Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Updated
Population
99,924
2025 · World Bank
GDP
$1.26B
2025 · World Bank
GDP per capita
$12,562
2025 · World Bank
Area
389 km²
mledoze/countries reference dataset
Capital
Kingstown
Median age
34.4 yrs
2025 · UN WPP
Location
- Capital
- Kingstown
- Region
- Central America and the Caribbean
- Subregion
- Caribbean
- Area
- 389 km²
- Languages
- English
Leadership
- Head of state
- Charles III
- In office since September 8, 2022
- Head of government
- Godwin Friday
Wikidata (CC0), checked August 11, 2026. Frozen Factbook mirrors still list the officeholders of January 2026.
Then and now
The CIA World Factbook stopped updating in January 2026. This is what has changed since its final edition.
| Indicator | Factbook, final edition | Current | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 100,6472024 | 99,9242025 | -0.7% |
| GDP (nominal) | $1.16B2024 | $1.26B2025 | +8.5% |
| Inflation rate | 3.6%2024 | 0.8%2025 | -2.8 pp |
Trends since 2000
World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0).
6 facts about Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- 01 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines ranks 197 of 238 in population, with 99,924 people as of 2025.
- 02 Its economy produced $1.26B in 2025, or $12,562 per person.
- 03 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has no land borders.
- 04 Population has declined 12% since 2000, from 113,545 to 99,924.
- 05 Prices sit at about 55% of United States levels (World Bank PPP data, 2025).
- 06 76% of the population uses the internet (2024).
Reference
- Languages
- English
- Currency
- Eastern Caribbean dollar (XCD)
- Calling code
- +1784
- Internet TLD
- .vc
- Demonym
- Saint Vincentian
- ISO codes
- VC · VCT · 670
The Factbook archive 124 fields · 10 categories
The complete World Factbook entry for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: 124 fields and 190 sub-entries across 10 categories, kept whole as historical reference. A United States Government work in the public domain, reflecting data as of the final January 2026 edition; the live figures above supersede the fast-moving numbers in it. Last CIA update: January 5, 2026.
Introduction 1 field
- 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 17 fields
- Location
- Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
- Geographic coordinates
- 13 15 N, 61 12 W
- Map references
- Central America and the Caribbean
- Area
- total: 389 sq km (Saint Vincent 344 sq km)land: 389 sq kmwater: 0 sq km
- Area - comparative
- twice the size of Washington, D.C.
- Land boundaries
- total: 0 km
- Coastline
- 84 km
- Maritime claims
- territorial sea: 12 nmcontiguous zone: 24 nmexclusive economic zone: 200 nmcontinental shelf: 200 nm
- Climate
- tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)
- Terrain
- volcanic, mountainous
- Elevation
- highest point: La Soufriere 1,234 mlowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
- Natural resources
- hydropower, arable land
- Land use
- 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.)forest: 73.2% (2023 est.)other: 8.8% (2023 est.)
- Irrigated land
- 10 sq km (2012)
- Population distribution
- most of the population is concentrated in and around the capital of Kingstown
- 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
People and Society 29 fields
- Population
- total: 100,647 (2024 est.)male: 51,249female: 49,398
- Nationality
- noun: Saint Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s)adjective: Saint Vincentian or Vincentian
- Ethnic groups
- African descent 71.2%, mixed 23%, Indigenous 3%, East Indian/Indian 1.1%, European 1.5%, other 0.2% (2012 est.)
- 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.)
- 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)
- Dependency ratios
- total dependency ratio: 46.5 (2024 est.)youth dependency ratio: 27.5 (2024 est.)elderly dependency ratio: 19 (2024 est.)potential support ratio: 5.3 (2024 est.)
- Median age
- total: 38.1 years (2025 est.)male: 37.7 yearsfemale: 37.4 years
- Population growth rate
- -0.15% (2025 est.)
- Birth rate
- 11.72 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Death rate
- 7.75 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Net migration rate
- -5.43 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Population distribution
- most of the population is concentrated in and around the capital of Kingstown
- Urbanization
- urban population: 54.3% of total population (2023)rate of urbanization: 0.94% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
- Major urban areas - population
- 27,000 KINGSTOWN (capital) (2018)
- Sex ratio
- at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/femaletotal population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
- Maternal mortality ratio
- 56 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
- Infant mortality rate
- total: 12 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)male: 13.9 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 10.7 deaths/1,000 live births
- Life expectancy at birth
- total population: 77.2 years (2024 est.)male: 75.2 yearsfemale: 79.3 years
- Total fertility rate
- 1.73 children born/woman (2025 est.)
- Gross reproduction rate
- 0.85 (2025 est.)
- 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.)
- Physician density
- 0.66 physicians/1,000 population (2012)
- Hospital bed density
- 4.2 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
- Sanitation facility access
- improved: total: total: 90.2% of population
- Obesity - adult prevalence rate
- 23.7% (2016)
- Alcohol consumption per capita
- total: 7.48 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)beer: 2.52 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)wine: 0.24 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.)
- Education expenditure
- Education expenditure (% GDP): 6.5% of GDP (2023 est.)Education expenditure (% national budget): 12.6% national budget (2024 est.)
- School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
- total: 15 years (2015 est.)male: 14 years (2015 est.)female: 15 years (2015 est.)
Environment 10 fields
- Environmental issues
- pollution of coastal waters and shorelines from boats; poor land-use planning; deforestation; watershed management; squatter settlement control
- 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, Whalingsigned, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
- Climate
- tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)
- Land use
- 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.)forest: 73.2% (2023 est.)other: 8.8% (2023 est.)
- Urbanization
- urban population: 54.3% of total population (2023)rate of urbanization: 0.94% annual rate of change (2020-25 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.)
- Waste and recycling
- municipal solid waste generated annually: 31,600 tons (2024 est.)percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 13.3% (2022 est.)
- Total water withdrawal
- municipal: 8.5 million cubic meters (2022 est.)industrial: 2,000 cubic meters (2022 est.)agricultural: 0 cubic meters (2022 est.)
- Total renewable water resources
- 100 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Government 22 fields
- Country name
- conventional long form: noneconventional short form: Saint Vincent and the Grenadinesetymology: 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
- Government type
- parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
- Capital
- name: Kingstowngeographic coordinates: 13 08 N, 61 13 Wtime difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Administrative divisions
- 6 parishes; Charlotte, Grenadines, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint Patrick
- Legal system
- English common law
- 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
- International law organization participation
- has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
- Citizenship
- citizenship by birth: yescitizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Saint Vincent and the Grenadinesdual citizenship recognized: yesresidency requirement for naturalization: 7 years
- Suffrage
- 18 years of age; universal
- Executive branch
- 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)cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime ministerelection/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
- Legislative branch
- legislature name: House of Assemblylegislative structure: unicameralnumber of seats: 22 (15 directly elected; 6 appointed)electoral system: plurality/majorityscope of elections: full renewalterm in office: 5 yearsmost recent election date: 11/27/2025parties elected and seats per party: United Labour Party (ULP) (9); New Democratic Party (NDP) (6)percentage of women in chamber: 21.7%expected date of next election: November 2030
- 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 Justicejudge 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 62subordinate courts: magistrates' courts
- 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) - Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission: Ambassador Lou-Anne Gaylene GILCHRIST (since 18 January 2017)chancery: 1627 K Street, NW, Suite 704, Washington, DC 20006telephone: [1] (202) 364-6730FAX: [1] (202) 364-6736email address and website:
[email protected]
http://wa.embassy.gov.vc/washington/consulate(s) general: New York - 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 organization participation
- 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
- Independence
- 27 October 1979 (from the UK)
- National holiday
- Independence Day, 27 October (1979)
- 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 - National symbol(s)
- Saint Vincent parrot
- National color(s)
- blue, gold, green
- National anthem(s)
- title: "St. Vincent! Land So Beautiful!"lyrics/music: Phyllis Joyce MCCLEAN PUNNETT/Joel Bertram MIGUELhistory: adopted 1969title: "God Save the King"lyrics/music: unknownhistory: in use since 1745
Economy 27 fields
- 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
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024: $1.883 billion (2024 est.)Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $1.809 billion (2023 est.)Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $1.718 billion (2022 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate
- Real GDP growth rate 2024: 4.1% (2024 est.)Real GDP growth rate 2023: 5.3% (2023 est.)Real GDP growth rate 2022: 3.1% (2022 est.)
- Real GDP per capita
- Real GDP per capita 2024: $18,700 (2024 est.)Real GDP per capita 2023: $17,900 (2023 est.)Real GDP per capita 2022: $16,800 (2022 est.)
- GDP (official exchange rate)
- $1.157 billion (2024 est.)
note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate - Inflation rate (consumer prices)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024: 3.6% (2024 est.)Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 4.6% (2023 est.)Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 5.7% (2022 est.)
- GDP - composition, by sector of origin
- agriculture: 3.5% (2024 est.)industry: 15.4% (2024 est.)services: 66.4% (2024 est.)
- Agricultural products
- bananas, root vegetables, plantains, spices, coconuts, fruits, apples, vegetables, mangoes/guavas, sweet potatoes (2023)
note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage - Industries
- tourism; food processing, cement, furniture, clothing, starch
- Industrial production growth rate
- 7.3% (2024 est.)
note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency - Labor force
- 52,100 (2024 est.)
note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work - Unemployment rate
- Unemployment rate 2024: 18.1% (2024 est.)Unemployment rate 2023: 18.6% (2023 est.)Unemployment rate 2022: 19.5% (2022 est.)
- Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
- total: 41.4% (2024 est.)male: 41.4% (2024 est.)female: 41.4% (2024 est.)
- Remittances
- Remittances 2024: 8.2% of GDP (2024 est.)Remittances 2023: 8.5% of GDP (2023 est.)Remittances 2022: 9% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Budget
- revenues: $226.404 million (2017 est.)expenditures: $208.744 million (2017 est.)
- Public debt
- Public debt 2016: 82.8% of GDP (2016 est.)
- Taxes and other revenues
- 23.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP - Current account balance
- Current account balance 2024: -$156.589 million (2024 est.)Current account balance 2023: -$180.43 million (2023 est.)Current account balance 2022: -$199.727 million (2022 est.)
- Exports
- Exports 2024: $425.182 million (2024 est.)Exports 2023: $345.098 million (2023 est.)Exports 2022: $278.292 million (2022 est.)
- Exports - partners
- Croatia 16%, Barbados 14%, USA 10%, St. Lucia 10%, St. Kitts & Nevis 8% (2023)
note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports - Exports - commodities
- ships, wheat flours, animal food, shellfish, construction vehicles (2023)
note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars - Imports
- Imports 2024: $641.179 million (2024 est.)Imports 2023: $588.865 million (2023 est.)Imports 2022: $540.833 million (2022 est.)
- Imports - partners
- USA 37%, Italy 7%, Trinidad & Tobago 7%, China 6%, UK 6% (2023)
note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports - Imports - commodities
- ships, refined petroleum, wheat, coal, poultry (2023)
note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars - Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024: $316.824 million (2024 est.)Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023: $280.564 million (2023 est.)Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022: $320.193 million (2022 est.)
- Debt - external
- Debt - external 2023: $456.971 million (2023 est.)
- Exchange rates
- Currency: East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -Exchange rates 2024: 2.7 (2024 est.)Exchange rates 2023: 2.7 (2023 est.)Exchange rates 2022: 2.7 (2022 est.)Exchange rates 2021: 2.7 (2021 est.)Exchange rates 2020: 2.7 (2020 est.)
Energy 6 fields
- Electricity access
- electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
- Electricity
- installed generating capacity: 55,000 kW (2023 est.)consumption: 140.316 million kWh (2023 est.)transmission/distribution losses: 10.868 million kWh (2023 est.)
- Electricity generation sources
- fossil fuels: 86.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)solar: 1.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)hydroelectricity: 12.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Coal
- exports: 8 metric tons (2023 est.)imports: 8,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
- Petroleum
- refined petroleum consumption: 2,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
- Energy consumption per capita
- Total energy consumption per capita 2023: 37.253 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Communications 6 fields
- 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.)
- 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
- Internet users
- percent of population: 76% (2023 est.)
- Broadband - fixed subscriptions
- total: 31,000 (2023 est.)subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 30 (2023 est.)
Transportation 4 fields
- Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
- J8
- Airports
- 5 (2025)
- Merchant marine
- total: 830 (2023)by type: bulk carrier 30, container ship 18, general cargo 137, oil tanker 16, other 629
- Ports
- total ports: 1 (2024)large: 0medium: 0small: 1very small: 0ports with oil terminals: 1key ports: Kingstown
Military and Security 2 fields
- Military and security forces
- no regular military forces; Ministry of National Security: Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVPF) (2025)
- 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)
Frequently asked
- What is the population of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in 2025?
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has a population of 99,924 (99,924) according to World Bank, World Development Indicators data for 2025.
- What is the capital of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines?
- The capital of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is Kingstown.
- How large is the economy of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines?
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines's GDP is $1.26B (2025, World Bank, World Development Indicators), which is $12,562 per capita.
- Who leads Saint Vincent and the Grenadines?
- Head of state: Charles III (since September 8, 2022). Head of government: Godwin Friday. Source: Wikidata, checked August 11, 2026.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines