2020 Edition

Background

First colonized by the Spanish, Trinidad and Tobago came under British control in the early 19th century. The emancipation of enslaved people in 1834 disrupted the twin islands' sugar industry. Contract workers arriving from India between 1845 and 1917 augmented the labor force, which boosted sugar production as well as the cocoa industry. The discovery of oil on Trinidad in 1910 added another important export that remains the country's dominant industry. Trinidad and Tobago attained independence in 1962. The country is one of the most prosperous in the Caribbean, thanks largely to petroleum and natural gas production and processing. The government is struggling to reverse a surge in violent crime.

Area

land

5,128 sq km

total

5,128 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Delaware

Climate

tropical; rainy season (June to December)

Coastline

362 km

Elevation

highest point

El Cerro del Aripo 940 m

lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 m

mean elevation

83 m

Geographic coordinates

11 00 N, 61 00 W

Geography - note

Pitch Lake, on Trinidad's southwestern coast, is the world's largest natural reservoir of asphalt

Irrigated land

70 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total

0 km

Land use

agricultural land

10.5% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 4.9% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 4.3% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 1.4% (2023 est.)

forest

44.2% (2023 est.)

other

45.2% (2023 est.)

Location

Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200 nm or to the outer edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

outside usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms

Natural resources

petroleum, natural gas, asphalt

Population distribution

population on Trinidad is concentrated in the western half of the island, on Tobago in the southern half

Terrain

mostly plains with some hills and low mountains

Age structure

0-14 years

18.7% (male 134,508/female 129,180)

15-64 years

67.2% (male 481,606/female 465,150)

65 years and over

14.1% (2024 est.) (male 92,146/female 106,376)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

2.92 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

2.65 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

5.81 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.16 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

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

Child marriage

women married by age 15

0.7% (2022)

women married by age 18

4.2% (2022)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

42.7% (2022 est.)

Death rate

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

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

21.9 (2025 est.)

potential support ratio

4.6 (2025 est.)

total dependency ratio

49.3 (2025 est.)

youth dependency ratio

27.5 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: total

total: 98.9% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 1.1% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)

3% of GDP (2023 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

12.6% national budget (2025 est.)

Ethnic groups

East Indian 35.4%, African descent 34.2%, mixed - other 15.3%, mixed - African/East Indian 7.7%, other 1.3%, unspecified 6.2% (2011 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.8 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

7% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

10.9% of national budget (2022 est.)

Hospital bed density

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

Infant mortality rate

female

13 deaths/1,000 live births

male

17.1 deaths/1,000 live births

total

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

Languages

English (official), Trinidadian Creole English, Tobagonian Creole English, Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Trinidadian Creole French, Spanish, Chinese

Life expectancy at birth

female

78.4 years

male

74.6 years

total population

76.5 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

female

93.8% (2022 est.)

Major urban areas - population

545,000 PORT-OF-SPAIN (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

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

Median age

female

39 years

male

38 years

total

39.1 years (2025 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Trinidadian, Tobagonian

noun

Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s)

Net migration rate

-0.89 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

18.6% (2016)

Physician density

4.16 physicians/1,000 population (2021)

Population

female

701,493

male

708,677

total

1,410,170 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

0.08% (2025 est.)

Religions

Protestant 32.1% (Pentecostal/Evangelical/Full Gospel 12%, Baptist 6.9%, Anglican 5.7%, Seventh Day Adventist 4.1%, Presbyterian/Congregational 2.5%, other Protestant 0.9%), Roman Catholic 21.6%, Hindu 18.2%, Muslim 5%, Jehovah's Witness 1.5%, other 8.4%, none 2.2%, unspecified 11.1% (2011 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: total

total: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.04 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.87 male(s)/female

at birth

1.04 male(s)/female

total population

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

Total fertility rate

1.63 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.23% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

53.4% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

9 regions, 3 boroughs, 2 cities, 1 ward regions: Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo, Diego Martin, Mayaro/Rio Claro, Penal/Debe, Princes Town, Sangre Grande, San Juan/Laventille, Siparia, Tunapuna/Piarco borough: Arima, Chaguanas, Point Fortin cities: Port of Spain, San Fernando ward: Tobago

Capital

etymology

translation of the name the Spanish gave the town in 1595, Puerto de España; the name was anglicized after the British captured Trinidad in 1797

geographic coordinates

10 39 N, 61 31 W

name

Port of Spain

time difference

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

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

yes

citizenship by descent only

yes

dual citizenship recognized

yes

residency requirement for naturalization

8 years

Constitution

amendment process

proposed by Parliament; passage of amendments affecting constitutional provisions, such as human rights and freedoms or citizenship, requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the membership of both houses and assent of the president; passage of amendments, such as the powers and authorities of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government, and the procedure for amending the constitution, requires at least three-quarters majority vote by the House membership, two-thirds majority vote by the Senate membership, and assent of the president

history

previous 1962; latest 1976

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Trinidad and Tobago

conventional short form

Trinidad and Tobago

etymology

explorer Christopher COLUMBUS named the larger island "La Isla de la Trinidad" (The Island of the Trinity) in 1498, possibly because of the three mountain peaks on the island; COLUMBUS may have gotten the name Tobago, spelled "tobaco" in Spanish, from the tobacco grown and smoked locally, or from its elongated cigar shape

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Jenifer NEIDHART de ORTIZ (since January 2025)

email address and website

ptspas@state.gov https://tt.usembassy.gov/

embassy

15 Queen's Park West, Port of Spain

FAX

(868) 822-5905

mailing address

3410 Port of Spain Place, Washington DC 20521-3410

telephone

(868) 622-6371

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036-1975

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Venessa RAMHIT-RAMROOP (since 4 June 2025)

consulate(s) general

Miami, New York

email address and website

embdcinfo@foreign.gov.tt https://foreign.gov.tt/missions-consuls/tt-missions-abroad/diplomatic-missions/embassy-washington-dc-us/

FAX

[1] (202) 785-3130

telephone

[1] (202) 467-6490

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed from among members of Parliament

chief of state

President Christine KANGALOO (since 20 March 2023)

election results

2023: Christine KANGALOO elected president by the electoral college on 20 January 2023; electoral college vote  Christine KANGALOO (PNM) 48, Israel KHAN (UNC) 22 2018: Paula-Mae WEEKES (independent) elected president; ran unopposed and was elected without a vote; she was Trinidad and Tabago's first female head of state

election/appointment process

president indirectly elected by an electoral college of selected Senate and House of Representatives members for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); the president usually appoints the leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives as prime minister

expected date of next election

by February 2028

head of government

Prime Minister Kamla Susheila PERSAD-BISSESSAR (since 1 May 2025)

most recent election date

20 January 2023

Flag

description: red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper left to the lower right meaning: the colors represent the elements of earth, water, and fire; black also stands for the wealth of the land and the dedication of the people; white for the sea, the purity of the country's aspirations, and equality; red for the sun, the vitality of the land, and the people's courage and friendliness

Government type

parliamentary republic

Independence

31 August 1962 (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, CDB, CELAC, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club (associate), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court of the Judicature (consists of a chief justice for both the Court of Appeal with 12 judges and the High Court with 24 judges)

judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the president after consultation with the prime minister and the parliamentary leader of the opposition; other judges appointed by the Judicial Legal Services Commission, headed by the chief justice and 5 members with judicial experience; all judges serve for life with mandatory retirement normally at age 65

subordinate courts

Courts of Summary Criminal Jurisdiction; Petty Civil Courts; Family Court

Legal system

English common law; Supreme Court reviews legislative acts

Legislative branch

legislative structure

bicameral

legislature name

Parliament

Legislative branch - lower chamber

chamber name

House of Representatives

electoral system

plurality/majority

expected date of next election

April 2030

most recent election date

4/28/2025

number of seats

42 (all directly elected)

parties elected and seats per party

United National Congress (UNC) (26); People's National Movement (PNM) (13); Other (2)

percentage of women in chamber

23.8%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

5 years

Legislative branch - upper chamber

chamber name

Senate

expected date of next election

May 2030

most recent election date

5/23/2025

number of seats

31 (all appointed)

percentage of women in chamber

25.8%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

5 years

National anthem(s)

history

adopted 1962; song originally written as an anthem for the West Indies Federation; Trinidad and Tobago adopted it when the Federation dissolved

lyrics/music

Patrick Stanislaus CASTAGNE

title

"Forged From the Love of Liberty"

National coat of arms

designed in 1962, the coat of arms shows the scarlet ibis (national bird of Trinidad) and the cocrico (national bird of Tobago); they support a shield displaying two hummingbirds, because Trinidad is home to 18 species of the bird and is called the “Land of Hummingbirds;” three gold ships on a backdrop of national colors represent Christopher Columbus, who visited the islands; the three peaks in the lower left refer to Trinidad being named after the Holy Trinity and also represent a famous mountain; the image of a gold ship's wheel in front of a coconut palm was also used on the Great Seals of British Colonial Tobago; the gold helmet represents Queen Elizabeth II of England (ruler of the country at the time), and the national motto promotes harmony in diversity

National color(s)

red, white, black

National holiday

Independence Day, 31 August (1962)

National symbol(s)

scarlet ibis (bird of Trinidad), cocrico (bird of Tobago), chaconia flower

Political parties

People's National Movement or PNM United National Congress or UNC Tobago People’s Party or Tobago

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

chicken, fruits, coconuts, citrus fruits, maize, oranges, plantains, eggs, taro, mangoes/guavas (2023)

Budget

expenditures

$7.822 billion (2019 est.)

revenues

$5.698 billion (2019 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2022

$4.967 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

$2.948 billion (2023 est.)

Current account balance 2024

$1.117 billion (2024 est.)

Economic overview

high-income Caribbean economy; major hydrocarbon exporter; key tourism and finance sectors; high inflation and growing public debt; long foreign currency access delays; large foreign reserves and sovereign wealth fund

Exchange rates

Currency

Trinidad and Tobago dollars (TTD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

6.751 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

6.759 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

6.754 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

6.75 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

6.75 (2024 est.)

Exports

Exports 2022

$17.584 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$11.545 billion (2023 est.)

Exports 2024

$11.087 billion (2024 est.)

Exports - commodities

natural gas, alcohols, ammonia, crude petroleum, iron reductions (2023)

Exports - partners

USA 28%, China 7%, Guyana 5%, Chile 5%, Netherlands 5% (2023)

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

45.4% (2017 est.)

government consumption

16.4% (2017 est.)

household consumption

78.9% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-48.7% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

19.8% (2021 est.)

investment in inventories

0% (2021 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

0.8% (2023 est.)

industry

35% (2023 est.)

services

59.9% (2023 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$26.429 billion (2024 est.)

Imports

Imports 2022

$10.968 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$9.219 billion (2023 est.)

Imports 2024

$10.19 billion (2024 est.)

Imports - commodities

railway cargo containers, refined petroleum, cars, iron ore, excavation machinery (2023)

Imports - partners

USA 29%, Guyana 27%, China 8%, Brazil 4%, Canada 3% (2023)

Industrial production growth rate

-4.7% (2023 est.)

Industries

petroleum and petroleum products, liquefied natural gas, methanol, ammonia, urea, steel products, beverages, food processing, cement, cotton textiles

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

5.8% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

4.6% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

0.5% (2024 est.)

Labor force

649,900 (2024 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

37% of GDP (2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$42.058 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$42.658 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$43.362 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2022

1.1% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

1.4% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2024

1.7% (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2022

$30,800 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$31,200 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$31,700 (2024 est.)

Remittances

Remittances 2022

0.7% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

0.8% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances 2024

0.8% of GDP (2024 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$6.832 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$6.256 billion (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024

$5.601 billion (2024 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

16.7% (of GDP) (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2022

4.4% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

4.3% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

4.6% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

12% (2024 est.)

male

10.3% (2024 est.)

total

11.1% (2024 est.)

Coal

consumption

6 metric tons (2022 est.)

imports

2,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

consumption

9.001 billion kWh (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity

2.139 million kW (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

492 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels

99.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar

0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

15.316 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

exports

10.737 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

production

25.994 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

proven reserves

298.063 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil estimated reserves

242.982 million barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

26,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

total petroleum production

72,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

27 (2023 est.)

total

404,000 (2023 est.)

Broadcast media

6 free-to-air TV networks, 2 of which are state-owned; 24 subscription providers (cable and satellite); over 36 radio frequencies (2019)

Internet country code

.tt

Internet users

percent of population

85% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

21 (2023 est.)

total subscriptions

311,000 (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

119 (2024 est.)

total subscriptions

1.79 million (2024 est.)

Airports

3 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

9Y

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 1, other 101

total

102 (2023)

Ports

key ports

Galeota Point Terminal, Point Lisas Industrial Port, Point Lisas Port, Pointe-a-Pierre, Port of Spain

large

0

medium

1

ports with oil terminals

8

small

4

total ports

10 (2024)

very small

5

Military - note

the primary responsibilities of the Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force (TTDF) are conducting border and maritime security, assisting civil authorities in times of crisis or disaster, providing search and rescue services, securing ports, and supporting civil law enforcement, particularly in countering gang-related crime and trafficking of narcotics and other illicit goods; the Police Service maintains internal security (2025)

Military and security forces

Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force (TTDF): Trinidad and Tobago Regiment (Army/Land Forces), Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard, Trinidad and Tobago Air Guard, Defense Force Reserves (2026)

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 5,000 Defense Forces (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the TTDF's ground force inventory consists of light weapons, while the Coast Guard and Air Guard field mostly secondhand equipment from several countries, including Australia, China, Italy, the Netherlands, and the US (2025)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2020

1% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

1% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

1% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

1% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military Expenditures 2024

0.9% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military service age and obligation

generally 18-24 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (2025)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees

24,134 (2024 est.)

Terrorist group(s)

Tren de Aragua (TdA)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

6,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from consumed natural gas

29.989 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

3.634 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total emissions

33.629 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

water pollution from agricultural chemicals, industrial wastes, and raw sewage; widespread pollution of waterways and coastal areas; illegal dumping; deforestation; soil erosion; fisheries and wildlife depletion

International environmental agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Methane emissions

agriculture

4.1 kt (2019-2021 est.)

energy

160.3 kt (2022-2024 est.)

other

6 kt (2019-2021 est.)

waste

59.1 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

10.4 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

3.84 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

16.7 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial

128.9 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

municipal

237.6 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

727,900 tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

16.2% (2022 est.)