2021 Edition

Background

The Genoese built a fortress on the site of present day Monaco in 1215. The current ruling GRIMALDI family first seized control in 1297 but was not able to permanently secure its holding until 1419. Economic development was spurred in the late 19th century with a railroad linkup to France and the opening of a casino. Since then, the principality's mild climate, splendid scenery, and gambling facilities have made Monaco world famous as a tourist and recreation center.

Area

land

2 sq km

total

2 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

about three times the size of the National Mall in Washington, DC

Climate

Mediterranean with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers

Coastline

4.1 km

Elevation

highest point

Chemin des Revoires on Mont Agel 162 m

lowest point

Mediterranean Sea 0 m

Geographic coordinates

43 44 N, 7 24 E

Geography - note

second-smallest independent state in the world (after the Holy See); smallest country with a coastline; almost entirely urban

Irrigated land

0 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

border countries

France 6 km

total

6 km

Land use

agricultural land

1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)

forest

0% (2018 est.)

other

99% (2018 est.)

Location

Western Europe, bordering the Mediterranean Sea on the southern coast of France, near the border with Italy

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone

12 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

none

Natural resources

none

Population distribution

the second most densely populated country in the world (after Macau); its entire population living on 2 square km

Terrain

hilly, rugged, rocky

Age structure

0-14 years

9.41% (male 1,497/female 1,415)

15-24 years

9.52% (male 1,538/female 1,406)

25-54 years

30.46% (male 4,779/female 4,644)

55-64 years

15.47% (male 2,370/female 2,417)

65 years and over

35.15% (male 4,817/female 6,057) (2020 est.)

Birth rate

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

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current Health Expenditure

1.6% (2018)

Death rate

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

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

NA

potential support ratio

NA

total dependency ratio

NA

youth dependency ratio

NA

Drinking water source

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

Education expenditures

1.2% of GDP (2019)

Ethnic groups

Monegasque 32.1%, French 19.9%, Italian 15.3%, British 5%, Belgian 2.3%, Swiss 2%, German 1.9%, Russian 1.8%, American 1.1%, Dutch 1.1%, Moroccan 1%, other 16.6% (2016 est.)

note

note: data represent population by country of birth

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Hospital bed density

13.8 beds/1,000 population (2012)

Infant mortality rate

female

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

male

2.09 deaths/1,000 live births

total

1.78 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Languages

French (official), English, Italian, Monegasque

major-language sample(s)

The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

female

93.4 years (2021 est.)

male

85.55 years

total population

89.4 years

Major urban areas - population

39,000 MONACO (capital) (2018)

Median age

female

57 years (2020 est.)

male

53.7 years

total

55.4 years

Nationality

adjective

Monegasque or Monacan

noun

Monegasque(s) or Monacan(s)

Net migration rate

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

Physicians density

7.51 physicians/1,000 population (2014)

Population

31,223 (July 2021 est.)

note

note: immigrants make up almost 68% of the total population, according to UN data (2019)

Population distribution

the second most densely populated country in the world (after Macau); its entire population living on 2 square km

Population growth rate

0.53% (2021 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 90% (official), other 10%

Sanitation facility access

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.06 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.09 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.03 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.98 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.8 male(s)/female

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

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

Total fertility rate

1.52 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

27.9% (2016 est.)

male

25.7%

total

26.7%

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.5% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

100% of total population (2021)

Administrative divisions

none; there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 4 quarters (quartiers, singular - quartier); Fontvieille, La Condamine, Monaco-Ville, Monte-Carlo; note - Moneghetti, a part of La Condamine, is sometimes called the 5th quarter of Monaco

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

geographic coordinates

43 44 N, 7 25 E

name

Monaco

time difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

the father must be a citizen of Monaco; in the case of a child born out of wedlock, the mother must be a citizen and father unknown

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

10 years

Constitution

amendments

proposed by joint agreement of the chief of state (the prince) and the National Council; passage requires two-thirds majority vote of National Council members; amended 2002

history

previous 1911 (suspended 1959); latest adopted 17 December 1962

Country name

conventional long form

Principality of Monaco

conventional short form

Monaco

etymology

founded as a Greek colony in the 6th century B.C., the name derives from two Greek words "monos" (single, alone) and "oikos" (house) to convey the sense of a people "living apart" or in a "single habitation"

local long form

Principaute de Monaco

local short form

Monaco

Diplomatic representation from the US

embassy

US does not have an embassy in Monaco; the US Ambassador to France is accredited to Monaco; the US Consul General in Marseille (France), under the authority of the US Ambassador to France, handles diplomatic and consular matters concerning Monaco; +(33)(1) 43-12-22-22, enter zero "0" after the automated greeting; US Embassy Paris, 2 Avenue Gabriel, 75008 Paris, France

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

888 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20006

chief of mission

Ambassador Maguy MACCARIO-DOYLE (since 3 December 2013)

consulate(s) general

New York

email address and website

info@monacodc.orghttps://monacodc.org/index.html

FAX

[1] (202) 244-7656

telephone

[1] (202) 234-1530

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Government under the authority of the monarch

chief of state

Prince ALBERT II (since 6 April 2005)

elections/appointments

the monarchy is hereditary; minister of state appointed by the monarch from a list of three French national candidates presented by the French Government

head of government

Minister of State Pierre DARTOUT (since 1 September 2020)

Flag description

two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; the colors are those of the ruling House of Grimaldi and have been in use since 1339, making the flag one of the world's oldest national banners

note

note: similar to the flag of Indonesia which is longer and the flag of Poland which is white (top) and red

Government type

constitutional monarchy

Independence

1419 (beginning of permanent rule by the House of GRIMALDI)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

CD, CE, FAO, IAEA, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IFRCS, IHO, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITSO, ITU, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Schengen Convention (de facto member), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Judicial branch

highest courts

Supreme Court (consists of 5 permanent members and 2 substitutes)

judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court members appointed by the monarch upon the proposals of the National Council, State Council, Crown Council, Court of Appeal, and Trial Court

subordinate courts

Court of Appeal; Civil Court of First Instance

Legal system

civil law system influenced by French legal tradition

Legislative branch

description

unicameral National Council or Conseil National (24 seats; 16 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 8 directly elected by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - Priorite Monaco 57.7%, Horizon Monaco 26.1%, Union Monegasque 16.2%; seats by party - Priorite Monaco 21, Horizon Monaco 2, Union Monegasque 1; composition - men 16, women 8, percent of women 33.3%

elections

last held on 11 February 2018 (next to be held on 28 February 2023)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Louis NOTARI/Charles ALBRECHT

name

"A Marcia de Muneghu" (The March of Monaco)

note

note: music adopted 1867, lyrics adopted 1931; although French is commonly spoken, only the Monegasque lyrics are official; the French version is known as "Hymne Monegasque" (Monegasque Anthem); the words are generally only sung on official occasions

National holiday

National Day (Saint Rainier's Day), 19 November (1857)

National symbol(s)

red and white lozenges (diamond shapes); national colors: red, white

Political parties and leaders

Horizon Monaco [Laurent NOUVION]Priorite Monaco [Stephane VALERI]Union Monegasque [Jean-Francois ROBILLON]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

none

Budget

expenditures

953.6 million (2011 est.)

revenues

896.3 million (2011 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-1% (of GDP) (2011 est.)

Debt - external

 NA

Economic overview

Monaco, bordering France on the Mediterranean coast, is a popular resort, attracting tourists to its casino and pleasant climate. The principality also is a banking center and has successfully sought to diversify into services and small, high-value-added, nonpolluting industries. The state retains monopolies in a number of sectors, including tobacco, the telephone network, and the postal service. Living standards are high, roughly comparable to those in prosperous French metropolitan areas.The state has no income tax and low business taxes and thrives as a tax haven both for individuals who have established residence and for foreign companies that have set up businesses and offices. Monaco, however, is not a tax-free shelter; it charges nearly 20% value-added tax, collects stamp duties, and companies face a 33% tax on profits unless they can show that three-quarters of profits are generated within the principality. Monaco was formally removed from the OECD's "grey list" of uncooperative tax jurisdictions in late 2009, but continues to face international pressure to abandon its banking secrecy laws and help combat tax evasion. In October 2014, Monaco officially became the 84th jurisdiction participating in the OECD’s Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters, an effort to combat offshore tax avoidance and evasion.Monaco's reliance on tourism and banking for its economic growth has left it vulnerable to downturns in France and other European economies which are the principality's main trade partners. In 2009, Monaco's GDP fell by 11.5% as the euro-zone crisis precipitated a sharp drop in tourism and retail activity and home sales. A modest recovery ensued in 2010 and intensified in 2013, with GDP growth of more than 9%, but Monaco's economic prospects remain uncertain.

Exchange rates

currency

euros (EUR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2013

0.7634 (2013 est.)

Exchange rates 2014

0.885 (2014 est.)

Exchange rates 2015

0.9214 (2015 est.)

Exchange rates 2016

0.903 (2016 est.)

Exchange rates 2017

0.885 (2017 est.)

Exports

Exports 2011

$1.115 billion (2011)

Exports 2017

$964.6 million (2017 est.)

note

note: full customs integration with France, which collects and rebates Monegasque trade duties; also participates in EU market system through customs union with France

Exports - commodities

jewelry, perfumes, watches, packaged medicines, plastic products (2019)

Exports - partners

Italy 19%, Germany 14%, United Kingdom 9%, Switzerland 9%, Spain 8%, United States 6%, Belgium 5% (2019)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

0% (2013)

industry

14% (2013)

services

86% (2013)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$6.006 billion (2015 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA

lowest 10%

NA

Imports

Imports 2011

$1.162 billion (2011 est.)

Imports 2017

$1.371 billion (2017 est.)

note

note: full customs integration with France, which collects and rebates Monegasque trade duties; also participates in EU market system through customs union with France

Imports - commodities

jewelry, recreational boats, cars and vehicle parts, watches, general wares (2019)

Imports - partners

Italy 34%, Switzerland 16%, Germany 9%, United Kingdom 7% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

6.8% (2015)

Industries

banking, insurance, tourism, construction, small-scale industrial and consumer products

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2010

1.5% (2010)

Labor force

52,000 (2014 est.)

note

note: includes all foreign workers

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

0%

industry

16.1%

services

83.9% (2012 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2015 US dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2013

$6.79 billion (2013 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2014

$7.279 billion (2014 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2015

$7.672 billion (2015 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2013

9.6% (2013 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2014

7.2% (2014 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2015

5.4% (2015 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2013

$101,900 (2013 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2014

$109,200 (2014 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2015

$115,700 (2015 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

14.9% (of GDP) (2011 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2012

2% (2012)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

27.9% (2016 est.)

male

25.7%

total

26.7%

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2020)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

53.2 (2020 est.)

total

20,877 (2020)

Broadcast media

TV Monte-Carlo operates a TV network; cable TV available; Radio Monte-Carlo has extensive radio networks in France and Italy with French-language broadcasts to France beginning in the 1960s and Italian-language broadcasts to Italy beginning in the 1970s; other radio stations include Riviera Radio and Radio Monaco

Internet country code

.mc

Internet users

percent of population

97.05% (2019 est.)

total

38,200 (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line 113 per 100 and mobile-cellular teledensity exceeds 87 per 100 persons (2019)

general assessment

modern automatic telephone system; the country's sole fixed-line operator offers a full range of services to residential and business customers; competitive mobile telephony market; 4G LTE widely available (2020)

international

country code - 377; landing points for the EIG and Italy-Monaco submarine cables connecting Monaco to Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia; no satellite earth stations; connected by cable into the French communications system (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

111.4 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

43,706 (2020)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

90.43 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

35,485 (2020)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

3A

Heliports

1 (2012)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Hercules Port

Railways

note: Monaco has a single railway station but does not operate its own train service;  the French operator SNCF operates rail services in Monaco

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of France

Military and security forces

no regular military forces; Ministry of Interior: Compagnie des Carabiniers du Prince (Prince’s Company of Carabiniers (Palace Guard)), Corps des Sapeurs-pompiers de Monaco (Fire and Emergency), Police Department

Disputes - international

none

Air pollutants

methane emissions

0.05 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

12.2 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

Climate

Mediterranean with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers

Environment - current issues

no serious issues; actively monitors pollution levels in air and water

Environment - international agreements

party to

Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic Treaty, 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 Convention, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Land use

agricultural land

1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)

forest

0% (2018 est.)

other

99% (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

forest revenues

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

0 cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial

0 cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

5 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.5% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

100% of total population (2021)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

46,000 tons (2012 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

2,484 tons (2012 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

5.4% (2012 est.)