Seychelles

total: 39,000 (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 31 (2023 est.)

state-run national broadcaster Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) has the only terrestrial TV station, which also airs broadcasts from international services; privately owned Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) channel; multi-channel cable and satellite TV available through 2 providers; SBC operates 1 AM and 1 FM radio station; 2 privately operated radio stations; transmissions of 2 international broadcasters available in Victoria (2019)

.sc

percent of population: 87% (2023 est.)

total subscriptions: 18,000 (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 14 (2023 est.)

total subscriptions: 165,000 (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 192 (2022 est.)

coconuts, vegetables, bananas, eggs, chicken, pork, fruits, tomatoes, tropical fruits, cassava (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

revenues: $695.973 million (2023 est.) expenditures: $728.171 million (2023 est.) note: central government revenues and expenditures (excluding grants and social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

-$155.194 million (2023 est.) -$141.648 million (2022 est.) -$160.168 million (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

high-income Indian Ocean island economy; rapidly growing tourism sector; major tuna exporter; offshore financial hub; environmentally fragile and investing in ocean rise mitigation; recently discovered offshore oil potential; successful anticorruption efforts

Seychelles rupees (SCR) per US dollar - 14.53 (2024 est.) 14.018 (2023 est.) 14.273 (2022 est.) 16.921 (2021 est.) 17.617 (2020 est.)

$2.375 billion (2023 est.) $2.247 billion (2022 est.) $1.751 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

fish, scrap iron, animal meal, broadcasting equipment, ships (2023) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

France 20%, Mauritius 12%, UK 9%, Japan 8%, Italy 8% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

$2.167 billion (2024 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

household consumption: 74.6% (2024 est.) government consumption: 26.3% (2024 est.) investment in fixed capital: 17.2% (2024 est.) investment in inventories: 0% (2024 est.) exports of goods and services: 85.2% (2024 est.) imports of goods and services: -103.2% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

agriculture: 2.5% (2024 est.) industry: 12.3% (2024 est.) services: 65.8% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

32.1 (2018 est.) note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

lowest 10%: 2.6% (2018 est.) highest 10%: 23.9% (2018 est.) note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

$2.437 billion (2023 est.) $2.298 billion (2022 est.) $1.821 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

refined petroleum, fish, ships, cars, plastic products (2023) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

UAE 32%, Spain 10%, France 6%, South Africa 6%, India 6% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

-6.4% (2024 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

fishing, tourism, beverages

0.3% (2024 est.) -1% (2023 est.) 2.6% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

25.3% (2018 est.) note: % of population with income below national poverty line

63.6% of GDP (2017 est.) note: central government debt as a % of GDP

$3.549 billion (2024 est.) $3.43 billion (2023 est.) $3.354 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

3.5% (2024 est.) 2.3% (2023 est.) 12.7% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

$29,200 (2024 est.) $28,600 (2023 est.) $28,000 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

0.5% of GDP (2023 est.) 0.5% of GDP (2022 est.) 0.6% of GDP (2021 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

$773.678 million (2024 est.) $682.794 million (2023 est.) $638.961 million (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

26.18% (of GDP) (2020 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

imports: 500 metric tons (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity: 156,000 kW (2023 est.) consumption: 581.227 million kWh (2023 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 44.034 million kWh (2023 est.)

electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)

fossil fuels: 86.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) solar: 12.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) wind: 1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

98.847 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption: 6,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

893,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 92 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 893,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

tropical marine; humid; cooler season during southeast monsoon (late May to September); warmer season during northwest monsoon (March to May)

limited freshwater resources; water pollution; biodiversity

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 Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

agricultural land: 3.4% (2023 est.) arable land: 0.3% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 3% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.) forest: 58.6% (2023 est.) other: 38% (2023 est.)

17.4 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

municipal: 9 million cubic meters (2022 est.) industrial: 3.8 million cubic meters (2022 est.) agricultural: 900,000 cubic meters (2022 est.)

urban population: 58.8% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.99% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually: 48,000 tons (2024 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 24.4% (2022 est.)

total : 455 sq km land: 455 sq km water: 0 sq km

2.5 times the size of Washington, D.C.

tropical marine; humid; cooler season during southeast monsoon (late May to September); warmer season during northwest monsoon (March to May)

491 km

highest point: Morne Seychellois 905 m lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m

4 35 S, 55 40 E

the smallest African country in terms of both area and population; the constitution of the Republic of Seychelles lists 155 islands, including 42 granitic and 113 coralline; the largest island by far is Mahe, which is home to about 90% of the population and is the site of the capital city of Victoria

3 sq km (2012)

total: 0 km

agricultural land: 3.4% (2023 est.) arable land: 0.3% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 3% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.) forest: 58.6% (2023 est.) other: 38% (2023 est.)

archipelago in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar

Africa

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

lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; occasional short droughts

fish, coconuts (copra), cinnamon trees

more than three quarters of the population lives on the main island of Mahe; Praslin is home to less than 10%, and a smaller percentage is on La Digue and the outer islands, as shown in this population distribution map

Mahe Group is volcanic with a narrow coastal strip and rocky, hilly interior; others are relatively flat coral atolls, or elevated reefs; sits atop the submarine Mascarene Plateau

27 administrative districts; Anse aux Pins, Anse Boileau, Anse Etoile, Anse Royale, Au Cap, Baie Lazare, Baie Sainte Anne, Beau Vallon, Bel Air, Bel Ombre, Cascade, Glacis, Grand Anse Mahe, Grand Anse Praslin, Ile Pers v rance I, Ile Pers v rance II, La Digue, La Rivi re Anglaise, Les Mamelles, Mont Buxton, Mont Fleuri, Plaisance, Pointe Larue, Port Glaud, Roche Caiman, Saint Louis, Takamaka

name: Victoria geographic coordinates: 4 37 S, 55 27 E time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: the British named the town Port Victoria in 1841 after Queen VICTORIA; the name was later shortened

citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of the Seychelles dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

history: previous 1970, 1979; latest drafted May 1993, approved by referendum 18 June 1993, effective 23 June 1993 amendment process: proposed by the National Assembly; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the National Assembly; passage of amendments affecting the country s sovereignty, symbols and languages, the supremacy of the constitution, fundamental rights and freedoms, amendment procedures, and dissolution of the Assembly also requires approval by at least 60% of voters in a referendum

conventional long form: Republic of Seychelles conventional short form: Seychelles local long form: Republic of Seychelles local short form: Seychelles etymology: named by French Captain Corneille Nicholas MORPHEY after Jean Moreau de S CHELLES, the finance minister of France, in 1756; the British changed the spelling of the name in 1815 when they acquired the islands

chief of mission: Ambassador Henry V. JARDINE (since 22 February 2023) and Charg d Affaires Adham LOUTFI (since 6 October 2023); note - Ambassador JARDINE is posted in Mauritius and is accredited to Seychelles, and Charg d Affaires LOUTFI is posted in Victoria, Mahe, Seychelles embassy: 2nd Floor, Oliaji Trade Center, Victoria Mahe, Seychelles; note - US Embassy in Seychelles reopened on 1 June 2023 after having been closed in 1996 telephone: [248] 422 5256 email address and website: USEmbassySeychelles@state.gov https://sc.usembassy.gov/

chief of mission: Ambassador Vivianne FOCK TAVE (since 16 December 2025); note - also Permanent Representative to the UN chancery: 685 Third Avenue, Suite 1107, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 972-1785 FAX: [1] (212) 972-1786 email address and website: seychellesmission@sycun.org Foreign Affairs Department Republic of Seychelles United States of America (mfa.gov.sc)

chief of state: President Patrick HERMINIE (since 26 October 2025) head of government: President Patrick HERMINIE (since 26 October 2025) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president election/appointment process: president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term) most recent election date: 9 October 2025 election results: 2025 : Patrick HERMINIE elected president; Patrick HERMINIE (US) 52.7%, Wavel RAMKALAWAN (LDS) 47.3% expected date of next election: 2030 note: the president is both chief of state and head of government

description: five expanding bands of blue, yellow, red, white, and green, radiating from the bottom left corner meaning: the bands symbolize a dynamic new country moving into the future; blue stands for the sky and sea, yellow for the sun giving light and life, red for the people's determination to work for the future in unity and love, white for social justice and harmony, and green for the land and natural environment

presidential republic

29 June 1976 (from the UK)

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

ACP, AfDB, AOSIS, AU, C, CD, COMESA, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

highest court(s): Seychelles Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and 4 justices); Supreme Court of Seychelles (consists of the chief justice and 9 puisne judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 3 Supreme Court judges) judge selection and term of office: all judges appointed by the president of the republic upon the recommendation of the Constitutional Appointments Authority, a 3-member body, with 1 member appointed by the president of the republic, 1 by the opposition leader in the National Assembly, and 1 by the other 2 appointees; judges serve until retirement at age 70 subordinate courts: Magistrates' Courts of Seychelles; Family Tribunal for issues such as domestic violence, child custody, and maintenance; Employment Tribunal for labor-related disputes

mixed system of English common law, French civil law, and customary law

legislature name: National Assembly legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 34 (all directly elected) electoral system: mixed system scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 5 years most recent election date: 9/27/2025 parties elected and seats per party: United Seychelles (US) (19); Seychelles Democratic Alliance (Linyon Demokratik Seselwa, LDS) (15) percentage of women in chamber: 26.5% expected date of next election: September 2030

title: "Koste Seselwa" (Seychellois Unite) lyrics/music: David Francois Marc ANDRE and George Charles Robert PAYET history: adopted 1996

blue, yellow, red, white, green

total World Heritage Sites: 2 (both natural) selected World Heritage Site locales: Aldabra Atoll ; Vall e de Mai Nature Reserve

Constitution Day, 18 June (1993); Independence Day (National Day), 29 June (1976)

coco de mer (sea coconut)

Seychelles Party for Social Justice and Democracy or SPSJD Seychellois Democratic Alliance or LDS (Linyon Demokratik Seselwa/Union D mocratique Seychelloise) Seychelles National Party or SNP United Seychelles or US

18 years of age; universal

Seychelles was uninhabited before Europeans discovered the islands early in the 16th century. After a lengthy struggle, France eventually ceded control of the islands to Great Britain in 1814. During colonial rule, a plantation-based economy developed that relied on imported labor, primarily from European colonies in Africa. Seychelles gained independence in 1976 through negotiations with Great Britain. In 1977, Prime Minister France-Albert RENE launched a coup against the country s first president, and Seychelles became a socialist one-party state until adopting a new constitution and holding elections in 1993. RENE continued to lead Seychelles through two election cycles until he stepped down in 2004. Vice President James Alix MICHEL took over the presidency and in 2006 was elected to a new five-year term; he was reelected in 2011 and again in 2015. In 2016, James MICHEL resigned and handed over the presidency to his vice-president, Danny FAURE. In 2020, Wavel RAMKALAWAN was elected president, the first time an opposition candidate has won the presidency.

formed in 1977, the SDF is one of the World's smallest militaries; its primary responsibility is maritime security, including countering illegal fishing, piracy, and drug smuggling; it was given police powers in 2022; the Seychelles maintains close security ties with India, which has provided support to the SDF's maritime security operations (2025)

Seychelles People's Defense Forces (SPDF; aka Seychelles Defense Forces, SDF): Army (includes infantry, special forces, and a presidential security unit), Coast Guard, and Air Force Ministry of Internal Affairs: Seychelles Police Force (2025)

approximately 500 active Defense Forces (2025)

the SDF is lightly armed; its inventory consists of obsolescent armaments delivered in the 1970s and 1980s and some more recently donated equipment from Bahrain, China, India, and UAE (2025)

1.5% of GDP (2024 est.) 1.6% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.4% of GDP (2022 est.) 1.5% of GDP (2021 est.) 1.6% of GDP (2020 est.)

18-35 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (2026)

0-14 years: 17.7% (male 8,912/female 8,439) 15-64 years: 72.4% (male 37,841/female 33,210) 65 years and over: 10% (2024 est.) (male 4,220/female 5,565)

total: 9.48 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 4.11 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 0.49 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 4.62 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 0.25 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

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

44.6% (2022 est.)

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

total dependency ratio: 38.2 (2024 est.) youth dependency ratio: 24.4 (2024 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 13.8 (2024 est.) potential support ratio: 7.3 (2024 est.)

total: 96.4% of population (2022 est.) total: 3.6% of population (2022 est.)

4.5% of GDP (2023 est.) 10.7% national budget (2025 est.)

predominantly Creole (mainly of East African and Malagasy heritage); also French, Indian, Chinese, and Arab populations

0.89 (2025 est.)

5.3% of GDP (2021) 10.2% of national budget (2022 est.)

3.2 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)

total: 10 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 12.8 deaths/1,000 live births female: 7.4 deaths/1,000 live births

Seychellois Creole (official) 89.1%, English (official) 5.1%, French (official) 0.7%, other 3.8%, unspecified 1.4% (2010 est.)

total population: 76.6 years (2024 est.) male: 72.2 years female: 81.1 years

28,000 VICTORIA (capital) (2018)

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

total: 39.2 years (2025 est.) male: 38.2 years female: 39.4 years

noun: Seychellois (singular and plural) adjective: Seychellois

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

14% (2016)

2.25 physicians/1,000 population (2019)

total: 98,187 (2024 est.) male: 50,973 female: 47,214

more than three quarters of the population lives on the main island of Mahe; Praslin is home to less than 10%, and a smaller percentage is on La Digue and the outer islands, as shown in this population distribution map

0.53% (2025 est.)

Roman Catholic 76.2%, Protestant 10.5% (Anglican 6.1%, Pentecostal Assembly 1.5%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.2%, other Protestant 1.7%), other Christian 2.4%, Hindu 2.4%, Muslim 1.6%, other non-Christian 1.1%, unspecified 4.8%, none 0.9% (2010 est.)

total: 100% of population (2022 est.) total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

total: 13 years (2023 est.) male: 13 years (2023 est.) female: 15 years (2023 est.)

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.14 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 1.08 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total: 20.5% (2025 est.) male: 34.2% (2025 est.) female: 5.2% (2025 est.)

1.8 children born/woman (2025 est.)

urban population: 58.8% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.99% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

16 (2025)

S7

6 (2025)

total: 30 (2023) by type: general cargo 6, oil tanker 6, other 18

total ports: 1 (2024) large: 0 medium: 0 small: 0 very small: 1 ports with oil terminals: 1 key ports: Victoria