2020 Edition

Background

England and France contested Saint Lucia -- with its fine natural harbor at Castries and burgeoning sugar industry -- throughout the 17th and early 18th centuries, with possession changing 14 times; it was finally ceded to the UK in 1814 and became part of the British Windward Islands colony. Even after the abolition of slavery on its plantations in 1834, Saint Lucia remained an agricultural island, dedicated to producing tropical commodity crops. In the mid-20th century, Saint Lucia joined the West Indies Federation (1958–1962) and in 1967 became one of the six members of the West Indies Associated States, with internal self-government. In 1979, Saint Lucia gained full independence.

Area

land

606 sq km

total

616 sq km

water

10 sq km

Area - comparative

3.5 times the size of Washington, D.C.

Climate

tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season January to April, rainy season May to August

Coastline

158 km

Elevation

highest point

Mount Gimie 948 m

lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 m

Geographic coordinates

13 53 N, 60 58 W

Geography - note

the twin Pitons (Gros Piton and Petit Piton), striking cone-shaped peaks south of Soufrière, are one of the scenic natural highlights of the Caribbean

Irrigated land

30 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total

0 km

Land use

agricultural land

16.3% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 4.4% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 11.3% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 0.6% (2023 est.)

forest

53.7% (2023 est.)

other

30% (2023 est.)

Location

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

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

hurricanes volcanism: Mount Gimie (948 m), also known as Qualibou, is a caldera on the west of the island; the iconic twin pyramidal peaks of Gros Piton (771 m) and Petit Piton (743 m) are lava-dome remnants associated with the Soufrière volcano; there have been no historical magmatic eruptions, but a minor steam eruption in 1766 spread a thin layer of ash over a wide area; Saint Lucia 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

forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal potential

Population distribution

most of the population is found on the periphery of the island, with a larger concentration in the north around the capital of Castries

Terrain

volcanic and mountainous with broad, fertile valleys

Age structure

0-14 years

17.9% (male 15,505/female 14,607)

15-64 years

66.7% (male 54,260/female 57,747)

65 years and over

15.4% (2024 est.) (male 11,752/female 14,167)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

3.21 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.6 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

5.1 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

9.3 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.4 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

11.17 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Death rate

8.41 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

24.3 (2025 est.)

potential support ratio

4.1 (2025 est.)

total dependency ratio

50.9 (2025 est.)

youth dependency ratio

26.6 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 96.8% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 96.9% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 97.2% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 3.2% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 3.1% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 2.8% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)

3.8% of GDP (2024 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

12.7% national budget (2025 est.)

Ethnic groups

Black/African descent 85.3%, mixed 10.9%, East Indian 2.2%, other 1.6%, unspecified 0.1% (2010 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.83 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

6.2% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

9% of national budget (2022 est.)

Hospital bed density

2 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

12.2 deaths/1,000 live births

male

10.8 deaths/1,000 live births

total

11.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

English (official), Saint Lucian Creole

Life expectancy at birth

female

82.3 years

male

76.7 years

total population

79.4 years (2024 est.)

Major urban areas - population

22,000 CASTRIES (capital) (2018)

Maternal mortality ratio

44 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

female

40.9 years

male

38.4 years

total

40.4 years (2025 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Saint Lucian

noun

Saint Lucian(s)

Net migration rate

-0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

19.7% (2016)

Physician density

4.23 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Population

female

86,784

male

81,678

total

168,462 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

0.25% (2025 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 61.5%, Protestant 25.5% (includes Seventh Day Adventist 10.4%, Pentecostal 8.9%, Baptist 2.2%, Anglican 1.6%, Church of God 1.5%, other Protestant 0.9%), other Christian 3.4% (includes Evangelical 2.3% and Jehovah's Witness 1.1%), Rastafarian 1.9%, other 0.4%, none 5.9%, unspecified 1.4% (2010 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 92.9% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 93.8% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 97.6% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 7.1% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 6.2% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 2.4% of population (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

13 years (2023 est.)

male

12 years (2023 est.)

total

13 years (2023 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.94 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.83 male(s)/female

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female

total population

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

Tobacco use

female

2.6% (2025 est.)

male

24.1% (2025 est.)

total

13.1% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.71 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.98% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

19.2% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

10 districts; Anse-la-Raye, Canaries, Castries, Choiseul, Dennery, Gros-Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Soufrière, Vieux-Fort

Capital

etymology

in 1785, the village of Carenage was renamed Castries, after Charles Eugene Gabriel de La Croix de CASTRIES, who was then the French Minister of the Navy and Colonies

geographic coordinates

14 00 N, 61 00 W

name

Castries

time difference

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

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

yes

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Saint Lucia

dual citizenship recognized

yes

residency requirement for naturalization

8 years

Constitution

amendment process

proposed by Parliament; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the House of Assembly membership in the final reading and assent of the governor general; passage of amendments to various constitutional sections, such as those on fundamental rights and freedoms, government finances, the judiciary, and procedures for amending the constitution, require at least three-quarters majority vote by the House and assent of the governor general; passage of amendments approved by the House but rejected by the Senate require a majority of votes cast in a referendum

history

previous 1958, 1960 (pre-independence); latest presented 20 December 1978, effective 22 February 1979

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Saint Lucia

etymology

believed to be named after Saint LUCY (Sainte ALOUSIE) of Syracuse by French sailors who were shipwrecked on the island on 13 December 1502, the saint's feast day

Diplomatic representation from the US

embassy

the US does not have an embassy in Saint Lucia; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Saint Lucia

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1629 K Street NW, Suite 1250, Washington, DC 20006

chief of mission

Ambassador Elizabeth DARIUS-CLARKE (since 7 June 2022)

consulate(s) general

Miami, New York

email address and website

embassydc@gosl.gov.lc https://www.embassyofstlucia.org/

FAX

[1] (202) 364-6723

telephone

[1] (202) 364-6792

Executive branch

cabinet

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

chief of state

King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Acting Governor General Cyril Errol CHARLES (since 11 November 2021)

election/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

head of government

Prime Minister Philip J. PIERRE (since 28 July 2021)

Flag

description: cerulean blue with a gold isosceles triangle below a black arrowhead; the upper edges of the arrowhead have a white border meaning: blue stands for the sky and sea, gold for sunshine and prosperity, and white and black for the ethnic composition of the island; the triangles represent Gros Piton and Petit Piton, the cone-shaped volcanic plugs that are a symbol of the island

Government type

parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

Independence

22 February 1979 (from the UK)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

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

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; member of the Caribbean Court of Justice

judge 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 62

subordinate courts

magistrate's court

Legal system

English common law

Legislative branch

legislative structure

bicameral

legislature name

Houses of Parliament

Legislative branch - lower chamber

chamber name

House of Assembly

electoral system

plurality/majority

expected date of next election

December 2025

most recent election date

7/26/2021

number of seats

18 (all directly elected)

parties elected and seats per party

Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) (13); United Workers Party (UWP) (2); Independents (2)

percentage of women in chamber

10.5%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

5 years

Legislative branch - upper chamber

chamber name

Senate

expected date of next election

December 2025

most recent election date

8/17/2021

number of seats

11 (all appointed)

percentage of women in chamber

54.5%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

5 years

National anthem(s)

history

in use since 1745

lyrics/music

unknown

title

"God Save the King"

National color(s)

cerulean blue, gold, black, white

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Pitons Management Area

total World Heritage Sites

1 (natural)

National holiday

Independence Day, 22 February (1979)

National symbol(s)

twin pitons (volcanic peaks), Saint Lucia parrot

Political parties

Saint Lucia Labor Party or SLP United Workers Party or UWP

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

coconuts, bananas, tropical fruits, fruits, root vegetables, plantains, vegetables, cassava, chicken, milk (2023)

Budget

expenditures

$351.956 million (2017 est.)

revenues

$414.77 million (2017 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2022

-$83.442 million (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

-$38.069 million (2023 est.)

Current account balance 2024

-$64.121 million (2024 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2023

$901.317 million (2023 est.)

Economic overview

upper middle-income, tourism-based Caribbean island economy; environmentally fragile; energy import-dependent; major banana producer; well-educated labor force; key infrastructure, IT, and communications investments

Exchange rates

Currency

East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -

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.)

Exchange rates 2024

2.7 (2024 est.)

Exports

Exports 2022

$1.29 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$1.419 billion (2023 est.)

Exports 2024

$1.6 billion (2024 est.)

Exports - commodities

refined petroleum, gravel and crushed stone, beer, liquor, paper containers (2023)

Exports - partners

Guyana 20%, Suriname 15%, USA 11%, Barbados 8%, Dominica 7% (2023)

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

62.7% (2017 est.)

government consumption

11.2% (2017 est.)

household consumption

66.1% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-56.9% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

16.9% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

0.1% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

1.1% (2024 est.)

industry

9.8% (2024 est.)

services

75.9% (2024 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$2.549 billion (2024 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2016

51.2 (2016 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

34.1% (2015 est.)

lowest 10%

2.1% (2015 est.)

Imports

Imports 2022

$1.2 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$1.292 billion (2023 est.)

Imports 2024

$1.446 billion (2024 est.)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, crude petroleum, cars, poultry, plastic products (2023)

Imports - partners

USA 59%, Guyana 8%, Brazil 7%, China 5%, UK 3% (2023)

Industrial production growth rate

5.6% (2024 est.)

Industries

tourism; clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated cardboard boxes, lime processing, coconut processing

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

6.4% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

4.1% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

-0.1% (2024 est.)

Labor force

102,400 (2024 est.)

Population below poverty line

25% (2015 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

69.2% of GDP (2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$4.105 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$4.196 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$4.359 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2022

20.4% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

2.2% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2024

3.9% (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2022

$23,000 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$23,400 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$24,300 (2024 est.)

Remittances

Remittances 2022

2.6% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

2.6% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances 2024

2.5% of GDP (2024 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$389.083 million (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$424.324 million (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024

$406.064 million (2024 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

18.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2022

16% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

11.1% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

11% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

26.3% (2024 est.)

male

31.4% (2024 est.)

total

29% (2024 est.)

Electricity

consumption

365.178 million kWh (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity

93,000 kW (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

31.038 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels

98% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar

2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

47.522 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption

4,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

14 (2022 est.)

total

24,000 (2022 est.)

Broadcast media

3 privately owned TV stations; 1 public TV station on a cable network; multi-channel cable TV service available; mix of state-owned and privately owned radio broadcasters with about 25 stations, including repeater transmission stations (2019)

Internet country code

.lc

Internet users

percent of population

74% (2022 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

17 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

31,000 (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

99 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

176,000 (2022 est.)

Airports

2 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

J6

Ports

key ports

Castries, Grand Cul de Sac Bay, Vieux Fort

large

0

medium

0

ports with oil terminals

2

small

2

total ports

3 (2024)

very small

1

Military - note

Saint Lucia 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 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 (2025)

Military and security forces

no regular military forces; Ministry of Home Affairs, Justice, and National Security: Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) (2025)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees

5 (2024 est.)

Trafficking in persons

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List — the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking compared with the previous reporting period, therefore Saint Lucia was downgraded to Tier 2 Watch List; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/saint-lucia/

Carbon dioxide emissions

from petroleum and other liquids

605,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total emissions

605,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

deforestation; soil erosion, particularly in the northern region

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, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Particulate matter emissions

8.9 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

300 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

30.4 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial

0 cubic meters (2022 est.)

municipal

12.5 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

77,600 tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

13.3% (2022 est.)