Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Some figures reconciled across multiple sources via Civica's methodology (v0.2 BETA). Methodology →
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines⌘K
Overview
- Background
- Resistance from native Caribs prevented colonization on Saint Vincent until 1719. France and England disputed the island for most of the 18th century, but it was ceded to England in 1783. The British prized Saint Vincent because of its fertile soil, which allowed for thriving slave-run plantations of sugar, coffee, indigo, tobacco, cotton, and cocoa. In 1834, the British abolished slavery. Immigration of indentured servants eased the ensuing labor shortage, as did subsequent immigrant waves from Portugal and East India. Conditions remained harsh for both former slaves and immigrant agricultural workers, however, as depressed world sugar prices kept the economy stagnant until the early 1900s. The economy then went into a period of decline, with many landowners abandoning their estates and leaving the land to be cultivated by liberated slaves.
Between 1960 and 1962, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was a separate administrative unit of the Federation of the West Indies. Autonomy was granted in 1969 and independence in 1979. In 2021, the eruption of the La Soufrière volcano in the north of Saint Vincent destroyed much of Saint Vincent’s most productive agricultural lands. Unlike most of its tourism-dependent neighbors, the Vincentian economy is primarily agricultural.
Geography
Area
- Land
- 389 sq km
- Water
- 0 sq km
- Total
- 389 sq km (Saint Vincent 344 sq km)
- Climate
- tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)
- Terrain
- volcanic, mountainous
Land Use
- Other
- 8.8% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 73.2% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 17.9% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 5.1% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 7.7% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 5.1% (2023 est.)
- Location
- Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
- Coastline
- 84 km
Elevation
- Lowest point
- Caribbean Sea 0 m
- Highest point
- La Soufriere 1,234 m
- Irrigated land
- 10 sq km (2012)
- Map references
- Central America and the Caribbean
Land Boundaries
- Total
- 0 km
Maritime Claims
- Contiguous zone
- 24 nm
- Territorial sea
- 12 nm
- Continental shelf
- 200 nm
- Exclusive economic zone
- 200 nm
- Natural hazards
- hurricanes; La Soufrière volcano on the island of Saint Vincent is a constant threat
volcanism: La Soufrière (1,234 m) last erupted in 1979; the island of Saint Vincent is part of the volcanic-island arc of the Lesser Antilles that extends from Saba in the north to Grenada in the south - Geography note
- the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is composed of 32 islands and cays
- Natural resources
- hydropower, arable land
- Area comparative
- twice the size of Washington, D.C.
- Geographic coordinates
- 13 15 N, 61 12 W
- Population distribution
- most of the population is concentrated in and around the capital of Kingstown
People & Society
- Languages
- English, Vincentian Creole English, French patois
- Religions
- Protestant 75% (Pentecostal 27.6%, Anglican 13.9%, Seventh Day Adventist 11.6%, Baptist 8.9%, Methodist 8.7%, Evangelical 3.8%, Salvation Army 0.3%, Presbyterian/Congregational 0.3%), Roman Catholic 6.3%, Rastafarian 1.1%, Jehovah's Witness 0.8%, other 4.7%, none 7.5%, unspecified 4.7% (2012 est.)
Sex Ratio
- At birth
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- 0 14 years
- 1.02 male(s)/female
- 15 64 years
- 1.06 male(s)/female
- Total population
- 1.04 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
- 65 years and over
- 0.94 male(s)/female
- Birth rate
- 11.72 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Death rate
- 7.75 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Median Age
- Male
- 37.7 years
- Total
- 38.1 years (2025 est.)
- Female
- 37.4 years
Population
- Male
- 51,249
- Total
- 100,647 (2024 est.)
- Female
- 49,398
Nationality
- Noun
- Saint Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s)
- Adjective
- Saint Vincentian or Vincentian
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 54.3% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 0.94% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Age Structure
- 0 14 years
- 18.8% (male 9,527/female 9,353)
- 15 64 years
- 68.2% (male 35,401/female 33,288)
- 65 years and over
- 13% (2024 est.) (male 6,321/female 6,757)
- Ethnic groups
- African descent 71.2%, mixed 23%, Indigenous 3%, East Indian/Indian 1.1%, European 1.5%, other 0.2% (2012 est.)
Dependency Ratios
- Total dependency ratio
- 46.5 (2024 est.)
- Youth dependency ratio
- 27.5 (2024 est.)
- Potential support ratio
- 5.3 (2024 est.)
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 19 (2024 est.)
- Physician density
- 0.66 physicians/1,000 population (2012)
Health Expenditure
- Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
- 5.4% of GDP (2021)
- Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
- 8.6% of national budget (2022 est.)
- Net migration rate
- -5.43 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Hospital bed density
- 4.2 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
- Total fertility rate
- 1.73 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Education Expenditure
- Education expenditure (% GDP)
- 6.5% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Education expenditure (% national budget)
- 12.6% national budget (2024 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate
- Male
- 13.9 deaths/1,000 live births
- Total
- 12 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
- Female
- 10.7 deaths/1,000 live births
- Population growth rate
- -0.15% (2025 est.)
- Gross reproduction rate
- 0.85 (2025 est.)
- Population distribution
- most of the population is concentrated in and around the capital of Kingstown
Life Expectancy at Birth
- Male
- 75.2 years
- Female
- 79.3 years
- Total population
- 77.2 years (2024 est.)
- Maternal mortality ratio
- 56 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Sanitation Facility Access
- Improved: total
- total: 90.2% of population
Alcohol Consumption Per Capita
- Beer
- 2.52 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Wine
- 0.24 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Total
- 7.48 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Spirits
- 4.48 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Other alcohols
- 0.23 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Major urban areas population
- 27,000 KINGSTOWN (capital) (2018)
- Obesity adult prevalence rate
- 23.7% (2016)
School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education)
- Male
- 14 years (2015 est.)
- Total
- 15 years (2015 est.)
- Female
- 15 years (2015 est.)
Government
Civica · structure
How power is organised
ExecutiveLegislative
- Flag
- description: three vertical bands of blue (left side), gold (double-width), and green; the gold band has three green diamonds arranged in a "V" pattern that stands for "Vincent"
meaning: the diamonds represent the islands as "the Gems of the Antilles" and are set slightly lowered in the gold band to reflect the country's position in the Antilles; blue stands for the tropical sky and sea, yellow for the sand, and green for vegetation
Capital
- Name
- Kingstown
- Time difference
- UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Geographic coordinates
- 13 08 N, 61 13 W
- Suffrage
- 18 years of age; universal
Citizenship
- Citizenship BY birth
- yes
- Citizenship BY descent only
- at least one parent must be a citizen of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Dual citizenship recognized
- yes
- Residency requirement for naturalization
- 7 years
Constitution
- History
- previous 1969, 1975; latest drafted 26 July 1979, effective 27 October 1979 (The Saint Vincent Constitution Order 1979)
- Amendment process
- proposed by the House of Assembly; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly membership and assent of the governor general; passage of amendments to constitutional sections on fundamental rights and freedoms, citizen protections, various government functions and authorities, and constitutional amendment procedures requires approval by the Assembly membership, approval in a referendum of at least two thirds of the votes cast, and assent of the governor general
Country Name
- Etymology
- explorer Christopher COLUMBUS named the island after Saint VINCENT of Saragossa because 22 January 1498, the day of discovery, was the saint's feast day
- Conventional long form
- none
- Conventional short form
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Independence
- 27 October 1979 (from the UK)
- Legal system
- English common law
- Government type
- parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
Judicial Branch
- Highest court(s)
- the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC is headquartered on St. Lucia and consists of the Court of Appeal -- headed by the chief justice and 4 judges -- and the High Court with 18 judges; the Court of Appeal travels to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice
- Subordinate courts
- magistrates' courts
- Judge selection and term of office
- chief justice of Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court appointed by the British monarch; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, an independent body of judicial officials; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62
Executive Branch
- Cabinet
- Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
- Chief of state
- King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor General Stanley JOHN (since 6 January 2026)
- Head of government
- Prime Minister Godwin FRIDAY (since 28 November 2025)
- Election/appointment process
- the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the governor general usually appoints the leader of the majority party or majority coalition as prime minister; deputy prime minister also appointed by governor general on the advice of the prime minister
- National holiday
- Independence Day, 27 October (1979)
- National color(s)
- blue, gold, green
- Political parties
- New Democratic Party or NDP
SVG Green Party or SVGP
Unity Labor Party or ULP (formed in 1994 by the coalition of Saint Vincent Labor Party or SVLP and the Movement for National Unity or MNU)
Legislative Branch
- Term in office
- 5 years
- Number of seats
- 22 (15 directly elected; 6 appointed)
- Electoral system
- plurality/majority
- Legislature name
- House of Assembly
- Scope of elections
- full renewal
- Legislative structure
- unicameral
- Most recent election date
- 11/27/2025
- Expected date of next election
- November 2030
- Percentage of women in chamber
- 21.7%
- Parties elected and seats per party
- United Labour Party (ULP) (9); New Democratic Party (NDP) (6)
National Anthem(s)
- Title
- "God Save the King"
- History
- in use since 1745
- Lyrics/music
- unknown
- National symbol(s)
- Saint Vincent parrot
- Administrative divisions
- 6 parishes; Charlotte, Grenadines, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint Patrick
Diplomatic Representation in the US
- Fax
- [1] (202) 364-6736
- Chancery
- 1627 K Street, NW, Suite 704, Washington, DC 20006
- Telephone
- [1] (202) 364-6730
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador Lou-Anne Gaylene GILCHRIST (since 18 January 2017)
- Consulate(s) general
- New York
- Email address and website
mail@embsvg.com
http://wa.embassy.gov.vc/washington/
Diplomatic Representation from the US
- Embassy
- the US does not have an embassy in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- International organisations
- ACP, ACS, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WTO
- International law organization participation
- has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Legislature
SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES · LEGISLATURE
House of Assembly
23 seats · hover a seat for the party
Total seats
23
Majority line
13
Largest party
New Democratic Party (NDP)
Parties
2
All political parties
Leaders
Current
Charles III
- Head of State
Godwin Friday
- Head of Government
Economy
Budget
- Note
- note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
- Revenues
- $226.404 million (2017 est.)
- Expenditures
- $208.744 million (2017 est.)
Exports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $278.292 million (2022 est.)
- Note
- note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
- Exports 2022
- $278.292 million (2022 est.)
- Exports 2023
- $345.098 million (2023 est.)
- Exports 2024
- $425.182 million (2024 est.)
Imports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $540.833 million (2022 est.)
- Note
- note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
- Imports 2022
- $540.833 million (2022 est.)
- Imports 2023
- $588.865 million (2023 est.)
- Imports 2024
- $641.179 million (2024 est.)
- Industries
- tourism; food processing, cement, furniture, clothing, starch
- Labor force
- 52,100 (2024 est.)
Public Debt
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 82.8% of GDP (2016 est.)
- Public debt 2016
- 82.8% of GDP (2016 est.)
Remittances
- Note
- note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
- Remittances 2022
- 9% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Remittances 2023
- 8.5% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Remittances 2024
- 8.2% of GDP (2024 est.)
Exchange Rates
- Currency
- East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -
- Exchange rates 2020
- 2.7 (2020 est.)
- Exchange rates 2021
- 2.7 (2021 est.)
- Exchange rates 2022
- 2.7 (2022 est.)
- Exchange rates 2023
- 2.7 (2023 est.)
- Exchange rates 2024
- 2.7 (2024 est.)
Debt External
- Note
- note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
- Debt external 2023
- $456.971 million (2023 est.)
- Economic overview
- upper middle-income Caribbean island economy; key agriculture and tourism sectors; environmentally fragile; diversifying economy across services, science and knowledge, and creative industries; CARICOM member and US Caribbean Basin Initiative beneficiary
Unemployment Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 18.0%
- Note
- note: % of labor force seeking employment
- Unemployment rate 2022
- 19.5% (2022 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2023
- 18.6% (2023 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2024
- 18.1% (2024 est.)
- Exports partners
- Croatia 16%, Barbados 14%, USA 10%, St. Lucia 10%, St. Kitts & Nevis 8% (2023)
- Imports partners
- USA 37%, Italy 7%, Trinidad & Tobago 7%, China 6%, UK 6% (2023)
Real GDP Per Capita
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $21,272
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP per capita 2022
- $16,800 (2022 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2023
- $17,900 (2023 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2024
- $18,700 (2024 est.)
Real GDP Growth Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 4.1%
- Note
- note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
- Real GDP growth rate 2022
- 3.1% (2022 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2023
- 5.3% (2023 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2024
- 4.1% (2024 est.)
- Agricultural products
- bananas, root vegetables, plantains, spices, coconuts, fruits, apples, vegetables, mangoes/guavas, sweet potatoes (2023)
- Exports commodities
- ships, wheat flours, animal food, shellfish, construction vehicles (2023)
- Imports commodities
- ships, refined petroleum, wheat, coal, poultry (2023)
Current Account Balance
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- -$193.1M
- Note
- note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
- Current account balance 2022
- -$199.727 million (2022 est.)
- Current account balance 2023
- -$180.43 million (2023 est.)
- Current account balance 2024
- -$156.589 million (2024 est.)
- Taxes and other revenues
- 23.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
- GDP (official exchange rate)
- $1.157 billion (2024 est.)
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 3.6%
- Note
- note: annual % change based on consumer prices
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022
- 5.7% (2022 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023
- 4.6% (2023 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024
- 3.6% (2024 est.)
- Industrial production growth rate
- 7.3% (2024 est.)
Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $1.883 billion (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
- $1.718 billion (2022 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
- $1.809 billion (2023 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024
- $1.883 billion (2024 est.)
Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)
- Male
- 41.4% (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
- Total
- 41.4% (2024 est.)
- Female
- 41.4% (2024 est.)
Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold
- Note
- note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022
- $320.193 million (2022 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023
- $280.564 million (2023 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024
- $316.824 million (2024 est.)
GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
- Industry
- 15.4% (2024 est.)
- Services
- 66.4% (2024 est.)
- Agriculture
- 3.5% (2024 est.)
Energy
Coal
- Exports
- 8 metric tons (2023 est.)
- Imports
- 8,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum
- Refined petroleum consumption
- 2,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Electricity
- Consumption
- 140.316 million kWh (2023 est.)
- Installed generating capacity
- 55,000 kW (2023 est.)
- Transmission/distribution losses
- 10.868 million kWh (2023 est.)
Electricity Access
- Electrification total population
- 100% (2022 est.)
Energy Consumption Per Capita
- Total energy consumption per capita 2023
- 37.253 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Electricity Generation Sources
- Solar
- 1.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Fossil fuels
- 86.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Hydroelectricity
- 12.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Communications
Internet Users
- Percent of population
- 76% (2023 est.)
- Broadcast media
- St. Vincent and the Grenadines Broadcasting Corporation operates 1 TV station and 5 repeater stations that provide near total coverage to the multi-island state; multi-channel cable TV service available; a partially government-funded national radio service broadcasts on 1 station and has 2 repeater stations; about a dozen privately owned radio stations and repeater stations
- Internet country code
- .vc
Telephones Fixed Lines
- Total subscriptions
- 10,000 (2023 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 10 (2023 est.)
Telephones Mobile Cellular
- Total subscriptions
- 103,000 (2023 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 100 (2022 est.)
Broadband Fixed Subscriptions
- Total
- 31,000 (2023 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 30 (2023 est.)
Transport
Ports
- Large
- 0
- Small
- 1
- Medium
- 0
- Key ports
- Kingstown
- Very small
- 0
- Total ports
- 1 (2024)
- Ports with oil terminals
- 1
- Airports
- 5 (2025)
Merchant Marine
- Total
- 830 (2023)
- BY type
- bulk carrier 30, container ship 18, general cargo 137, oil tanker 16, other 629
- Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
- J8
Environment
- Climate
- tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)
Land Use
- Other
- 8.8% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 73.2% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 17.9% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 5.1% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 7.7% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 5.1% (2023 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 54.3% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 0.94% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and Recycling
- Municipal solid waste generated annually
- 31,600 tons (2024 est.)
- Percent of municipal solid waste recycled
- 13.3% (2022 est.)
- Environmental issues
- pollution of coastal waters and shorelines from boats; poor land-use planning; deforestation; watershed management; squatter settlement control
Total Water Withdrawal
- Municipal
- 8.5 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
- Industrial
- 2,000 cubic meters (2022 est.)
- Agricultural
- 0 cubic meters (2022 est.)
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
- Total emissions
- 268,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From coal and metallurgical coke
- 19,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From petroleum and other liquids
- 249,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- Particulate matter emissions
- 9.5 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
- Total renewable water resources
- 100 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
International Environmental Agreements
- Party to
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
- Signed, but not ratified
- none of the selected agreements
Military & Security
- Military note
- the country has been a member of the Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS) since its creation in 1982; RSS signatories (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Lucia) agreed to prepare contingency plans and assist one another, on request, in national emergencies, prevention of smuggling, search and rescue, immigration control, fishery protection, customs and excise control, maritime policing duties, protection of off-shore installations, pollution control, national and other disasters, and threats to national security (2025)
- Military and security forces
- no regular military forces; Ministry of National Security: Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVPF) (2025)
Scores & Rankings
ScoreValueGlobal rankTrendAs of
Civica Index70.0 / 100as of 2024-Q445 / 1902024-Q4
Freedom House StatusFree (100/100)as of 2024-Q4—2024-Q4
Press Freedom (RSF)Partly free (50/100)as of 2024—2024
Cite this page
Cite this page
Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Saint Vincent and the Grenadines — vintage 2026-Q1: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/saint-vincent-and-the-grenadines
Sources: FAO FAOSTAT, ILO ILOSTAT, IMF (WEO), UN Statistics Division, UNDP HDR, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, WHO Global Health Observatory, World Bank, WTO Stats, CIA World Factbook, Wikidata