Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago⌘K
Overview
- Background
- First colonized by the Spanish, Trinidad and Tobago came under British control in the early 19th century. The emancipation of enslaved people in 1834 disrupted the twin islands' sugar industry. Contract workers arriving from India between 1845 and 1917 augmented the labor force, which boosted sugar production as well as the cocoa industry. The discovery of oil on Trinidad in 1910 added another important export that remains the country's dominant industry. Trinidad and Tobago attained independence in 1962. The country is one of the most prosperous in the Caribbean, thanks largely to petroleum and natural gas production and processing. The government is struggling to reverse a surge in violent crime.
Geography
Area
- Land
- 5,128 sq km
- Water
- 0 sq km
- Total
- 5,128 sq km
- Climate
- tropical; rainy season (June to December)
- Terrain
- mostly plains with some hills and low mountains
Land Use
- Other
- 45.2% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 44.2% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 10.5% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 4.9% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 4.3% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 1.4% (2023 est.)
- Location
- Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela
- Coastline
- 362 km
Elevation
- Lowest point
- Caribbean Sea 0 m
- Highest point
- El Cerro del Aripo 940 m
- Mean elevation
- 83 m
- Irrigated land
- 70 sq km (2012)
- Map references
- Central America and the Caribbean
Land Boundaries
- Total
- 0 km
Maritime Claims
- Note
- note: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
- Contiguous zone
- 24 nm
- Territorial sea
- 12 nm
- Continental shelf
- 200 nm or to the outer edge of the continental margin
- Exclusive economic zone
- 200 nm
- Natural hazards
- outside usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms
- Geography note
- Pitch Lake, on Trinidad's southwestern coast, is the world's largest natural reservoir of asphalt
- Natural resources
- petroleum, natural gas, asphalt
- Area comparative
- slightly smaller than Delaware
- Geographic coordinates
- 11 00 N, 61 00 W
- Population distribution
- population on Trinidad is concentrated in the western half of the island, on Tobago in the southern half
People & Society
Literacy
- Female
- 93.8% (2022 est.)
- Languages
- English (official), Trinidadian Creole English, Tobagonian Creole English, Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Trinidadian Creole French, Spanish, Chinese
- Religions
- Protestant 32.1% (Pentecostal/Evangelical/Full Gospel 12%, Baptist 6.9%, Anglican 5.7%, Seventh Day Adventist 4.1%, Presbyterian/Congregational 2.5%, other Protestant 0.9%), Roman Catholic 21.6%, Hindu 18.2%, Muslim 5%, Jehovah's Witness 1.5%, other 8.4%, none 2.2%, unspecified 11.1% (2011 est.)
Sex Ratio
- At birth
- 1.04 male(s)/female
- 0 14 years
- 1.04 male(s)/female
- 15 64 years
- 1.04 male(s)/female
- Total population
- 1.01 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
- 65 years and over
- 0.87 male(s)/female
- Birth rate
- 10.33 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Death rate
- 8.69 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Median Age
- Male
- 38 years
- Total
- 39.1 years (2025 est.)
- Female
- 39 years
Population
- Male
- 708,677
- Total
- 1,410,170 (2025 est.)
- Female
- 701,493
Nationality
- Note
- note: Trinbagonian is used on occasion to describe a citizen of the country without specifying the island of origin
- Noun
- Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s)
- Adjective
- Trinidadian, Tobagonian
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 53.4% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 0.23% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Age Structure
- 0 14 years
- 18.7% (male 134,508/female 129,180)
- 15 64 years
- 67.2% (male 481,606/female 465,150)
- 65 years and over
- 14.1% (2024 est.) (male 92,146/female 106,376)
- Ethnic groups
- East Indian 35.4%, African descent 34.2%, mixed - other 15.3%, mixed - African/East Indian 7.7%, other 1.3%, unspecified 6.2% (2011 est.)
Child Marriage
- Women married BY age 15
- 0.7% (2022)
- Women married BY age 18
- 4.2% (2022)
Dependency Ratios
- Total dependency ratio
- 49.3 (2025 est.)
- Youth dependency ratio
- 27.5 (2025 est.)
- Potential support ratio
- 4.6 (2025 est.)
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 21.9 (2025 est.)
- Physician density
- 4.16 physicians/1,000 population (2021)
Health Expenditure
- Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
- 7% of GDP (2021)
- Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
- 10.9% of national budget (2022 est.)
- Net migration rate
- -0.89 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Hospital bed density
- 1.6 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
- Total fertility rate
- 1.63 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Drinking Water Source
- Improved: total
- total: 98.9% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: total
- total: 1.1% of population (2022 est.)
Education Expenditure
- Education expenditure (% GDP)
- 3% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Education expenditure (% national budget)
- 12.6% national budget (2025 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate
- Male
- 17.1 deaths/1,000 live births
- Total
- 14.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
- Female
- 13 deaths/1,000 live births
- Population growth rate
- 0.08% (2025 est.)
- Gross reproduction rate
- 0.8 (2025 est.)
- Population distribution
- population on Trinidad is concentrated in the western half of the island, on Tobago in the southern half
Life Expectancy at Birth
- Male
- 74.6 years
- Female
- 78.4 years
- Total population
- 76.5 years (2024 est.)
- Maternal mortality ratio
- 54 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Sanitation Facility Access
- Improved: total
- total: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: total
- total: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)
Alcohol Consumption Per Capita
- Beer
- 2.92 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Wine
- 0.16 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Total
- 5.81 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Spirits
- 2.65 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Other alcohols
- 0.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Major urban areas population
- 545,000 PORT-OF-SPAIN (capital) (2023)
- Obesity adult prevalence rate
- 18.6% (2016)
- Currently married women (ages 15 49)
- 42.7% (2022 est.)
Government
Civica · structure
How power is organised
ExecutiveLegislative
- Flag
- description: red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper left to the lower right
meaning: the colors represent the elements of earth, water, and fire; black also stands for the wealth of the land and the dedication of the people; white for the sea, the purity of the country's aspirations, and equality; red for the sun, the vitality of the land, and the people's courage and friendliness
Capital
- Name
- Port of Spain
- Etymology
- translation of the name the Spanish gave the town in 1595, Puerto de España; the name was anglicized after the British captured Trinidad in 1797
- Time difference
- UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Geographic coordinates
- 10 39 N, 61 31 W
- Suffrage
- 18 years of age; universal
Citizenship
- Citizenship BY birth
- yes
- Citizenship BY descent only
- yes
- Dual citizenship recognized
- yes
- Residency requirement for naturalization
- 8 years
Constitution
- History
- previous 1962; latest 1976
- Amendment process
- proposed by Parliament; passage of amendments affecting constitutional provisions, such as human rights and freedoms or citizenship, requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the membership of both houses and assent of the president; passage of amendments, such as the powers and authorities of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government, and the procedure for amending the constitution, requires at least three-quarters majority vote by the House membership, two-thirds majority vote by the Senate membership, and assent of the president
Country Name
- Etymology
- explorer Christopher COLUMBUS named the larger island "La Isla de la Trinidad" (The Island of the Trinity) in 1498, possibly because of the three mountain peaks on the island; COLUMBUS may have gotten the name Tobago, spelled "tobaco" in Spanish, from the tobacco grown and smoked locally, or from its elongated cigar shape
- Conventional long form
- Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
- Conventional short form
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Independence
- 31 August 1962 (from the UK)
- Legal system
- English common law; Supreme Court reviews legislative acts
- Government type
- parliamentary republic
Judicial Branch
- Note
- note: Trinidad and Tobago can file appeals beyond its Supreme Court to the Caribbean Court of Justice, with final appeal to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)
- Highest court(s)
- Supreme Court of the Judicature (consists of a chief justice for both the Court of Appeal with 12 judges and the High Court with 24 judges)
- Subordinate courts
- Courts of Summary Criminal Jurisdiction; Petty Civil Courts; Family Court
- Judge selection and term of office
- Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the president after consultation with the prime minister and the parliamentary leader of the opposition; other judges appointed by the Judicial Legal Services Commission, headed by the chief justice and 5 members with judicial experience; all judges serve for life with mandatory retirement normally at age 65
Executive Branch
- Cabinet
- Cabinet appointed from among members of Parliament
- Chief of state
- President Christine KANGALOO (since 20 March 2023)
- Election results
2023: Christine KANGALOO elected president by the electoral college on 20 January 2023; electoral college vote Christine KANGALOO (PNM) 48, Israel KHAN (UNC) 22
2018: Paula-Mae WEEKES (independent) elected president; ran unopposed and was elected without a vote; she was Trinidad and Tabago's first female head of state- Head of government
- Prime Minister Kamla Susheila PERSAD-BISSESSAR (since 1 May 2025)
- Most recent election date
- 20 January 2023
- Election/appointment process
- president indirectly elected by an electoral college of selected Senate and House of Representatives members for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); the president usually appoints the leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives as prime minister
- Expected date of next election
- by February 2028
- National holiday
- Independence Day, 31 August (1962)
- National color(s)
- red, white, black
- Political parties
- People's National Movement or PNM
United National Congress or UNC
Tobago People’s Party or Tobago
Legislative Branch
- Note
- note: Tobago has a unicameral House of Assembly (19 seats; 15 assemblymen directly elected by simple majority vote and 4 appointed councilors - 3 on the advice of the chief secretary and 1 on the advice of the minority leader; members serve 4-year terms)
- Legislature name
- Parliament
- Legislative structure
- bicameral
National Anthem(s)
- Title
- "Forged From the Love of Liberty"
- History
- adopted 1962; song originally written as an anthem for the West Indies Federation; Trinidad and Tobago adopted it when the Federation dissolved
- Lyrics/music
- Patrick Stanislaus CASTAGNE
- National symbol(s)
- scarlet ibis (bird of Trinidad), cocrico (bird of Tobago), chaconia flower
- National coat of arms
- designed in 1962, the coat of arms shows the scarlet ibis (national bird of Trinidad) and the cocrico (national bird of Tobago); they support a shield displaying two hummingbirds, because Trinidad is home to 18 species of the bird and is called the “Land of Hummingbirds;” three gold ships on a backdrop of national colors represent Christopher Columbus, who visited the islands; the three peaks in the lower left refer to Trinidad being named after the Holy Trinity and also represent a famous mountain; the image of a gold ship's wheel in front of a coconut palm was also used on the Great Seals of British Colonial Tobago; the gold helmet represents Queen Elizabeth II of England (ruler of the country at the time), and the national motto promotes harmony in diversity
- Administrative divisions
- 9 regions, 3 boroughs, 2 cities, 1 ward
regions: Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo, Diego Martin, Mayaro/Rio Claro, Penal/Debe, Princes Town, Sangre Grande, San Juan/Laventille, Siparia, Tunapuna/Piarco
borough: Arima, Chaguanas, Point Fortin
cities: Port of Spain, San Fernando
ward: Tobago
Legislative Branch Lower Chamber
- Chamber name
- House of Representatives
- Term in office
- 5 years
- Number of seats
- 42 (all directly elected)
- Electoral system
- plurality/majority
- Scope of elections
- full renewal
- Most recent election date
- 4/28/2025
- Expected date of next election
- April 2030
- Percentage of women in chamber
- 23.8%
- Parties elected and seats per party
- United National Congress (UNC) (26); People's National Movement (PNM) (13); Other (2)
Legislative Branch Upper Chamber
- Chamber name
- Senate
- Term in office
- 5 years
- Number of seats
- 31 (all appointed)
- Scope of elections
- full renewal
- Most recent election date
- 5/23/2025
- Expected date of next election
- May 2030
- Percentage of women in chamber
- 25.8%
Diplomatic Representation in the US
- Fax
- [1] (202) 785-3130
- Chancery
- 1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036-1975
- Telephone
- [1] (202) 467-6490
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Venessa RAMHIT-RAMROOP (since 4 June 2025)
- Consulate(s) general
- Miami, New York
- Email address and website
embdcinfo@foreign.gov.tt
https://foreign.gov.tt/missions-consuls/tt-missions-abroad/diplomatic-missions/embassy-washington-dc-us/
Diplomatic Representation from the US
- Fax
- (868) 822-5905
- Embassy
- 15 Queen's Park West, Port of Spain
- Telephone
- (868) 622-6371
- Mailing address
- 3410 Port of Spain Place, Washington DC 20521-3410
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Jenifer NEIDHART de ORTIZ (since January 2025)
- Email address and website
ptspas@state.gov
https://tt.usembassy.gov/
- International organisations
- ACP, ACS, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club (associate), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
- International law organization participation
- has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Legislature
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO · LOWER HOUSE
House of Representatives
42 seats · hover a seat for the party
Total seats
42
Majority line
22
Largest party
United National Congress (UNC)
Parties
3
All political parties
Upper house
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO · UPPER HOUSE
Senate
31 seats · hover a seat for the party
Total seats
31
Majority line
17
Largest party
People's National Movement
Parties
6
All political parties
Leaders
Current
Christine Kangaloo
- Head of State
Kamla Persad-Bissessar
- Head of Government
Economy
Budget
- Note
- note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
- Revenues
- $5.698 billion (2019 est.)
- Expenditures
- $7.822 billion (2019 est.)
Exports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $17.584 billion (2022 est.)
- Note
- note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
- Exports 2022
- $17.584 billion (2022 est.)
- Exports 2023
- $11.545 billion (2023 est.)
- Exports 2024
- $11.087 billion (2024 est.)
Imports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $10.968 billion (2022 est.)
- Note
- note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
- Imports 2022
- $10.968 billion (2022 est.)
- Imports 2023
- $9.219 billion (2023 est.)
- Imports 2024
- $10.19 billion (2024 est.)
- Industries
- petroleum and petroleum products, liquefied natural gas, methanol, ammonia, urea, steel products, beverages, food processing, cement, cotton textiles
- Labor force
- 649,900 (2024 est.)
Public Debt
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 37% of GDP (2016 est.)
- Public debt 2016
- 37% of GDP (2016 est.)
Remittances
- Note
- note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
- Remittances 2022
- 0.7% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Remittances 2023
- 0.8% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Remittances 2024
- 0.8% of GDP (2024 est.)
Exchange Rates
- Currency
- Trinidad and Tobago dollars (TTD) per US dollar -
- Exchange rates 2020
- 6.751 (2020 est.)
- Exchange rates 2021
- 6.759 (2021 est.)
- Exchange rates 2022
- 6.754 (2022 est.)
- Exchange rates 2023
- 6.75 (2023 est.)
- Exchange rates 2024
- 6.75 (2024 est.)
- Economic overview
- high-income Caribbean economy; major hydrocarbon exporter; key tourism and finance sectors; high inflation and growing public debt; long foreign currency access delays; large foreign reserves and sovereign wealth fund
Unemployment Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 3.3%
- Note
- note: % of labor force seeking employment
- Unemployment rate 2022
- 4.4% (2022 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2023
- 4.3% (2023 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2024
- 4.6% (2024 est.)
- Exports partners
- USA 28%, China 7%, Guyana 5%, Chile 5%, Netherlands 5% (2023)
- Imports partners
- USA 29%, Guyana 27%, China 8%, Brazil 4%, Canada 3% (2023)
Real GDP Per Capita
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $36,329
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP per capita 2022
- $30,800 (2022 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2023
- $31,200 (2023 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2024
- $31,700 (2024 est.)
Real GDP Growth Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 2.5%
- Note
- note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
- Real GDP growth rate 2022
- 1.1% (2022 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2023
- 1.4% (2023 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2024
- 1.7% (2024 est.)
- Agricultural products
- chicken, fruits, coconuts, citrus fruits, maize, oranges, plantains, eggs, taro, mangoes/guavas (2023)
- Exports commodities
- natural gas, alcohols, ammonia, crude petroleum, iron reductions (2023)
- Imports commodities
- railway cargo containers, refined petroleum, cars, iron ore, excavation machinery (2023)
Current Account Balance
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $645.5M
- Note
- note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
- Current account balance 2022
- $4.967 billion (2022 est.)
- Current account balance 2023
- $2.948 billion (2023 est.)
- Current account balance 2024
- $1.117 billion (2024 est.)
- Taxes and other revenues
- 16.7% (of GDP) (2019 est.)
- GDP (official exchange rate)
- $26.429 billion (2024 est.)
GDP Composition, BY End Use
- Household consumption
- 78.9% (2017 est.)
- Government consumption
- 16.4% (2017 est.)
- Investment in inventories
- 0% (2021 est.)
- Investment in fixed capital
- 19.8% (2021 est.)
- Exports of goods and services
- 45.4% (2017 est.)
- Imports of goods and services
- -48.7% (2017 est.)
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 0.5%
- Note
- note: annual % change based on consumer prices
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022
- 5.8% (2022 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023
- 4.6% (2023 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024
- 0.5% (2024 est.)
- Industrial production growth rate
- -4.7% (2023 est.)
Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $43.362 billion (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
- $42.058 billion (2022 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
- $42.658 billion (2023 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024
- $43.362 billion (2024 est.)
Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)
- Male
- 10.3% (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
- Total
- 11.1% (2024 est.)
- Female
- 12% (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
- $6.832 billion (2022 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023
- $6.256 billion (2023 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024
- $5.601 billion (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
- 35% (2023 est.)
- Services
- 59.9% (2023 est.)
- Agriculture
- 0.8% (2023 est.)
Energy
Coal
- Imports
- 2,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 6 metric tons (2022 est.)
Petroleum
- Total petroleum production
- 72,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
- Crude oil estimated reserves
- 242.982 million barrels (2021 est.)
- Refined petroleum consumption
- 26,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Electricity
- Consumption
- 9.001 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Installed generating capacity
- 2.139 million kW (2023 est.)
- Transmission/distribution losses
- 492 million kWh (2023 est.)
Natural Gas
- Exports
- 10.737 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Production
- 25.994 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 15.316 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Proven reserves
- 298.063 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Electricity Access
- Electrification total population
- 100% (2022 est.)
Electricity Generation Sources
- Solar
- 0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Fossil fuels
- 99.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Communications
Internet Users
- Percent of population
- 85% (2023 est.)
- Broadcast media
- 6 free-to-air TV networks, 2 of which are state-owned; 24 subscription providers (cable and satellite); over 36 radio frequencies (2019)
- Internet country code
- .tt
Telephones Fixed Lines
- Total subscriptions
- 311,000 (2023 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 21 (2023 est.)
Telephones Mobile Cellular
- Total subscriptions
- 1.79 million (2024 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 119 (2024 est.)
Broadband Fixed Subscriptions
- Total
- 404,000 (2023 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 27 (2023 est.)
Transport
Ports
- Large
- 0
- Small
- 4
- Medium
- 1
- Key ports
- Galeota Point Terminal, Point Lisas Industrial Port, Point Lisas Port, Pointe-a-Pierre, Port of Spain
- Very small
- 5
- Total ports
- 10 (2024)
- Ports with oil terminals
- 8
- Airports
- 3 (2025)
Merchant Marine
- Total
- 102 (2023)
- BY type
- general cargo 1, other 101
- Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
- 9Y
Environment
- Climate
- tropical; rainy season (June to December)
Land Use
- Other
- 45.2% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 44.2% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 10.5% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 4.9% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 4.3% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 1.4% (2023 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 53.4% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 0.23% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Methane Emissions
- Other
- 6 kt (2019-2021 est.)
- Waste
- 59.1 kt (2019-2021 est.)
- Energy
- 160.3 kt (2022-2024 est.)
- Agriculture
- 4.1 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Waste and Recycling
- Municipal solid waste generated annually
- 727,900 tons (2024 est.)
- Percent of municipal solid waste recycled
- 16.2% (2022 est.)
- Environmental issues
- water pollution from agricultural chemicals, industrial wastes, and raw sewage; widespread pollution of waterways and coastal areas; illegal dumping; deforestation; soil erosion; fisheries and wildlife depletion
Total Water Withdrawal
- Municipal
- 237.6 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
- Industrial
- 128.9 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
- Agricultural
- 16.7 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
- Total emissions
- 33.629 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From consumed natural gas
- 29.989 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From coal and metallurgical coke
- 6,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From petroleum and other liquids
- 3.634 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- Particulate matter emissions
- 10.4 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
- Total renewable water resources
- 3.84 billion 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, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands
- Signed, but not ratified
- none of the selected agreements
Military & Security
- Military note
- the primary responsibilities of the Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force (TTDF) are conducting border and maritime security, assisting civil authorities in times of crisis or disaster, providing search and rescue services, securing ports, and supporting civil law enforcement, particularly in countering gang-related crime and trafficking of narcotics and other illicit goods; the Police Service maintains internal security (2025)
Military Expenditures
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 0.9%
- Military expenditures 2020
- 1% of GDP (2020 est.)
- Military expenditures 2021
- 1% of GDP (2021 est.)
- Military expenditures 2022
- 1% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Military expenditures 2023
- 1% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Military expenditures 2024
- 0.9% of GDP (2024 est.)
- Military and security forces
- Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force (TTDF): Trinidad and Tobago Regiment (Army/Land Forces), Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard, Trinidad and Tobago Air Guard, Defense Force Reserves (2026)
- Military service age and obligation
- generally 18-24 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (2025)
- Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
- the TTDF's ground force inventory consists of light weapons, while the Coast Guard and Air Guard field mostly secondhand equipment from several countries, including Australia, China, Italy, the Netherlands, and the US (2025)
- Military and security service personnel strengths
- approximately 5,000 Defense Forces (2025)
Terrorism
- Terrorist group(s)
- Tren de Aragua (TdA)
Transnational Issues
Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons
- Refugees
- 24,134 (2024 est.)
Scores & Rankings
ScoreValueGlobal rankTrendAs of
Civica Index57.0 / 100as of 2024-Q472 / 1902024-Q4
V-Dem Liberal Democracy0.63as of 2024-Q442 / 1702024-Q4
Freedom House StatusPartly Free (83/100)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 — Trinidad and Tobago — vintage 2026-Q1: Trinidad and Tobago factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/trinidad-and-tobago
Sources: FAO FAOSTAT, ILO ILOSTAT, IMF (WEO), UN Statistics Division, UNDP HDR, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, V-Dem, WHO Global Health Observatory, World Bank, WTO Stats, CIA World Factbook, Wikidata