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Communications

Broadcast media [time series]

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 [time series]

.vc

Internet users [time series]

total: 76,000 | percent of population: 72.7% (2009) | country comparison to the world: 177

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 1, FM 8, shortwave 0 (2008)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

general assessment: adequate islandwide, fully automatic telephone system | domestic: fixed-line teledensity exceeds 20 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular teledensity exceeds 125 per 100 persons | 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 [time series]

total subscriptions: 23,900 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 23 (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 175

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

total: 115,000 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 112 (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 188

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

1 (plus 3 repeaters) (2004)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

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

Budget [time series]

revenues: $185.2 million | expenditures: $185.2 million (2014 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) [time series]

0% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 44

Central bank discount rate [time series]

6.5% (31 December 2010) | 6.5% (31 December 2009) | country comparison to the world: 54

Commercial bank prime lending rate [time series]

9% (31 December 2014 est.) | 9.44% (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 97

Current account balance [time series]

-$216 million (2014 est.) | -$223 million (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 92

Debt - external [time series]

$282.7 million (31 December 2014 est.) | $292.7 million (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 187

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

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 [time series]

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 [time series]

$48.2 million (2014 est.) | $53.4 million (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 202

Exports - commodities [time series]

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

Exports - partners [time series]

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 [time series]

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate) [time series]

$729 million (2014 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP (purchasing power parity)) [time series]

$1.174 billion (2014 est.) | $1.177 billion (2013 est.) | $1.15 billion (2012 est.) | note: data are in 2014 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 202

GDP - composition, by end use [time series]

GDP - composition, by sector of origin [time series]

agriculture: 7.5% | industry: 17.9% | services: 74.6% (2014 est.)

Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita (PPP)) [time series]

$10,700 (2014 est.) | $10,700 (2013 est.) | $10,500 (2012 est.) | note: data are in 2014 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 133

Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]

-0.2% (2014 est.) | 2.3% (2013 est.) | 1.3% (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 201

Gross national saving [time series]

-2.1% of GDP (2014 est.) | -6.2% of GDP (2013 est.) | -3.5% of GDP (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 177

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: NA% | highest 10%: NA%

Imports [time series]

$313.6 million (2014 est.) | $333.5 million (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 198

Imports - commodities [time series]

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

Imports - partners [time series]

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

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

2% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 108

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

0.2% (2014 est.) | 0.8% (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 28

Labor force [time series]

57,520 (2007 est.) | country comparison to the world: 189

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

agriculture: 26% | industry: 17% | services: 57% (1980 est.)

Population below poverty line [time series]

NA%

Public debt [time series]

67% of GDP (2013 est.) | 68% of GDP (2011 est.) | country comparison to the world: 46

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold [time series]

$135 million (31 December 2015 est.) | $157.4 million (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 164

Stock of broad money [time series]

$521.7 million (31 December 2014 est.) | $475.9 million (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 181

Stock of domestic credit [time series]

$422 million (31 December 2014 est.) | $414.5 million (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 172

Stock of narrow money [time series]

$157.9 million (31 December 2014 est.) | $138.6 million (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 184

Taxes and other revenues [time series]

25.4% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 118

Unemployment rate [time series]

18.8% (2008 est.) | country comparison to the world: 164

Energy

Carbon dioxide emissions (Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy) [time series]

268,900 Mt (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 192

Crude oil - exports [time series]

0 bbl/day (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 205

Crude oil - imports [time series]

0 bbl/day (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 142

Crude oil - production [time series]

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 205

Crude oil - proved reserves [time series]

0 bbl (1 January 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 205

Electricity - consumption [time series]

127.4 million kWh (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 197

Electricity - exports [time series]

0 kWh (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 211

Electricity - from fossil fuels [time series]

85.1% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 87

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants [time series]

14.9% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 103

Electricity - from nuclear fuels [time series]

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 202

Electricity - from other renewable sources [time series]

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 139

Electricity - imports [time series]

0 kWh (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 214

Electricity - installed generating capacity [time series]

47,000 kW (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 189

Electricity - production [time series]

137 million kWh (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 196

Natural gas - consumption [time series]

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 206

Natural gas - exports [time series]

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 203

Natural gas - imports [time series]

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 150

Natural gas - production [time series]

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 143

Natural gas - proved reserves [time series]

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 203

Refined petroleum products - consumption [time series]

1,500 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 193

Refined petroleum products - exports [time series]

0 bbl/day (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 142

Refined petroleum products - imports [time series]

1,514 bbl/day (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 188

Refined petroleum products - production [time series]

0 bbl/day (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 143

Geography

Area [time series]

total: 389 sq km (Saint Vincent 344 sq km) | land: 389 sq km | water: 0 sq km | country comparison to the world: 204

Area - comparative [time series]

twice the size of Washington, DC

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

84 km

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m | highest point: La Soufriere 1,234 m

Environment - current issues [time series]

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

International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]

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

Total water withdrawal (Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)) [time series]

total: 0.01 cu km/yr | per capita: 92.59 cu m/yr (1995)

Geographic coordinates [time series]

13 15 N, 61 12 W

Geography - note [time series]

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 [time series]

10 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries [time series]

0 km

Land use [time series]

agricultural land: 25.6% | arable land 12.8%; permanent crops 7.7%; permanent pasture 5.1% | forest: 68.7% | other: 5.7% (2011 est.)

Location [time series]

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

Map references [time series]

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims [time series]

territorial sea: 12 nm | contiguous zone: 24 nm | exclusive economic zone: 200 nm | continental shelf: 200 nm

Natural hazards [time series]

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

Natural resources [time series]

hydropower, arable land

Terrain [time series]

volcanic, mountainous

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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

Capital [time series]

name: Kingstown | geographic coordinates: 13 08 N, 61 13 W | time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship [time series]

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 [time series]

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

Country name [time series]

conventional long form: none | conventional short form: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

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 [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador La Celia A. PRINCE (since 30 May 2008) | chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 | telephone: [1] (202) 364-6730 | FAX: [1] (202) 364-6736 | consulate(s) general: New York

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Sir Fredrick Nathaniel BALLANTYNE (since 2 September 2002) | head of government: Prime Minister Ralph E. GONSALVES (since 29 March 2001) | cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister | 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

Flag (Flag description) [time series]

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 [time series]

parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm

Independence [time series]

27 October 1979 (from the UK)

International law organization participation [time series]

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation [time series]

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 [time series]

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 [time series]

English common law

Legislative branch [time series]

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) | elections: last held on 9 December 2015 (next to be held in 2020) | election results: percent of vote by party - ULP 52.3%, NDP 47.4%, other 0.3%; seats by party - ULP 8, NDP 7

National anthem(s) (National anthem) [time series]

name: "St. Vincent! Land So Beautiful!" | lyrics/music: Phyllis Joyce MCCLEAN PUNNETT/Joel Bertram MIGUEL | note: adopted 1967

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 27 October (1979)

National symbol(s) [time series]

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

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

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 parties (Political pressure groups and leaders) [time series]

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Introduction

Background [time series]

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.

Military

Manpower available for military service [time series]

males age 16-49: 27,809 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service [time series]

males age 16-49: 22,875 | females age 16-49: 22,015 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually [time series]

male: 964 | female: 953 (2010 est.)

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

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

People and Society

Age structure [time series]

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 [time series]

13.57 births/1,000 population (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 146

Death rate [time series]

7.18 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 124

Dependency ratios [time series]

total dependency ratio: 46.8% | youth dependency ratio: 36.6% | elderly dependency ratio: 10.5% | potential support ratio: 9.5% (2015 est.)

Drinking water source [time series]

Education expenditure (Education expenditures) [time series]

5.1% of GDP (2010) | country comparison to the world: 69

Ethnic groups [time series]

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]

HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]

Health expenditure (Health expenditures) [time series]

5.2% of GDP (2013) | country comparison to the world: 136

Hospital bed density [time series]

5.2 beds/1,000 population (2012)

Infant mortality rate [time series]

total: 12.69 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 13.83 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 11.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 119

Languages [time series]

English, French patois

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 75.09 years | male: 73.11 years | female: 77.13 years (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 107

Major urban areas - population [time series]

KINGSTOWN (capital) 27,000 (2014)

Maternal mortality ratio (Maternal mortality rate) [time series]

45 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 109

Median age [time series]

total: 32.5 years | male: 32.6 years | female: 32.3 years (2015 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun: Saint Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s) | adjective: Saint Vincentian or Vincentian

Net migration rate [time series]

-9.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 213

Obesity - adult prevalence rate [time series]

24.1% (2014) | country comparison to the world: 75

Population [time series]

102,627 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 196

Population growth rate [time series]

-0.28% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 218

Religions [time series]

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

Sanitation facility access [time series]

Sex ratio [time series]

Total fertility rate [time series]

1.82 children born/woman (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 150

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) (Unemployment, youth ages 15-24) [time series]

total: 33.8% | male: 27.8% | female: 41.4% (2008 est.)

Urbanization [time series]

urban population: 50.6% of total population (2015) | rate of urbanization: 0.72% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international [time series]

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 [time series]

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

Trafficking in persons [time series]

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)

Transportation

Airports [time series]

6 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 175

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 5 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 | 914 to 1,523 m: 3 | under 914 m: 1 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]

total: 1 | 1 (2013)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 412 | 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) | country comparison to the world: 25

Ports (Ports and terminals) [time series]

major seaport(s): Kingstown

Roadways [time series]

total: 829 km | paved: 580 km | unpaved: 249 km (2003) | country comparison to the world: 188