cook Islands and Vanuatu, damaging production and infrastructure, and the balance of payments of most countries worsened as imports rose faster than exports.