ARCHIVE // LC // 2017

Saint Lucia

2017 Edition — sovereign

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Communications
Broadcast media [time series]
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 (2007)
Internet country code [time series]
.lc
Internet users [time series]
total: 86,000 | percent of population: 52.4% (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 166
Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]
general assessment: an adequate system that is automatically switched | domestic: fixed-line teledensity is 20 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular teledensity is roughly 105 per 100 persons | international: country code - 1-758; the East Caribbean Fiber System and Southern Caribbean Fiber submarine cables, along with Intelsat from Martinique, carry calls internationally; direct microwave radio relay link with Martinique and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; tropospheric scatter to Barbados (2016)
Telephones - fixed lines [time series]
total subscriptions: 35,003 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 21 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 171
Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]
total: 176,648 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 107 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 181
Economy
Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]
bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus, root crops, cocoa
Budget [time series]
revenues: $390.6 million | expenditures: $418.2 million (2016 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) [time series]
-2% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 90
Central bank discount rate [time series]
6.5% (31 December 2010) | 6.5% (31 December 2009) | country comparison to the world: 62
Commercial bank prime lending rate [time series]
8.5% (31 December 2016 est.) | 8.86% (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 97
Current account balance [time series]
$-31 million (2016 est.) | $-30.4 million (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 61
Debt - external [time series]
$523.2 million (31 December 2016 est.) | $529 million (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 177
Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]
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 [time series]
East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - | 2.7 (2016 est.) | 2.7 (2015 est.) | 2.7 (2014 est.) | 2.7 (2013 est.) | 2.7 (2012 est.))
Exports [time series]
$188.2 million (2016 est.) | $193.2 million (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 187
Exports - commodities [time series]
bananas 41%, clothing, cocoa, avocados, mangoes, coconut oil (2010 est.)
Exports - partners [time series]
US 48.8%, Trinidad and Tobago 14.1%, UK 11.2%, Maldives 4.7% (2016)
Fiscal year [time series]
1 April - 31 March
GDP (official exchange rate) [time series]
$1.675 billion (2016 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP (purchasing power parity)) [time series]
$2.306 billion (2016 est.) | $2.254 billion (2015 est.) | $2.187 billion (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 194
GDP - composition, by end use [time series]
household consumption: 71.8% | government consumption: 14.7% | investment in fixed capital: 18% | investment in inventories: 0.1% | exports of goods and services: 38.7% | imports of goods and services: -43.2% (2015 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin [time series]
agriculture: 2.9% | industry: 13.9% | services: 83.2% (2016 est.)
Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita (PPP)) [time series]
$13,300 (2016 est.) | $13,200 (2015 est.) | $13,000 (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 128
Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]
1% (2016 est.) | 2% (2015 est.) | -0.9% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 179
Gross national saving [time series]
21.3% of GDP (2016 est.) | 29% of GDP (2015 est.) | 25% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 137
Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]
lowest 10%: NA% | highest 10%: NA%
Imports [time series]
$404.1 million (2016 est.) | $421.7 million (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 195
Imports - commodities [time series]
food, manufactured goods, machinery and transportation equipment, chemicals, fuels
Imports - partners [time series]
US 39.8%, Trinidad and Tobago 18%, UK 6.7%, Japan 4% (2016)
Industrial production growth rate [time series]
4% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 60
Industries [time series]
tourism; clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated cardboard boxes, lime processing, coconut processing
Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]
-3.1% (2016 est.) | -1% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 2
Labor force [time series]
79,700 (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 184
Labor force - by occupation [time series]
agriculture: 21.7% | industry: 24.7% | services: 53.6% (2002 est.)
Population below poverty line [time series]
NA%
Public debt [time series]
82.9% of GDP (2016 est.) | 77.8% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 33
Stock of broad money [time series]
$1.157 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $1.131 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 171
Stock of domestic credit [time series]
$1.332 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $1.399 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 161
Stock of narrow money [time series]
$318.4 million (31 December 2016 est.) | $284.8 million (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 177
Taxes and other revenues [time series]
28.2% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 94
Unemployment rate [time series]
20% (2003 est.) | country comparison to the world: 185
Energy
Carbon dioxide emissions (Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy) [time series]
400,000 Mt (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 188
Crude oil - exports [time series]
0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 193
Crude oil - imports [time series]
0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 191
Crude oil - production [time series]
0 bbl/day (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 196
Crude oil - proved reserves [time series]
0 bbl (1 January 2017 es) | country comparison to the world: 195
Electricity - consumption [time series]
332.9 million kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 178
Electricity - exports [time series]
0 kWh (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 199
Electricity - from fossil fuels [time series]
98.9% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 33
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants [time series]
0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 205
Electricity - from nuclear fuels [time series]
0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 184
Electricity - from other renewable sources [time series]
1.1% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 136
Electricity - imports [time series]
0 kWh (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 203
Electricity - installed generating capacity [time series]
89,000 kW (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 179
Electricity - production [time series]
358 million kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 174
Electricity access [time series]
population without electricity: 16,446 | electrification - total population: 91% | electrification - urban areas: 100% | electrification - rural areas: 80% (2012)
Natural gas - consumption [time series]
0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 132
Natural gas - exports [time series]
0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 184
Natural gas - imports [time series]
0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 189
Natural gas - production [time series]
0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 196
Natural gas - proved reserves [time series]
0 cu m (1 January 2014 es) | country comparison to the world: 196
Refined petroleum products - consumption [time series]
3,100 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 186
Refined petroleum products - exports [time series]
0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 199
Refined petroleum products - imports [time series]
3,058 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 178
Refined petroleum products - production [time series]
0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 199
Geography
Area [time series]
total: 616 sq km | land: 606 sq km | water: 10 sq km | country comparison to the world: 193
Area - comparative [time series]
three and a half times the size of Washington, DC
Climate [time series]
tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season January to April, rainy season May to August
Coastline [time series]
158 km
Elevation [time series]
mean elevation: NA | elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m | highest point: Mount Gimie 948 m
Environment - current issues [time series]
deforestation; soil erosion, particularly in the northern region
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, Wetlands, Whaling | signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geographic coordinates [time series]
13 53 N, 60 58 W
Geography - note [time series]
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 [time series]
30 sq km (2012)
Land boundaries [time series]
0 km
Land use [time series]
agricultural land: 17.4% | arable land 4.9%; permanent crops 11.5%; permanent pasture 1% | forest: 77% | other: 5.6% (2011 est.)
Location [time series]
Caribbean, island 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 or to the edge of the continental margin
Natural hazards [time series]
hurricanes | volcanism: 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 [time series]
forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal potential
Population distribution (Population - distribution) [time series]
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 [time series]
volcanic and mountainous with broad, fertile valleys
Government
Administrative divisions [time series]
10 districts; Anse-la-Raye, Canaries, Castries, Choiseul, Dennery, Gros-Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Soufriere, Vieux-Fort
Capital [time series]
name: Castries | geographic coordinates: 14 00 N, 61 00 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 Lucia | dual citizenship recognized: yes | residency requirement for naturalization: 8 years
Constitution [time series]
previous 1958, 1960 (preindependence); latest presented 20 December 1978, effective 22 February 1979; note - in mid-2015, an amendment was proposed to replace the London-based Privy Council with the Caribbean Court of Justice as the country's highest appellate court (2016)
Country name [time series]
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
Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]
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 [time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador Anton Edsel EDMUNDS (since 8 September 2017) | chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 | telephone: [1] (202) 364-6792 through 6795 | FAX: [1] (202) 364-6723 | consulate(s) general: New York
Executive branch [time series]
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Dame Pearlette LOUISY (since September 1997) | head of government: Prime Minister Allen CHASTANET (since 7 June 2016) | 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 or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by governor general
Flag (Flag description) [time series]
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 [time series]
parliamentary democracy (Parliament) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
Independence [time series]
22 February 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, 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 [time series]
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, travelling to member states on a schedule to hears appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts; High Court judges reside at 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 [time series]
English common law
Legislative branch [time series]
description: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (11 seats; 6 members appointed 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) and the House of Assembly (17 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms) | elections: House of Assembly - last held on 6 June 2016 (next to be held in 2021) | election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - UWP 54.8%, SLP 44.1%, other 1.1%; seats by party - UWP 11, SLP 6
National anthem(s) (National anthem) [time series]
name: "Sons and Daughters of St. Lucia" | lyrics/music: Charles JESSE/Leton Felix THOMAS | note: adopted 1967
National holiday [time series]
Independence Day, 22 February (1979)
National symbol(s) [time series]
twin pitons (volcanic peaks), Saint Lucia parrot; national colors: cerulean blue, gold, black, white
Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]
Lucian People's Movement or LPM [Therold PRUDENT] | Saint Lucia Labor Party or SLP [Philip J. PIERRE] | United Workers Party or UWP [Allen CHASTANET]
Political parties (Political pressure groups and leaders) [time series]
NA
Suffrage [time series]
18 years of age; universal
Introduction
Background [time series]
The island, with its fine natural harbor at Castries, 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. Even after the abolition of slavery on its plantations in 1834, Saint Lucia remained an agricultural island, dedicated to producing tropical commodity crops. Self-government was granted in 1967 and independence in 1979.
Military and Security
Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]
no regular military forces; Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (includes Special Service Unit, Marine Unit) (2012)
Military service age and obligation [time series]
18 years of age for voluntary security service; no national army (2012)
People and Society
Age structure [time series]
0-14 years: 20.02% (male 17,006/female 16,027) | 15-24 years: 15.37% (male 12,870/female 12,492) | 25-54 years: 42.97% (male 34,117/female 36,779) | 55-64 years: 9.99% (male 7,608/female 8,881) | 65 years and over: 11.65% (male 8,704/female 10,510) (2017 est.)
Birth rate [time series]
13.3 births/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 144
Children under the age of 5 years underweight [time series]
2.8% (2012) | country comparison to the world: 116
Contraceptive prevalence rate [time series]
55.5% (2011/12)
Death rate [time series]
7.7 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 103
Dependency ratios [time series]
total dependency ratio: 41.1 | youth dependency ratio: 27.9 | elderly dependency ratio: 13.3 | potential support ratio: 7.5 (2015 est.)
Drinking water source [time series]
urban: 99.5% of population | rural: 95.6% of population | total: 96.3% of population | urban: 0.5% of population | rural: 4.4% of population | total: 3.7% of population (2015 est.)
Education expenditure (Education expenditures) [time series]
4.8% of GDP (2015) | country comparison to the world: 107
Ethnic groups [time series]
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 [time series]
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]
NA
Health expenditure (Health expenditures) [time series]
6.7% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 87
Hospital bed density [time series]
1.6 beds/1,000 population (2011)
Infant mortality rate [time series]
total: 10.9 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 10.4 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 11.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 129
Languages [time series]
English (official), French patois
Life expectancy at birth [time series]
total population: 77.9 years | male: 75.2 years | female: 80.8 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 66
Major infectious diseases [time series]
note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus (2016)
Major urban areas - population [time series]
CASTRIES (capital) 22,000 (2014)
Maternal mortality ratio (Maternal mortality rate) [time series]
48 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 97
Median age [time series]
total: 34.8 years | male: 33.7 years | female: 36 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 84
Nationality [time series]
noun: Saint Lucian(s) | adjective: Saint Lucian
Net migration rate [time series]
-2.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 171
Obesity - adult prevalence rate [time series]
19.7% (2016) | country comparison to the world: 110
Physician density (Physicians density) [time series]
0.1 physicians/1,000 population (2009)
Population [time series]
164,994 (July 2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 187
Population distribution [time series]
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 [time series]
0.32% (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 170
Religions [time series]
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 [time series]
urban: 84.7% of population | rural: 91.9% of population | total: 90.5% of population | urban: 15.3% of population | rural: 8.1% of population | total: 9.5% of population (2015 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) [time series]
total: 13 years | male: 12 years | female: 13 years (2007)
Sex ratio [time series]
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female | 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 | total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2016 est.)
Total fertility rate [time series]
1.75 children born/woman (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 161
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) (Unemployment, youth ages 15-24) [time series]
total: 27.5% | male: 21.5% | female: 35.2% (2007 est.) | country comparison to the world: 12
Urbanization [time series]
urban population: 18.6% of total population (2017) | rate of urbanization: 1.01% annual rate of change (2015-20 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 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 [time series]
transit point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe
Transportation
Airports [time series]
2 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 204
Airports - with paved runways [time series]
total: 2 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2017)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix [time series]
J6 (2016)
Ports (Ports and terminals) [time series]
major seaport(s): Castries, Cul-de-Sac, Vieux-Fort
Roadways [time series]
total: 1,210 km | paved: 847 km | unpaved: 363 km (2011) | country comparison to the world: 182