2021 Edition

Background

Carib Indians inhabited Grenada when Christopher COLUMBUS discovered the island in 1498, but it remained uncolonized for more than a century. The French settled Grenada in the 17th century, established sugar estates, and imported large numbers of African slaves. Britain took the island in 1762 and vigorously expanded sugar production. In the 19th century, cacao eventually surpassed sugar as the main export crop; in the 20th century, nutmeg became the leading export. In 1967, Britain gave Grenada autonomy over its internal affairs. Full independence was attained in 1974 making Grenada one of the smallest independent countries in the Western Hemisphere. In 1979, a leftist New Jewel Movement seized power under Maurice BISHOP ushering in the Grenada Revolution. On 19 October 1983, factions within the revolutionary government overthrew and killed BISHOP and members of his party. Six days later the island was invaded by US forces and those of six other Caribbean nations, which quickly captured the ringleaders and their hundreds of Cuban advisers. The rule of law was restored and democratic elections were reinstituted the following year and have continued since then.

Area

land

344 sq km

total

344 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

twice the size of Washington, DC

Climate

tropical; tempered by northeast trade winds

Coastline

121 km

Elevation

highest point

Mount Saint Catherine 840 m

lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 m

Geographic coordinates

12 07 N, 61 40 W

Geography - note

the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada

Irrigated land

20 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total

0 km

Land use

agricultural land

32.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 8.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 20.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 2.9% (2018 est.)

forest

50% (2018 est.)

other

17.7% (2018 est.)

Location

Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

lies on edge of hurricane belt; hurricane season lasts from June to Novembervolcanism: Mount Saint Catherine (840 m) lies on the island of Grenada; Kick 'em Jenny, an active submarine volcano (seamount) on the Caribbean Sea floor, lies about 8 km north of the island of Grenada; these two volcanoes are at the southern end of the volcanic island arc of the Lesser Antilles that extends up to the Netherlands dependency of Saba in the north

Natural resources

timber, tropical fruit

Population distribution

approximately one-third of the population is found in the capital of St. George's; the island's population is concentrated along the coast

Terrain

volcanic in origin with central mountains

Age structure

0-14 years

23.23% (male 13,709/female 12,564)

15-24 years

14.14% (male 8,034/female 7,959)

25-54 years

40.05% (male 23,104/female 22,187)

55-64 years

11.69% (male 6,734/female 6,490)

65 years and over

10.89% (male 5,774/female 6,539) (2020 est.)

Birth rate

14.27 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current Health Expenditure

4.5% (2018)

Death rate

8.29 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

14.7

potential support ratio

6.8 (2020 est.)

total dependency ratio

50.5

youth dependency ratio

35.8

Drinking water source

improved: total

total: 96.8% of population

unimproved: total

total: 3.2% of population (2017 est.)

Education expenditures

3.6% of GDP (2018)

Ethnic groups

African descent 82.4%, mixed 13.3%, East Indian 2.2%, other 1.3%, unspecified 0.9% (2011 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.5% (2018)

Hospital bed density

3.6 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Infant mortality rate

female

10.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)

male

9.11 deaths/1,000 live births

total

9.6 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

English (official), French patois

Life expectancy at birth

female

78.36 years (2021 est.)

male

72.86 years

total population

75.48 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

98.6% (2014 est.)

male

98.6%

total population

98.6%

Major urban areas - population

39,000 SAINT GEORGE'S (capital) (2018)

Maternal mortality ratio

25 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median age

female

33.4 years (2020 est.)

male

33.1 years

total

33.3 years

Nationality

adjective

Grenadian

noun

Grenadian(s)

Net migration rate

-2.53 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

21.3% (2016)

Physicians density

1.41 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

Population

113,570 (July 2021 est.)

Population distribution

approximately one-third of the population is found in the capital of St. George's; the island's population is concentrated along the coast

Population growth rate

0.35% (2021 est.)

Religions

Protestant 49.2% (includes Pentecostal 17.2%, Seventh Day Adventist 13.2%, Anglican 8.5%, Baptist 3.2%, Church of God 2.4%, Evangelical 1.9%, Methodist 1.6%, other 1.2%), Roman Catholic 36%, Jehovah's Witness 1.2%, Rastafarian 1.2%, other 5.5%, none 5.7%, unspecified 1.3% (2011 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: total

total: 93.7% of population

unimproved: total

total: 6.3% of population (2017 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

19 years (2018)

male

18 years

total

19 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.09 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.01 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.04 male(s)/female

55-64 years

1.04 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.88 male(s)/female

at birth

1.1 male(s)/female

total population

1.03 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.95 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.86% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

36.7% of total population (2021)

Administrative divisions

6 parishes and 1 dependency*; Carriacou and Petite Martinique*, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick

Capital

etymology

the 1763 Treaty of Paris transferred possession of Grenada from France to Great Britain; the new administration renamed Ville de Fort Royal (Fort Royal Town) to Saint George's Town, after the patron saint of England; eventually the name became simply Saint George's

geographic coordinates

12 03 N, 61 45 W

name

Saint George's

time difference

UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

yes

citizenship by descent only

yes

dual citizenship recognized

yes

residency requirement for naturalization

7 years for persons from a non-Caribbean state and 4 years for a person from a Caribbean state

Constitution

amendments

proposed by either house of Parliament; passage requires two-thirds majority vote by the membership in both houses and assent of the governor general; passage of amendments to constitutional sections, such as personal rights and freedoms, the structure, authorities, and procedures of the branches of government, the delimitation of electoral constituencies, or the procedure for amending the constitution, also requires two-thirds majority approval in a referendum; amended 1991, 1992

history

previous 1967; latest presented 19 December 1973, effective 7 February 1974, suspended 1979 following a revolution but restored in 1983

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Grenada

etymology

derivation of the name remains obscure; some sources attribute the designation to Spanish influence (most likely named for the Spanish city of Granada), with subsequent French and English interpretations resulting in the present-day Grenada; in Spanish "granada" means "pomegranate"

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

the US does not have an official embassy in Grenada; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Grenada

email address and website

StgeorgesACS@state.govhttps://bb.usembassy.gov/embassy/grenada/

embassy

Lance-aux-Epines, Saint George's

FAX

[1] (473) 444-4820

mailing address

3180 Grenada Place, Washington DC  20521-3180

telephone

[1] (473) 444-1173

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1701 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009

chief of mission

Ambassador Yolande Yvonne SMITH (since 8 April 2019)

consulate(s) general

Miami, New York

email address and website

embassy@grenadaembassyusa.orghttps://grenadaembassyusa.org/

FAX

[1] (202) 265-2468

telephone

[1] (202) 265-2561

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister

chief of state

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Cecile LA GRENADE (since 7 May 2013)

elections/appointments

the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the governor general

head of government

Prime Minister Keith MITCHELL (since 20 February 2013)

Flag description

a rectangle divided diagonally into yellow triangles (top and bottom) and green triangles (hoist side and outer side), with a red border around the flag; there are seven yellow, five-pointed stars with three centered in the top red border, three centered in the bottom red border, and one on a red disk superimposed at the center of the flag; there is also a symbolic nutmeg pod on the hoist-side triangle (Grenada is a leading nutmeg producer); the seven stars stand for the seven administrative divisions, with the central star denoting the capital, St. George's; yellow represents the sun and the warmth of the people, green stands for vegetation and agriculture, and red symbolizes harmony, unity, and courage

Government type

parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

Independence

7 February 1974 (from the UK)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, ITUC, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest courts

regionally, the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC - headquartered on St. Lucia - 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 is itinerant, traveling to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts; High Court judges reside in the member states, with 2 in Grenada; appeals beyond the ECSC in civil and criminal matters are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)

judge selection and term of office

chief justice of Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court appointed by Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, and 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

subordinate courts

magistrates' courts; Court of Magisterial Appeals

Legal system

common law based on English model

Legislative branch

description

bicameral Parliament consists of:Senate (13 seats; members appointed by the governor general - 10 on the advice of the prime minister and 3 on the advice of the leader of the opposition party; members serve 5-year terms) House of Representatives (15 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)

election results

Senate - percent by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition - men 11, women 2 percent of women 15.4% House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NNP 58.9%, NDC 40.5%; other 0.6% seats by party - NNP 15; composition - men 8, women 7, percent of women 46.7%; note - total Parliament percent of women 32.1%

elections

Senate - last appointments on 27 April 2018 (next no later than2023) House of Representatives - last held on 13 March 2018 (next no later than 2023)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Irva Merle BAPTISTE/Louis Arnold MASANTO

name

Hail Grenada

note

note: adopted 1974

National holiday

Independence Day, 7 February (1974)

National symbol(s)

Grenada dove, bougainvillea flower; national colors: red, yellow, green

Political parties and leaders

National Democratic Congress or NDC [Nazim BURKE]New National Party or NNP [Keith MITCHELL]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

bananas, watermelons, sweet potatoes, sugar cane, tomatoes, plantains, coconuts, melons, cucumbers, cabbages

Budget

expenditures

252.3 million (2017 est.)

revenues

288.4 million (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

3.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

Standard & Poors rating

SD (2013)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2016

-$34 million (2016 est.)

Current account balance 2017

-$77 million (2017 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2016

$682.3 million (2016 est.)

Debt - external 2017

$793.5 million (2017 est.)

Economic overview

Grenada relies on tourism and revenue generated by St. George’s University - a private university offering degrees in medicine, veterinary medicine, public health, the health sciences, nursing, arts and sciences, and business - as its main source of foreign exchange. In the past two years the country expanded its sources of revenue, including from selling passports under its citizenship by investment program. These projects produced a resurgence in the construction and manufacturing sectors of the economy.In 2017, Grenada experienced its fifth consecutive year of growth and the government successfully marked the completion of its five-year structural adjustment program that included among other things austerity measures, increased tax revenue and debt restructuring. Public debt-to-GDP was reduced from 100% of GDP in 2013 to 71.8% in 2017.

Exchange rates

currency

East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2013

2.7 (2013 est.)

Exchange rates 2014

2.7 (2014 est.)

Exchange rates 2015

2.7 (2015 est.)

Exchange rates 2016

2.7 (2016 est.)

Exchange rates 2017

2.7 (2017 est.)

Exports

Exports 2016

$44.2 million (2016 est.)

Exports 2018

$650 million note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

Exports - commodities

fish, nutmeg, cocoa beans, fruits, wheat, toilet paper (2019)

Exports - partners

United States 40%, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 7%, Saint Lucia 7%, France 6%, Netherlands 5%, Germany 5%, Ireland 5%, Antigua and Barbuda 5% (2019)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

60% (2017 est.)

government consumption

12% (2017 est.)

household consumption

63% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-55% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

20% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

-0.1% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

6.8% (2017 est.)

industry

15.5% (2017 est.)

services

77.7% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$1.119 billion (2017 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA

lowest 10%

NA

Imports

Imports 2016

$314.7 million (2016 est.)

Imports 2018

$640 million note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

Imports - commodities

aircraft, poultry meat, cars, refined petroleum, food preparation materials (2019)

Imports - partners

United States 35%, Canada 24%, China 5% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

10% (2017 est.)

Industries

food and beverages, textiles, light assembly operations, tourism, construction, education, call-center operations

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2016

1.7% (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

0.9% (2017 est.)

Labor force

55,270 (2017 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

11%

industry

20%

services

69% (2008 est.)

Population below poverty line

38% (2008 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

82% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

70.4% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018

$1.87 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$1.91 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$1.7 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2015

6.4% (2015 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2016

3.7% (2016 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2017

5.1% (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2018

$16,800 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2019

$17,100 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$15,100 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2015

$198 million (31 December 2015 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$199.1 million (31 December 2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

25.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2016

28.2% (2016 est.)

Unemployment rate 2017

24% (2017 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity - consumption

185.1 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

96% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

4% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

51,100 kW (2016 est.)

Electricity - production

202.1 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

95.3% (2018)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

2,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

1,886 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

22.84 (2019 est.)

total

25,577 (2019)

Broadcast media

multiple publicly and privately owned television and radio stations; Grenada Information Service (GIS) is government-owned and provides television and radio services; the Grenada Broadcasting Network, jointly owned by the government and the Caribbean Communications Network of Trinidad and Tobago, operates a TV station and 2 radio stations; Meaningful Television (MTV) broadcasts island-wide and is part of a locally-owned media house, Moving Target Company, that also includes an FM radio station and a weekly newspaper; multi-channel cable TV subscription service is provided by Columbus Communications Grenada (FLOW GRENADA) and is available island wide; approximately 25 private radio stations also broadcast throughout the country (2019)

Internet country code

.gd

Internet users

percent of population

59.07% (2019 est.)

total

66,600 (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

interisland VHF and UHF radiotelephone links; 29 per 100 for fixed-line and 102 per 100 for mobile-cellular (2019)

general assessment

adequate, island-wide telephone system; lack of local competition, but telecoms are a high contributors to overall GDP; growth sectors include the mobile telephony and data segments (2020)

international

country code - 1-473; landing points for the ECFS, Southern Caribbean Fiber and CARCIP submarine cables with links to 13 Caribbean islands extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad & Tobago including Puerto Rico and Barbados; SHF radiotelephone links to Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Vincent; VHF and UHF radio links to Trinidad (2019)

note

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

29.3 (2018 est.)

total subscriptions

32,491 (2018)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

102.1 (2019 est.)

total subscriptions

113,177 (2018)

Airports

total

3 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

1

2,438 to 3,047 m

1

total

3

under 914 m

1 (2017)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

J3

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 3, other 3 (2021)

total

6

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Saint George's

Roadways

paved

902 km (2017)

total

1,127 km (2017)

unpaved

225 km (2017)

Military - note

Grenada joined the Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS) in 1985; RSS signatories (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Saint Kitts, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) 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

Military and security forces

no regular military forces; the Royal Grenada Police Force includes a Coast Guard and a paramilitary Special Services Unit

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

a transit point for cocaine and marijuana destined for North America, Europe, and elsewhere in the Caribbean

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

0.27 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

2.04 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

21.56 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

Climate

tropical; tempered by northeast trade winds

Environment - current issues

deforestation causing habitat destruction and species loss; coastal erosion and contamination; pollution and sedimentation; inadequate solid waste management

Environment - international agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Land use

agricultural land

32.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 8.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 20.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 2.9% (2018 est.)

forest

50% (2018 est.)

other

17.7% (2018 est.)

Revenue from coal

coal revenues

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

forest revenues

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

200 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

2.1 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial

0 cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

12 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.86% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

36.7% of total population (2021)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

29,536 tons (2012 est.)