2021 Edition

Background

The island, with its fine natural harbor at Castries and burgeoning sugar industry, was contested between England and France throughout the 17th and early 18th centuries (changing possession 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

three and a half times the size of Washington, DC

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 Soufriere, 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

17.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 4.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 11.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 1% (2018 est.)

forest

77% (2018 est.)

other

5.6% (2018 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

hurricanesvolcanism: 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 Soufriere 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

19.24% (male 16,484/female 15,546)

15-24 years

13.6% (male 11,475/female 11,165)

25-54 years

42.83% (male 34,436/female 36,868)

55-64 years

11.23% (male 8,624/female 10,075)

65 years and over

13.1% (male 9,894/female 11,920) (2020 est.)

Birth rate

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

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

2.8% (2012)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

55.5% (2011/12)

Current Health Expenditure

4.4% (2018)

Death rate

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

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

14.4

potential support ratio

7 (2020 est.)

total dependency ratio

39.4

youth dependency ratio

25

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

Education expenditures

3.6% of GDP (2020)

Ethnic groups

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.6% (2018)

Hospital bed density

1.3 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Infant mortality rate

female

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

male

11.44 deaths/1,000 live births

total

12.23 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

English (official), French patois

Life expectancy at birth

female

81.62 years (2021 est.)

male

75.96 years

total population

78.71 years

Major urban areas - population

22,000 CASTRIES (capital) (2018)

Maternal mortality ratio

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

Median age

female

38 years (2020 est.)

male

35.7 years

total

36.9 years

Nationality

adjective

Saint Lucian

noun

Saint Lucian(s)

Net migration rate

-1.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

19.7% (2016)

Physicians density

0.64 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

Population

166,637 (July 2021 est.)

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

Population growth rate

0.3% (2021 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: 100% of population

improved: total

total: 99.2% of population

improved: urban

urban: 95.6% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0.8% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 4.4% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

13 years (2020)

male

12 years

total

13 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.06 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.03 male(s)/female

25-54 years

0.93 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.86 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.83 male(s)/female

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female

total population

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

Total fertility rate

1.73 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

34.3% (2019 est.)

male

39.6%

total

37.2%

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

18.9% of total population (2021)

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

etymology

in 1785, the village of Carenage was renamed Castries, after Charles Eugene Gabriel de La Croix de Castries (1727-1801), 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

amendments

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; amended several times, last in 2008

history

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

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Saint Lucia

etymology

named after Saint LUCY of Syracuse by French sailors who were shipwrecked on the island on 13 December 1502, the saint's feast day; Saint Lucia is the only country named specifically after a woman

note

note: pronounced saynt-looshya

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 Anton Edsel EDMUNDS (since 8 September 2017)

consulate(s) general

New York

email address and website

embassydc@gosl.gov.lchttps://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

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Acting Governor General Errol CHARLES (since 11 November 2021)

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 governor general; deputy prime minister 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; the blue color represents the sky and sea, gold stands for sunshine and prosperity, and white and black the racial composition of the island (with the latter being dominant); the two major triangles invoke the twin Pitons (Gros Piton and Petit Piton), 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, 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 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 4 on Saint Lucia; Saint Lucia is a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice

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, 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

description

bicameral Houses of Parliament consists of:Senate (11 seats; all members appointed by the governor general; 6 on the advice of the prime minister, 3 on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and 2 upon consultation with religious, economic, and social groups; members serve 5-year terms)House of Assembly (18 seats; 17 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and the speaker, designated from outside the Parliament; members serve 5-year terms)

election results

Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition - men 6, women 5, percent of women 45.5%House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - SLP 50.1%, UWP 42.9%, other o.3%, independent 6.6%; seats by party - SLP 13, UWP 2, independent 2; composition (including the speaker) - men 16, women 2, percent of women 11.1%; note - total Parliament percent of women 24.1%

elections

Senate - last appointments on 17 August 2021 (next in 2026)House of Assembly - last held on 26 July 2021 (next to be held in 2026)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Charles JESSE/Leton Felix THOMAS

name

Sons and Daughters of St. Lucia

note

note: adopted 1967

National holiday

Independence Day, 22 February (1979)

National symbol(s)

twin pitons (volcanic peaks), Saint Lucia parrot; national colors: cerulean blue, gold, black, white

Political parties and leaders

Lucian People's Movement or LPM [Therold PRUDENT]Saint Lucia Labor Party or SLP [Philip J. PIERRE]United Workers Party or UWP [Allen CHASTANET]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

bananas, coconuts, fruit, tropical fruit, plantains, roots/tubers nes, cassava, poultry, vegetables, mangoes/guavas

Budget

expenditures

392.8 million (2017 est.)

revenues

398.2 million (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

0.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2016

-$31 million (2016 est.)

Current account balance 2017

$21 million (2017 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 31 December 2015

$529 million (31 December 2015 est.)

Debt - external 31 December 2017

$570.6 million (31 December 2017 est.)

Economic overview

The island nation has been able to attract foreign business and investment, especially in its offshore banking and tourism industries. Tourism is Saint Lucia's main source of jobs and income - accounting for 65% of GDP - and the island's main source of foreign exchange earnings. The manufacturing sector is the most diverse in the Eastern Caribbean area. Crops such as bananas, mangos, and avocados continue to be grown for export, but St. Lucia's once solid banana industry has been devastated by strong competition.Saint Lucia is vulnerable to a variety of external shocks, including volatile tourism receipts, natural disasters, and dependence on foreign oil. Furthermore, high public debt - 77% of GDP in 2012 - and high debt servicing obligations constrain the CHASTANET administration's ability to respond to adverse external shocks.St. Lucia has experienced anemic growth since the onset of the global financial crisis in 2008, largely because of a slowdown in tourism - airlines cut back on their routes to St. Lucia in 2012. Also, St. Lucia introduced a value added tax in 2012 of 15%, becoming the last country in the Eastern Caribbean to do so. In 2013, the government introduced a National Competitiveness and Productivity Council to address St. Lucia's high public wages and lack of productivity.

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

$188.2 million (2016 est.)

Exports 2018

$1.22 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

Exports - commodities

crude petroleum, beer, jewelry, bananas, refined petroleum, rum (2019)

Exports - partners

United States 29%, Uruguay 16%, Barbados 8%, Trinidad and Tobago 5.5%, United Kingdom 6%, Dominica 6%, Guyana 5%, France 5% (2019)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

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

2.9% (2017 est.)

industry

14.2% (2017 est.)

services

82.8% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$1.686 billion (2017 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%

NA

lowest 10%

NA

Imports

Imports 2016

$575.9 million (2016 est.)

Imports 2018

$1 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

Imports - commodities

crude petroleum, refined petroleum, cars, poultry meats, natural gas (2019)

Imports - partners

Colombia 46%, United States 30%, Trinidad and Tobago 5% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

6% (2017 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2016

-3.1% (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

0.1% (2017 est.)

Labor force

79,700 (2012 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

21.7%

industry

24.7%

services

53.6% (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line

25% (2016 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

69.2% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

70.7% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018

$2.78 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$2.82 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$2.25 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2015

-0.9% (2015 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2016

3.4% (2016 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2017

3% (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2018

$15,300 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2019

$15,400 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$12,300 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016

$320.7 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$321.8 million (31 December 2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

23.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2003

20% (2003 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

34.3% (2019 est.)

male

39.6%

total

37.2%

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

343.2 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

99% 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

1% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

89,000 kW (2016 est.)

Electricity - production

369 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

99.9% (2018)

electrification - total population

99.5% (2018)

electrification - urban areas

97.5% (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

3,100 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

3,113 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

17.56 (2019 est.)

total

32,265 (2018)

Broadcast media

3 privately owned TV stations; 1 public TV station operating on a cable network; multi-channel cable TV service available; a mix of state-owned and privately owned broadcasters operate nearly 25 radio stations including repeater transmission stations

Internet country code

.lc

Internet users

percent of population

50.82% (2019 est.)

total

104,400 (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line teledensity is 20 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular teledensity is roughly 102 per 100 persons (2019)

general assessment

an adequate system that is automatically switched; good interisland and international connections; broadband access; expanded FttP (Fiber to the Home) and LTE markets; regulatory development; telecom sector contributes to the overall GDP; telecom sector is a growth area (2020)

international

country code - 1-758; landing points for the ECFS and Southern Caribbean Fiber submarine cables providing connectivity to numerous Caribbean islands; direct microwave radio relay link with Martinique and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; tropospheric scatter to Barbados (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

20.05 (2018 est.)

total subscriptions

36,469 (2018)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

97.65 (2019 est.)

total subscriptions

184,944 (2018)

Airports

total

2 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

1 (2019)

2,438 to 3,047 m

1

total

2

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

J6

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Castries, Cul-de-Sac, Vieux-Fort

Roadways

paved

847 km (2011)

total

1,210 km (2011)

unpaved

363 km (2011)

Military - note

St. 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, 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

Military and security forces

no regular military forces; Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (includes Special Service Unit, Marine Unit) (2021)

Disputes - international

joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea

Illicit drugs

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

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

0.41 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

0.27 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

21.22 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

Climate

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

Environment - current issues

deforestation; soil erosion, particularly in the northern region

Environment - international 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

Land use

agricultural land

17.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 4.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 11.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 1% (2018 est.)

forest

77% (2018 est.)

other

5.6% (2018 est.)

Revenue from coal

coal revenues

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

forest revenues

0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

300 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

30.4 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial

0 cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

12.5 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

18.9% of total population (2021)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

77,616 tons (2015 est.)