2024 Edition Primary

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. The Soufriere Hills Volcano erupted in 1995, devastating much of the island; two thirds of the population fled abroad. 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 composed of three major volcanic centers of differing ages

Irrigated land

0 sq km (2022)

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

15.8% (male 446/female 420)

15-64 years

76.1% (male 2,062/female 2,101)

65 years and over

8% (2024 est.) (male 220/female 219)

Birth rate

11.9 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current health expenditure

NA

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

35.8% (2023 est.)

Death rate

6 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

24.7

potential support ratio

4 (2021)

total dependency ratio

43.9

youth dependency ratio

19.2

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: 98.1% of population

improved: urban

urban: NA

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: 1.9% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: NA

Education expenditures

5.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

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.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.63 (2024 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

11.6 deaths/1,000 live births

male

8 deaths/1,000 live births

total

9.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

Languages

English

Life expectancy at birth

female

75.3 years

male

76.9 years

total population

76.1 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

female

NA

male

NA

total population

NA

Median age

female

37.8 years

male

35.4 years

total

36.8 years (2024 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Montserratian

noun

Montserratian(s)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Physician density

NA

Population

female

2,740 (2024 est.)

male

2,728

note

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

total

5,468

Population distribution

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

Population growth rate

0.59% (2024 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.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: NA

improved: urban

urban: NA

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: NA

unimproved: urban

urban: NA

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

15-64 years

0.98 male(s)/female

65 years and over

1 male(s)/female

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

1 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.33 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

9.3% of total population (2023)

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

King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor Sarah TUCKER (since 6 April 2023)

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

note: effective with Constitution Order 2010, 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 court(s)

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 (12 seats; 9 members directly elected in a single constituency by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds to serve 5-year terms)

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; composition - men 8, women 4, percentage women 33.3%

elections

last held on 18 November 2019 (next to be held in 2024)

note

note: the Assembly elects the speaker from the outside for a 5-year term; the Assembly includes 2 ex-officio members, the attorney general and the financial secretary

National anthem

note: as a territory of the UK, "God Save the King" 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

Movement for Change and Prosperity or MCAP People's Democratic Movement or PDM

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

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

Budget

expenditures

$43.652 million (2014 est.)

note

note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

revenues

$55.651 million (2014 est.)

Credit ratings

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

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.)

Economic overview

formerly high-income economy; volcanic activity destroyed much of original infrastructure and economy; new capital and port is being developed; key geothermal and solar power generation; key music recording operations

Exchange rates

Currency

East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2019

2.7 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

2.7 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

2.7 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

2.7 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

2.7 (2023 est.)

Exports

Exports 2016

$5.2 million (2016 est.)

Exports 2017

$4.4 million (2017 est.)

Exports 2021

$11.9 million (2021 est.)

Exports - commodities

sand, gravel and crushed stone, packaged medicine, lead products, liquid pumps (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

US 23%, France 21%, Antigua and Barbuda 19%, Ireland 15%, UK 7% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

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.)

Imports

Imports 2016

$36.1 million (2016 est.)

Imports 2017

$39.44 million (2017 est.)

Imports 2021

$15.3 million (2021 est.)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, machine parts, plastic products, machinery, natural gas (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

US 54%, UK 8%, Singapore 4%, Antigua and Barbuda 4%, Trinidad and Tobago 4% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

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.)

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 2017

5.6% (2017 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from petroleum and other liquids

26,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

26,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Coal

imports

(2022 est.) less than 1 metric ton

Electricity

consumption

13.968 million kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

6,000 kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

370,000 kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2020)

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels

100% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption

200 bbl/day (2022 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

55 (2018 est.)

total

2,700 (2018 est.)

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

56.2% (2021 est.)

total

2,473 (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line is 67 per 100 and mobile-cellular teledensity is 110 per 100 persons (2020)

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)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

67 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

3,000 (2020 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

110 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

5,000 (2020 est.)

Airports

1 (2024)

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)

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 Defense Force (ceremonial, civil defense duties), Montserrat Police Force (2024)

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

9.3% of total population (2023)