2021 Edition

Background

English and Irish colonists from St. Kitts first settled on Montserrat in 1632; the first African slaves arrived three decades later. The British and French fought for possession of the island for most of the 18th century, but it finally was confirmed as a British possession in 1783. The island's sugar plantation economy was converted to small farm landholdings in the mid-19th century. Much of this island was devastated and two-thirds of the population fled abroad because of the eruption of the Soufriere Hills Volcano that began on 18 July 1995. Montserrat has endured volcanic activity since, with the last eruption occurring in 2013.

Area

land

102 sq km

total

102 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

about 0.6 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation

Coastline

40 km

Elevation

highest point

Soufriere Hills volcano pre-eruption height was 915 m; current lava dome is subject to periodic build up and collapse; estimated dome height was 1,050 m in 2015

lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 m

Geographic coordinates

16 45 N, 62 12 W

Geography - note

the island is entirely volcanic in origin and comprised of three major volcanic centers of differing ages

Irrigated land

0 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total

0 km

Land use

agricultural land

30% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 20% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 10% (2018 est.)

forest

25% (2018 est.)

other

45% (2018 est.)

Location

Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, southeast of Puerto Rico

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

exclusive fishing zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

volcanic eruptions; severe hurricanes (June to November)volcanism: Soufriere Hills volcano (915 m), has erupted continuously since 1995; a massive eruption in 1997 destroyed most of the capital, Plymouth, and resulted in approximately half of the island becoming uninhabitable; the island of Montserrat is part of the volcanic island arc of the Lesser Antilles that extends from Saba in the north to Grenada in the south

Natural resources

NEGL

Population distribution

only the northern half of the island is populated, the southern portion is uninhabitable due to volcanic activity

Terrain

volcanic island, mostly mountainous, with small coastal lowland

Age structure

0-14 years

16.02% (male 443/female 418)

15-24 years

20.55% (male 579/female 525)

25-54 years

47.09% (male 1,217/female 1,313)

55-64 years

9.79% (male 246/female 280)

65 years and over

6.55% (male 196/female 156) (2020 est.)

Birth rate

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

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current Health Expenditure

NA

Death rate

5.94 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: rural

rural: 99% of population

improved: total

total: 99% of population

improved: urban

urban: 99% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 1% of population

unimproved: total

total: 1% of population (2015 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 1% of population

Education expenditures

9.1% of GDP (2019)

Ethnic groups

African/Black 86.2%, mixed 4.8%, Hispanic/Spanish 3%, Caucasian/White 2.7%, East Indian/Indian 1.6%, other 1.8% (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

female

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

male

8.59 deaths/1,000 live births

total

10.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

English

Life expectancy at birth

female

74.41 years (2021 est.)

male

76.52 years

total population

75.49 years

Median age

female

35.6 years (2020 est.)

male

34.1 years

total

34.8 years

Nationality

adjective

Montserratian

noun

Montserratian(s)

Net migration rate

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

Population

5,387 (July 2021 est.)

note

note: an estimated 8,000 refugees left the island following the resumption of volcanic activity in July 1995; some have returned

Population distribution

only the northern half of the island is populated, the southern portion is uninhabitable due to volcanic activity

Population growth rate

0.52% (2021 est.)

Religions

Protestant 71.4% (includes Anglican 17.7%, Pentecostal/Full Gospel 16.1%, Seventh Day Adventist 15%, Methodist 13.9%, Church of God 6.7%, other Protestant 2%), Roman Catholic 11.4%, Rastafarian 1.4%, Hindu 1.2%, Jehovah's Witness 1%, Muslim 0.4%, other/not stated 5.1%, none 7.9% (2018 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

15 years (2019)

male

13 years

total

14 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.06 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.1 male(s)/female

25-54 years

0.93 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.88 male(s)/female

65 years and over

1.26 male(s)/female

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

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

Total fertility rate

1.31 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.94% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

9.2% of total population (2021)

Administrative divisions

3 parishes; Saint Anthony, Saint Georges, Saint Peter

Capital

etymology

now entirely deserted because of volcanic activity, the city was originally named after Plymouth, England; de jure, Plymouth remains the capital city of Montserrat; it is therefore the only ghost town that serves as the capital of a political entity

geographic coordinates

16 42 N, 62 13 W

name

Plymouth; note - Plymouth was abandoned in 1997 because of volcanic activity; interim government buildings have been built at Brades Estate, the de facto capital, in the Carr's Bay/Little Bay vicinity at the northwest end of Montserrat

time difference

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

Citizenship

see United Kingdom

Constitution

amendments

amended 2011, 2020

history

previous 1960; latest put into force 20 October 2010 (The Montserrat Constitution Order 2010)

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Montserrat

etymology

island named by explorer Christopher COLUMBUS in 1493 after the Benedictine abbey Santa Maria de Montserrat, near Barcelona, Spain

Dependency status

overseas territory of the UK

Diplomatic representation from the US

embassy

none (overseas territory of the UK); alternate contact is the US Embassy in Barbados [1] (246) 227-4000; US Embassy Bridgetown, Wildey Business Park, St. Michael BB 14006, Barbados, WI

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Executive branch

cabinet

Executive Council consists of the governor, the premier, 3 other ministers, the attorney general, and the finance secretary

chief of state

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Andrew PEARCE (since 1 February 2018)

elections/appointments

the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party usually becomes premier

head of government

Premier Easton TAYLOR-FARRELL (since 19 November 2019); note - effective with The Constitution Order 2010, effective October 2010, the office of premier replaced the office of chief minister

Flag description

blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Montserratian coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the arms feature a woman in green dress, Erin, the female personification of Ireland, standing beside a yellow harp and embracing a large dark cross with her right arm; Erin and the harp are symbols of Ireland reflecting the territory's Irish ancestry; blue represents awareness, trustworthiness, determination, and righteousness

Government type

parliamentary democracy; self-governing overseas territory of the UK

Independence

none (overseas territory of the UK)

International organization participation

Caricom, CDB, Interpol (subbureau), OECS, UPU

Judicial branch

highest courts

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 1 assigned to Montserrat; Montserrat is also a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice

judge selection and term of office

chief justice of Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court appointed by the 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

magistrate's court

Legal system

English common law

Legislative branch

description

unicameral Legislative Assembly (11 seats; 9 members directly elected in a single constituency by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds to serve 5-year terms and 2 ex-officio members - the attorney general and financial secretary)

election results

percent of vote by party - MCAP 42.7%, PDM 29.9%, other 17.1%; seats by party - MCAP 5, PDM 3, independent 1

elections

last held on 18 November 2019 (next scheduled for 2024)

National anthem

note: as a territory of the UK, "God Save the Queen" is official (see United Kingdom)

National holiday

Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, usually celebrated the Monday after the second Saturday in June (1926)

Political parties and leaders

Movement for Change and Prosperity or MCAP [Easton Taylor FARRELL]People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Donaldson ROMERO]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

cabbages, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, peppers; livestock products

Budget

expenditures

47.04 million (2017 est.)

revenues

66.67 million (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

Standard & Poors rating

BBB- (2020)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2016

-$12.2 million (2016 est.)

Current account balance 2017

-$15.4 million (2017 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 1997

$8.9 million (1997)

Economic overview

Severe volcanic activity, which began in July 1995, has put a damper on this small, open economy. A catastrophic eruption in June 1997 closed the airport and seaports, causing further economic and social dislocation. Two-thirds of the 12,000 inhabitants fled the island. Some began to return in 1998 but lack of housing limited the number. The agriculture sector continued to be affected by the lack of suitable land for farming and the destruction of crops.Prospects for the economy depend largely on developments in relation to the volcanic activity and on public sector construction activity. Half of the island remains uninhabitable. In January 2013, the EU announced the disbursement of a $55.2 million aid package to Montserrat in order to boost the country's economic recovery, with a specific focus on public finance management, public sector reform, and prudent economic management. Montserrat is tied to the EU through the UK. Although the UK is leaving the EU, Montserrat’s aid will not be affected as Montserrat maintains a direct agreement with the EU regarding aid.

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

$5.2 million (2016 est.)

Exports 2017

$4.4 million (2017 est.)

Exports - commodities

sand, iron products, seats, medical instruments, fish (2019)

Exports - partners

Antigua and Barbuda 19%, United States 18%, France 17%, Singapore 14%, Belgium 9%, Netherlands 5% (2019)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

29.5% (2017 est.)

government consumption

50.4% (2017 est.)

household consumption

90.8% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-88.6% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

17.9% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

-0.1% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

1.9% (2017 est.)

industry

7.8% (2017 est.)

services

90.3% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$167.4 million (2011 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA

lowest 10%

NA

Imports

Imports 2016

$36.1 million (2016 est.)

Imports 2017

$39.44 million (2017 est.)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, cars, oranges, electric motors, broadcasting equipment (2019)

Imports - partners

United States 70%, United Kingdom 6% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

-21% (2017 est.)

Industries

tourism, rum, textiles, electronic appliances

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2016

-0.2% (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

1.2% (2017 est.)

Labor force

4,521 (2012)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

1.4%

industry

12.7%

services

85.9% (2017 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2009

$162.7 million (2009 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2010

$155.9 million (2010 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2011

$167.4 million (2011 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2010

-4.2% (2010 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2011

7.4% (2011 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2009

$32,300 (2009 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2010

$31,100 (2010 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2011

$34,000 (2011 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2015

$51.47 million (31 December 2015 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$47.58 million (31 December 2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 1998

6% (1998 est.)

Unemployment rate 2017

5.6% (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

22.32 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

100% 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

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

5,000 kW (2016 est.)

Electricity - production

24 million kWh (2016 est.)

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

400 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

406 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

54.47 (2019)

total

2,700 (2017)

Broadcast media

Radio Montserrat, a public radio broadcaster, transmits on 1 station and has a repeater transmission to a second station; repeater transmissions from the GEM Radio Network of Trinidad and Tobago provide another 2 radio stations; cable and satellite TV available (2007)

Internet country code

.ms

Internet users

percent of population

54.55% (2019 est.)

total

2,806 (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line 60 per 100 and mobile-cellular teledensity 101 per 100 persons (2019)

general assessment

telecom market one of growth in Caribbean and fully digitalized; high dependency on tourism and offshore financial services; operators expand FttP (Fiber to Home) services; LTE launches and operators invest in mobile networks; effective competition in all sectors (2020)

international

country code - 1-664; landing point for the ECFS optic submarine cable with links to 14 other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands 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

60.4 (2018 est.)

total subscriptions

3,000 (2018)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

100.7 (2019 est.)

total subscriptions

5,000 (2018)

Airports

total

1 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

total

1

under 914 m

1 (2019)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

VP-M

National air transport system

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

3

number of registered air carriers

1 (2020)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Little Bay, Plymouth

Roadways

note: volcanic eruptions that began in 1995 destroyed most of the 227 km road system; a new road infrastructure has been built on the north end of the island

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Military and security forces

no regular military forces; Royal Montserrat Defence Force (ceremonial, civil defense duties), Montserrat Police Force

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe

Climate

tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation

Environment - current issues

land erosion occurs on slopes that have been cleared for cultivation

Land use

agricultural land

30% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 20% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 10% (2018 est.)

forest

25% (2018 est.)

other

45% (2018 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.94% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

9.2% of total population (2021)