2015 Edition

Background

Resistance by native Caribs prevented colonization on Saint Vincent until 1719. Disputed between France and the United Kingdom for most of the 18th century, the island was ceded to the latter in 1783. Between 1960 and 1962, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was a separate administrative unit of the Federation of the West Indies. Autonomy was granted in 1969 and independence in 1979.

Area

land

389 sq km

total

389 sq km (Saint Vincent 344 sq km)

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

twice the size of Washington, DC

Climate

tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)

Coastline

84 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

La Soufriere 1,234 m

lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 m

Environment - current issues

pollution of coastal waters and shorelines from discharges by pleasure yachts and other effluents; in some areas, pollution is severe enough to make swimming prohibitive

Environment - international agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

per capita

92.59 cu m/yr (1995)

total

0.01 cu km/yr

Geographic coordinates

13 15 N, 61 12 W

Geography - note

the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is comprised of 32 islands and cays

Irrigated land

10 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land 12.8%; permanent crops 7.7%; permanent pasture 5.1%

agricultural land

25.6%

forest

68.7%

other

5.7% (2011 est.)

Location

Caribbean, islands 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

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

hurricanes; Soufriere volcano on the island of Saint Vincent is a constant threat

Natural resources

hydropower, arable land

Terrain

volcanic, mountainous

Age structure

0-14 years

22.31% (male 11,548/female 11,351)

15-24 years

16.49% (male 8,537/female 8,384)

25-54 years

42.66% (male 22,742/female 21,034)

55-64 years

9.73% (male 5,124/female 4,864)

65 years and over

8.81% (male 4,203/female 4,840) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

13.57 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Death rate

7.18 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

10.5%

potential support ratio

9.5% (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

46.8%

youth dependency ratio

36.6%

Drinking water source

urban: 95.1% of population

rural: 95.1% of population

total: 95.1% of population

urban: 4.9% of population

rural: 4.9% of population

total: 4.9% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

5.1% of GDP (2010)

Ethnic groups

black 66%, mixed 19%, East Indian 6%, European 4%, Carib Amerindian 2%, other 3%

Health expenditures

5.2% of GDP (2013)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Hospital bed density

5.2 beds/1,000 population (2012)

Infant mortality rate

female

11.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

13.83 deaths/1,000 live births

total

12.69 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

English, French patois

Life expectancy at birth

female

77.13 years (2015 est.)

male

73.11 years

total population

75.09 years

Major urban areas - population

KINGSTOWN (capital) 27,000 (2014)

Maternal mortality rate

45 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

Median age

female

32.3 years (2015 est.)

male

32.6 years

total

32.5 years

Nationality

adjective

Saint Vincentian or Vincentian

noun

Saint Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s)

Net migration rate

-9.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

24.1% (2014)

Population

102,627 (July 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.28% (2015 est.)

Religions

Protestant 75% (Anglican 47%, Methodist 28%), Roman Catholic 13%, other (includes Hindu, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Protestant) 12%

Sanitation facility access

urban: 76.1% of population

rural: 76.1% of population

total: 76.1% of population

urban: 23.9% of population

rural: 23.9% of population

total: 23.9% of population (2007 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.02 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.02 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.08 male(s)/female

55-64 years

1.05 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.87 male(s)/female

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

1.03 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.82 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

41.4% (2008 est.)

male

27.8%

total

33.8%

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.72% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

50.6% of total population (2015)

Administrative divisions

6 parishes; Charlotte, Grenadines, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint Patrick

Capital

geographic coordinates

13 08 N, 61 13 W

name

Kingstown

time difference

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

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

yes

citizenship by descent

at least one parent must be a citizen of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

dual citizenship recognized

yes

residency requirement for naturalization

7 years

Constitution

several previous; latest passed by the House of Assembly 3 September 2009 (The Saint Vincent and The Grenadines Constitution Act, 2009) (2015)

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Diplomatic representation from the US

the US does not have an embassy in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016

chief of mission

Ambassador La Celia A. PRINCE (since 30 May 2008)

consulate(s) general

New York

FAX

[1] (202) 364-6736

telephone

[1] (202) 364-6730

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 Governor General Sir Fredrick Nathaniel BALLANTYNE (since 2 September 2002)

elections/appointments

the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister

head of government

Prime Minister Ralph E. GONSALVES (since 29 March 2001)

Flag description

three vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold (double width), and green; the gold band bears three green diamonds arranged in a V pattern, which stands for Vincent; the diamonds recall the islands as the "Gems of the Antilles"; blue conveys the colors of a tropical sky and crystal waters, yellow signifies the golden Grenadine sands, and green represents lush vegetation

Government type

parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm

Independence

27 October 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, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the itinerant superior court of record for the 9-member Organization of Eastern Caribbean States to include Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; the ECSC - with its headquarters on Saint Lucia - is headed by the chief justice and is comprised of the Court of Appeal with 3 justices and the High Court with 16 judges; sittings of the Court of Appeal and High Court rotate among the member states; 2 High Court judges reside on Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; note - Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice

judge selection and term of office

Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court chief justice appointed by Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission; 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

magistrates' courts

Legal system

English common law

Legislative branch

description

unicameral House of Assembly (21 seats; 15 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 6 appointed by the governor general; members serve 5-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - ULP 52.3%, NDP 47.4%, other 0.3%; seats by party - ULP 8, NDP 7

elections

last held on 9 December 2015 (next to be held in 2020)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Phyllis Joyce MCCLEAN PUNNETT/Joel Bertram MIGUEL

name

"St. Vincent! Land So Beautiful!"

note

adopted 1967

National holiday

Independence Day, 27 October (1979)

National symbol(s)

Saint Vincent parrot; national colors: blue, gold, green

Political parties and leaders

Democratic Republican Party or DRP [Anesia BAPTISTE]

New Democratic Party or NDP [Arnhim EUSTACE]

Unity Labor Party or ULP [Ralph GONSALVES] (formed by the coalition of Saint Vincent Labor Party or SVLP and the Movement for National Unity or MNU)

SVG Green Party or SVGP [Ivan O'NEAL]

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

bananas, coconuts, sweet potatoes, spices; small numbers of cattle, sheep, pigs, goats; fish

Budget

expenditures

$185.2 million (2014 est.)

revenues

$185.2 million

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

0% of GDP (2014 est.)

Central bank discount rate

6.5% (31 December 2010)

6.5% (31 December 2009)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

9% (31 December 2014 est.)

9.44% (31 December 2013 est.)

Current account balance

-$216 million (2014 est.)

-$223 million (2013 est.)

Debt - external

$282.7 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$292.7 million (31 December 2013 est.)

Economy - overview

Success of the economy hinges upon seasonal variations in agriculture, tourism, and construction activity as well as remittance inflows. Much of the workforce is employed in banana production and tourism, but persistent high unemployment has prompted many to leave the islands. This lower-middle-income country is vulnerable to natural disasters - tropical storms wiped out substantial portions of crops in 1994, 1995, and 2002. Floods and mudslides caused by unseasonable 2013 rainfall caused substantial damage to infrastructure, homes, and crops, which the World Bank estimated at US$112 million. In 2013, the islands had more than 200,000 tourist arrivals, mostly to the Grenadines. The arrival numbers represent a marginal increase from 2012 but remain 26% below St. Vincent's 2009 peak. Saint Vincent is home to a small offshore banking sector and has moved to adopt international regulatory standards. The government's ability to invest in social programs and respond to external shocks is constrained by its high public debt burden, which was 67% of GDP - one of the lowest levels in the Eastern Caribbean - at the end of 2013. Weak recovery in the tourism and construction sectors limited growth in 2014.

Exchange rates

East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -

2.7 (2014 est.)

2.7 (2013 est.)

2.7 (2012 est.)

2.7 (2011 est.)

2.7 (2010 est.)

Exports

$48.2 million (2014 est.)

$53.4 million (2013 est.)

Exports - commodities

bananas, eddoes and dasheen (taro), arrowroot starch; tennis racquets

Exports - partners

Trinidad and Tobago 17.7%, St. Lucia 13.2%, Barbados 11%, Turkey 9.6%, Dominica 8.7%, Grenada 8.3%, Antigua and Barbuda 7.5%, France 6.5% (2014)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

(2014 est.)

exports of goods and services

19.4%

government consumption

17.3%

household consumption

96.6%

imports of goods and services

-57.7%

investment in fixed capital

24.4%

investment in inventories

0%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

7.5%

industry

17.9%

services

74.6% (2014 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$10,700 (2014 est.)

$10,700 (2013 est.)

$10,500 (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

-0.2% (2014 est.)

2.3% (2013 est.)

1.3% (2012 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$729 million (2014 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$1.174 billion (2014 est.)

$1.177 billion (2013 est.)

$1.15 billion (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

Gross national saving

-2.1% of GDP (2014 est.)

-6.2% of GDP (2013 est.)

-3.5% of GDP (2012 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

Imports

$313.6 million (2014 est.)

$333.5 million (2013 est.)

Imports - commodities

foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, chemicals and fertilizers, minerals and fuels

Imports - partners

Trinidad and Tobago 24.7%, US 19%, Singapore 17.2%, China 6.8%, Barbados 5.2%, Turkey 4.3% (2014)

Industrial production growth rate

2% (2014 est.)

Industries

tourism; food processing, cement, furniture, clothing, starch

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

0.2% (2014 est.)

0.8% (2013 est.)

Labor force

57,520 (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

26%

industry

17%

services

57% (1980 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Public debt

67% of GDP (2013 est.)

68% of GDP (2011 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$135 million (31 December 2015 est.)

$157.4 million (31 December 2014 est.)

Stock of broad money

$521.7 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$475.9 million (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$422 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$414.5 million (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$157.9 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$138.6 million (31 December 2013 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

25.4% of GDP (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate

18.8% (2008 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

268,900 Mt (2012 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2015 est.)

Electricity - consumption

127.4 million kWh (2012 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

85.1% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

14.9% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

47,000 kW (2012 est.)

Electricity - production

137 million kWh (2012 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

1,500 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

1,514 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Broadcast media

St. Vincent and the Grenadines Broadcasting Corporation operates 1 TV station and 5 repeater stations that provide near total coverage to the multi-island state; multi-channel cable TV service available; a partially government-funded national radio service broadcasts on 1 station and has 2 repeater stations; about a dozen privately owned radio stations and repeater stations (2007)

Internet country code

.vc

Internet users

percent of population

72.7% (2009)

total

76,000

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 8, shortwave 0 (2008)

Telephone system

domestic

fixed-line teledensity exceeds 20 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular teledensity exceeds 125 per 100 persons

general assessment

adequate islandwide, fully automatic telephone system

international

country code - 1-784; the East Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) and Southern Caribbean fiber optic system (SCF) submarine cables carry international calls; connectivity also provided by VHF/UHF radiotelephone from Saint Vincent to Barbados; SHF radiotelephone to Grenada and Saint Lucia; access to Intelsat earth station in Martinique through Saint Lucia (2011)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

23 (2014 est.)

total subscriptions

23,900

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

112 (2014 est.)

total

115,000

Television broadcast stations

1 (plus 3 repeaters) (2004)

Airports

6 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

1

914 to 1,523 m

3

total

5

under 914 m

1 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

1 (2013)

total

1

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 64, cargo 263, carrier 14, chemical tanker 4, container 18, liquefied gas 3, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 9, refrigerated cargo 12, roll on/roll off 15, specialized tanker 1

foreign-owned

325 (Austria 1, Azerbaijan 1, Bangladesh 1, Belgium 7, Bermuda 1, Bulgaria 9, China 65, Croatia 8, Cyprus 3, Czech Republic 1, Denmark 9, Dominica 1, Egypt 2, Estonia 8, France 2, Germany 3, Greece 42, Guyana 2, Hong Kong 5, Israel 3, Italy 4, Japan 3, Kenya 2, Latvia 15, Lebanon 2, Lithuania 9, Monaco 2, Netherlands 1, Norway 13, Poland 3, Romania 1, Russia 11, Singapore 5, Slovenia 1, Sweden 10, Switzerland 7, Syria 9, Turkey 13, UAE 3, UK 6, Ukraine 12, US 18, Venezuela 1) (2010)

total

412

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Kingstown

Roadways

paved

580 km

total

829 km

unpaved

249 km (2003)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49

27,809 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

22,015 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

22,875

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

953 (2010 est.)

male

964

Military branches

no regular military forces; Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVPF) (2013)

Disputes - international

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

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; small-scale cannabis cultivation

Trafficking in persons

current situation

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; some children under 18 are pressured into providing sexual acts in exchange for money or gifts; foreign workers may experience forced labor and are particularly vulnerable when employed by small, foreign-owned companies; adults and children are vulnerable to forced labor domestically, especially in the agriculture sector

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; authorities investigated three trafficking cases in 2013 but did not report prosecuting or convicting any offenders; the government did not proactively identify any victims or refer them to care in 2013, a decline from the previous year; anti-trafficking awareness efforts in schools have increased; a national action plan awaits parliamentary approval but lacks resources for implementation (2014)