El Presidente demands a strong economy in Tropico 6! This wacky dictator simulator puts you in control of Tropico, an island nation with big dreams. If you want to make your mark on the world, you’ll want to earn as much cash as possible. The more cash you bring in, the more stuff you’ll be able to build — that includes tourism spots, amusement parks, and amenities to keep your population happy. When they’re not happy, the revolution begins, so it’s in your best interest to keep the approval of your people.
A happy population is also a well-paid population. The economy is pretty complicated in Tropico 6, and the game only gets more complex as you navigate each era of world history. Starting from the Colonial Era, you’ll just have to worry about simple plantation crops — but in the Modern Era, you’ll have to juggle the supply chain. From raw materials, to industrial materials, to products, you’ll have to manage every level of your economy.
To help you figure out each step and keep the big money rolling in, here are 10 economy tips to get you started.
#1: Keep Your Teamsters Happy & Well Paid
Without efficient Teamsters, your entire economy will shutdown. Teamsters are the guys that deliver goods to factories, move supplies, and pick up exports. The more Teamsters you have, the smoother your economy will grow. Make sure they’re well-payed (max out their pay!) and place industries / Teamster offices near each other.
A good rule of thumb? Build one Teamster office per factory.
#2: Less Travel Time Equals More Efficiency
The less time it takes for a Teamster to reach the port / industry / producers, the faster and more efficient your economy will be. You’ll also want to plop down useful amenities like doctor offices, grocery stores, churches, etc. Whenever a Tropican is walking to a restaurant, they’re spending less time working.
#3: 4:2:1 Is The Magic Money-Making Ratio
The magic ratio for making endless money in Tropico 6 is 4:2:1 — four logging camps, two lumber mills, and one furniture factory. Factories give you the biggest payday, so it’s always better to have too much raw material rather than not enough. At the beginning of the game, you can drop the ratio down to about 2:1:1, but 4:2:1 will get you an endless supply of profits. Your factories will be working overtime with plenty of supplies, you won’t have to import expensive materials, and excess materials will be sold as exports.
#4: Always Be Diversifying (But Focus On Industry)
Diversity in your economy is extremely important. Not only because prices on exports are always in flux, but because you can drastically reduce import costs. Diversity is simple — for example, instead of raising just meat products at a ranch, you can raise goats for milk and meat, or raise llamas for textiles. Sugar plantations are great for making rum, but you’ll also want to grow plenty of food for your growing population.
You can’t export everything! Some of your economy needs to be designed specifically to keep your population fed, and in the Modern Era, it helps to keep your Shopping Malls diversified for a happier population.
#5: Check Your Faction Populations, And Influence People With Media
Happiness (and which edicts you choose) depend on the factions on your island. If you plan to use Communist-related Edicts, make sure your population has more Communist leanings. You can influence people with special schools providing Religious Education, or through Newspapers, Radio, or TV Stations. The more media you have, the more your people will be persuaded to support any edicts that match those ideals. Revolution is bad for the economy, after all!
#6: Colonial Era – Go All In On Rum Distilleries
In the first era, your main money-maker will be Rum Distilleries. That means you’ll want to build 2 Sugar Plantations (or even 4) per 1 Rum Distillery. You’ll be able to save a huge chunk of change in this early era. The rest of your plantations (which you should plant about 12+) should be all about food. You’ll also want to get started on your Ranches and Logging Camps — Ranches with Llamas / Sheep will get your Textile Mills up and off the ground in the next era.
#7: World War Era – Textile Mills, Cigars & Creameries
In the WW Era, you’ll want to put even more focus on Textile Mills and Cigar Factories. Spin wool supplied from ranches into gold — again, remember to have 2+ wool producers for every Textile Mill. Same goes for the Cigar Factories. You’ll need plenty of Tobacco Plantations to keep these factories grinding out goods.
While you’re getting Textile Mills going, build some Creameries too. You’ll be able to produce cheese from the milk you’ll also be producing with your ranches. Diversify even more with Logging Camps, Lumber Mills, and Shipyards / Furniture Factories.
#8: Cold War Era – Go Big On Furniture & Boats
Furniture Factories and Shipyards become more efficient in this era. Keep all your previous production facilities going strong, and spend more time on Furniture / Boats — they’re renewable resources, so you won’t run out as long as you keep replanting. Furniture Factories require Unskilled laborers, while Boats need High School Educations, so make sure you have school setup or you’ll waste money importing new citizens.
#9: Modern Era – Juicery, Fashion Companies, Imports & Recycling For Resources
The Modern Era is when things get most expensive. But, you can start earning huge amounts of money and get renewable resources from Waste Treatment Plants. Build a treatment plant to get small amounts of Nickel, Aluminum and Rubber — very useful for diverse projects you’ll want to start building.
Switch plantations over to Pineapples and Bananas so you can make use of the new Juicery, which is an endless resource on the island. You can also expand your Textile Mill / Tannery industry with the Fashion Company, which will start spitting out absurd profits.
This is a good place to diversify and begin building (basically) every industry under the sun. Don’t diversify too much — you’ll want to keep that 4:2:1 ratio, remember — but it helps to start building even the most complex industries. You can import the resources you need and still turn a big profit.
#10: Keeping Your Allies Happy For More Money
In the Modern Era, you’ll have to juggle even more friendly (or unfriendly) allies. Generally, keeping countries from fighting wars with each other is a lot easier, and they’re slightly less likely to invade your island unless you do something really nasty.
Office buildings, and Off-Shore Offices can net you huge economy gains in the Modern Era, but it’s very dependent on your standing with other countries. Open up a Consulate for each country to manage your relations.
#11: Improve Efficiency With Better Wages & Employee of the Month
The final tip is very straightforward — NEVER LOWER WAGES. If you have a solid economy, you will always make more money than you need. That means it’s actually smarter to pay your employees the MAX WAGE possible for their job. Do this at all time for your primary industries, and especially for your Teamsters. You can unlock Employee of the Month (Edict), and go nuts with wages to make sure your population are happy, healthy, and extremely productive.
