2024 Edition Primary

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

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

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

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

Contraceptive prevalence rate

55.5% (2011/12)

Current health expenditure

6.7% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

53.6% (2023 est.)

Death rate

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

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

12.5

potential support ratio

8 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

37.7

youth dependency ratio

25.2

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 98.5% of population

improved: total

total: 98.7% of population

improved: urban

urban: 99.4% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 1.5% of population

unimproved: total

total: 1.3% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.6% of population

Education expenditures

3.6% of GDP (2020 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 (2024 est.)

Hospital bed density

1.3 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Infant mortality rate

female

12.2 deaths/1,000 live births

male

10.8 deaths/1,000 live births

total

11.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 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.)

Literacy

female

NA

male

NA

total population

NA

Major urban areas - population

22,000 CASTRIES (capital) (2018)

Maternal mortality ratio

73 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

40.9 years

male

38.4 years

total

39.7 years (2024 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Saint Lucian

noun

Saint Lucian(s)

Net migration rate

-0.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

19.7% (2016)

Physician density

0.64 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

Population

female

86,521 (2024 est.)

male

81,517

total

168,038

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

0.26% (2024 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

improved: total

total: 93.8% of population

improved: urban

urban: 97.6% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 7.1% of population

unimproved: total

total: 6.2% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 2.4% 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

15-64 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.)

Total fertility rate

1.71 children born/woman (2024 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, 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-looshuh

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.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

King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); 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, 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 - 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, percentage women 45.5%House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - SLP 50.1%, UWP 42.9%, other 0.3%, independent 6.6%; seats by party - SLP 13, UWP 2, independent 2; composition - men 16, women 2, percentage women 11.1%; note - total Parliament percentage women 24.1%

elections

Senate - last appointments on 17 August 2021 (next to be held 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 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; national colors: cerulean blue, gold, black, white

Political parties

Saint Lucia Labor Party or SLPUnited Workers Party or UWP

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

coconuts, bananas, tropical fruits, fruits, plantains, root vegetables, chicken, vegetables, cassava, pork (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Budget

expenditures

$351.956 million (2017 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

$414.77 million (2017 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2021

-$221.371 million (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

-$67.064 million (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

-$45.381 million (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Debt - external

Debt - external 2022

$687.824 million (2022 est.)

note

note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

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 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 2021

$710.754 million (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$1.296 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$1.415 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

beer, gravel and crushed stone, paper containers, refined petroleum, liquor (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

US 17%, Guyana 16%, Trinidad and Tobago 14%, Barbados 9%, Suriname 7% (2022)

note

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

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

0.9% (2023 est.)

industry

8.6% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

services

74.1% (2023 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$2.52 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2016

51.2 (2016 est.)

note

note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

34.1% (2015 est.)

lowest 10%

2.1% (2015 est.)

note

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports

Imports 2021

$891.761 million (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$1.194 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$1.274 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, cars, plastic products, poultry, flavored water (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

US 76%, Trinidad and Tobago 4%, China 3%, UK 2%, Barbados 2% (2022)

note

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

Industrial production growth rate

3.5% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

2.41% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

6.38% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

4.07% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

101,000 (2023 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Population below poverty line

25% (2016 est.)

note

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt

Public debt 2017

70.7% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$3.351 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$3.957 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$4.083 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2021

12.23% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

18.08% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

3.19% (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2021

$18,700 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$22,000 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$22,700 (2023 est.)

Remittances

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2021

3.45% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

2.64% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

2.5% of GDP (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

note

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$433.117 million (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$389.083 million (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$424.324 million (2023 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

18.23% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

note

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Unemployment rate

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2021

20.51% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

15.93% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

11.09% (2023 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

26.5% (2023 est.)

male

29.5% (2023 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

28.2% (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from petroleum and other liquids

617,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

617,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Electricity

consumption

360.34 million kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

92,000 kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

31.038 million kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels

99.2% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar

0.8% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

48.251 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption

4,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

18 (2020 est.)

total

33,000 (2020 est.)

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 (2019)

Internet country code

.lc

Internet users

percent of population

78% (2021 est.)

total

140,400 (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line teledensity is 8 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular teledensity is roughly 96 per 100 persons (2021)

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)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

8 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

14,000 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

96 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

172,000 (2021 est.)

Airports

2 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

J6

Ports

key ports

Castries, Grand Cul de Sac Bay, Vieux Fort

ports with oil terminals

2

small

2

total ports

3 (2024)

very small

1

Roadways

paved

847 km

total

1,210 km

unpaved

363 km (2011)

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 (2024)

Military and security forces

no regular military forces; Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) (2024)

note

note: the RSLPF has responsibility for law enforcement and maintenance of order within the country; it is under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Justice, and National Security and includes a Special Service Unit and a Marine Unit (coast guard)

Illicit drugs

a transit point for cocaine and marijuana destined for North America, Europe, and elsewhere in the Caribbean; some local demand for cocaine and some use of synthetic drugs

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

0.41 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

0.27 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

8.98 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 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

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

300 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

30 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

0 cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

10 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

19.2% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

77,616 tons (2015 est.)