Saint Kitts and Nevis

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 16,400 (2017 est.) | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 31 (2017 est.)

Broadcast media

the government operates a national TV network that broadcasts on 2 channels; cable subscription services provide access to local and international channels; the government operates a national radio network; a mix of government-owned and privately owned broadcasters operate roughly 15 radio stations (2007)

Internet country code

.kn

Internet users

total: 39,000 (July 2016 est.) | percent of population: 75.7% (July 2016 est.)

Telephone system

general assessment: good interisland and international connections (2016) | domestic: interisland links via ECFS; construction of enhanced wireless infrastructure launched in November 2004; fixed-line teledensity about 32 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity is roughly 140 per 100 persons (2016) | international: country code - 1-869; connected internationally by the East ECFS and Southern Caribbean Fiber submarine cables (2016)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 17,293 (2017 est.) | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 33 (2017 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 76,878 (2017 est.) | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 146 (2017 est.)

Agriculture - products

sugarcane, rice, yams, vegetables, bananas; fish

Budget

revenues: 307 million (2017 est.) | expenditures: 291.1 million (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

1.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Central bank discount rate

6.5% (31 December 2009) | 6.5% (31 December 2008)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

9.09% (31 December 2017 est.) | 9.23% (31 December 2016 est.)

Current account balance

-$97 million (2017 est.) | -$102 million (2016 est.)

Debt - external

$201.8 million (31 December 2017 est.) | $187.9 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Economy - overview

The economy of Saint Kitts and Nevis depends on tourism; since the 1970s, tourism has replaced sugar as the economy’s traditional mainstay. Roughly 200,000 tourists visited the islands in 2009, but reduced tourism arrivals and foreign investment led to an economic contraction in the 2009-2013 period, and the economy returned to growth only in 2014. Like other tourist destinations in the Caribbean, Saint Kitts and Nevis is vulnerable to damage from natural disasters and shifts in tourism demand. Following the 2005 harvest, the government closed the sugar industry after several decades of losses. To compensate for lost jobs, the government has embarked on a program to diversify the agricultural sector and to stimulate other sectors of the economy, such as export-oriented manufacturing and offshore banking. The government has made notable progress in reducing its public debt, from 154% of GDP in 2011 to 83% in 2013, although it still faces one of the highest levels in the world, largely attributable to public enterprise losses. Saint Kitts and Nevis is among other countries in the Caribbean that supplement their economic activity through economic citizenship programs, whereby foreigners can obtain citizenship from Saint Kitts and Nevis by investing there.

Exchange rates

East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - | 2.7 (2017 est.) | 2.7 (2016 est.) | 2.7 (2015 est.) | 2.7 (2014 est.) | 2.7 (2013 est.)

Exports

$57.4 million (2017 est.) | $53.9 million (2016 est.)

Exports - commodities

machinery, food, electronics, beverages, tobacco

Exports - partners

US 49.6%, Poland 15.2%, Turkey 11.6% (2016)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$964 million (2017 est.) (2017 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$1.55 billion (2017 est.) | $1.518 billion (2016 est.) | $1.476 billion (2015 est.) | note: data are in 2017 dollars

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 41.4% (2017 est.) | government consumption: 25.9% (2017 est.) | investment in fixed capital: 30.8% (2017 est.) | investment in inventories: 0% (2017 est.) | exports of goods and services: 62.5% (2017 est.) | imports of goods and services: -60.4% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 1.1% (2017 est.) | industry: 30% (2017 est.) | services: 68.9% (2017 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$28,200 (2017 est.) | $27,600 (2016 est.) | $27,300 (2015 est.) | note: data are in 2017 dollars

GDP - real growth rate

2.1% (2017 est.) | 2.9% (2016 est.) | 2.7% (2015 est.)

Gross national saving

19.9% of GDP (2017 est.) | 19.3% of GDP (2016 est.) | 15.4% of GDP (2015 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA | highest 10%: NA

Imports

$335.3 million (2017 est.) | $307.9 million (2016 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery, manufactures, food, fuels

Imports - partners

US 56.8%, Trinidad and Tobago 6.8%, Cyprus 6.2%, Japan 4% (2016)

Industrial production growth rate

5% (2017 est.)

Industries

tourism, cotton, salt, copra, clothing, footwear, beverages

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

0% (2017 est.) | -0.3% (2016 est.)

Labor force

18,170 (June 1995 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$598.4 million (31 December 2011) | $623.9 million (2010 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA

Public debt

62.9% of GDP (2017 est.) | 61.5% of GDP (2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$365.1 million (31 December 2017 est.) | $320.5 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of broad money

$196.1 million (31 December 2017 est.) | $210.1 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$721.5 million (31 December 2017 est.) | $704.8 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$196.1 million (31 December 2017 est.) | $210.1 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

31.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

4.5% (1997)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

248,100 Mt (2017 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity - consumption

193.4 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

94% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

6% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

64,200 kW (2016 est.)

Electricity - production

208 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity access

population without electricity: 5,232 (2012) | electrification - total population: 91% (2012) | electrification - urban areas: 100% (2012) | electrification - rural areas: 80% (2012)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

1,700 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

1,743 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Area

total: 261 sq km (Saint Kitts 168 sq km; Nevis 93 sq km) | land: 261 sq km | water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

1.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

tropical, tempered by constant sea breezes; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)

Coastline

135 km

Elevation

0 m lowest point: Caribbean Sea | 1156 highest point: Mount Liamuiga

Environment - current issues

deforestation; soil erosion and silting affects marine life on coral reefs; water pollution from uncontrolled dumping of sewage

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling | signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

17 20 N, 62 45 W

Geography - note

smallest country in the Americas and Western Hemisphere; with coastlines in the shape of a baseball bat and ball, the two volcanic islands are separated by a 3-km-wide channel called The Narrows; on the southern tip of long, baseball bat-shaped Saint Kitts lies the Great Salt Pond; Nevis Peak sits in the center of its almost circular namesake island and its ball shape complements that of its sister island

Irrigated land

8 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

agricultural land: 23.1% (2011 est.) | arable land: 19.2% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 0.4% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 3.5% (2011 est.) | forest: 42.3% (2011 est.) | other: 34.6% (2011 est.)

Location

Caribbean, islands in the Caribbean Sea, about one-third of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm | exclusive economic zone: 200 nm | contiguous zone: 24 nm | continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Natural hazards

hurricanes (July to October) volcanism: Mount Liamuiga (1,156 m) on Saint Kitts, and Nevis Peak (985 m) on Nevis, are both volcanoes that are part of the volcanic island arc of the Lesser Antilles, which extends from Saba in the north to Grenada in the south

Natural resources

arable land

Population distribution

population clusters are found in the small towns located on the periphery of both islands

Terrain

volcanic with mountainous interiors

Administrative divisions

14 parishes; Christ Church Nichola Town, Saint Anne Sandy Point, Saint George Basseterre, Saint George Gingerland, Saint James Windward, Saint John Capesterre, Saint John Figtree, Saint Mary Cayon, Saint Paul Capesterre, Saint Paul Charlestown, Saint Peter Basseterre, Saint Thomas Lowland, Saint Thomas Middle Island, Trinity Palmetto Point

Capital

name: Basseterre | geographic coordinates: 17 18 N, 62 43 W | 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: 14 years

Constitution

history: several previous (preindependence); latest presented 22 June 1983, effective 23 June 1983 (2018) | amendments: proposed by the National Assembly; passage requires approval by at least two-thirds majority of the total Assembly membership and assent to by the governor general; amendments to constitutional provisions such as the sovereignty of the federation, fundamental rights and freedoms, the judiciary, and the Nevis Island Assembly also require approval in a referendum by at least two-thirds of the votes cast in Saint Kitts and in Nevis (2018)

Country name

conventional long form: Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis | conventional short form: Saint Kitts and Nevis | former: Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis | etymology: Saint Kitts was, and still is, referred to as Saint Christopher and this name was well established by the 17th century (although who first applied the name is unclear); in the 17th century a common nickname for Christopher was Kit or Kitt, so the island began to be referred to as "Saint Kitt's Island" or just "Saint Kitts"; Nevis is derived from the original Spanish name "Nuestra Senora de las Nieves" (Our Lady of the Snows) and refers to the white halo of clouds that generally wreathes Nevis Peak | note: Nevis is pronounced neevis

Diplomatic representation from the US

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Thelma Patricia PHILLIP-BROWNE (since 28 January 2016) | chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 | telephone: [1] (202) 686-2636 | FAX: [1] (202) 686-5740 | consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Samuel W.T. SEATON (since 2 September 2015); note - SEATON was acting Governor General from 20 May to 2 September 2015 | head of government: Prime Minister Timothy HARRIS (since 18 February 2015); Deputy Prime Minister Shawn RICHARDS (since 22 February 2015) | cabinet: Cabinet appointed by governor general in consultation with 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 description

divided diagonally from the lower hoist side by a broad black band bearing two white, five-pointed stars; the black band is edged in yellow; the upper triangle is green, the lower triangle is red; green signifies the island's fertility, red symbolizes the struggles of the people from slavery, yellow denotes year-round sunshine, and black represents the African heritage of the people; the white stars stand for the islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis, but can also express hope and liberty, or independence and optimism

Government type

federal parliamentary democracy (National Assembly) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

Independence

19 September 1983 (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, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, MIGA, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest courts: 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, traveling to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts; High Court judges reside in the member states, with 2 assigned to Saint Kitts and Nevis; note - the ECSC in 2003 replaced the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) as the final court of appeal on Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Kitts and Nevis is also 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: magistrates' courts

Legal system

English common law

Legislative branch

description: unicameral National Assembly (14 seats; 11 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 3 appointed by the governor general; members serve 5-year terms) | elections: last held on 16 February 2015 (next to be held by 2020) | election results: percent of vote by party - SKNLP 39.3%, PAM 27.9% CCM 13.0% NRP 10.8%, PLP 9.0%; seats by party - PAM 4, SKNLP 3, CCM 2, NRP 1, PLP 1

National anthem

name: Oh Land of Beauty! | lyrics/music: Kenrick Anderson GEORGES | note: adopted 1983

National holiday

Independence Day, 19 September (1983)

National symbol(s)

brown pelican, royal poinciana (flamboyant) tree; national colors: green, yellow, red, black, white

Political parties and leaders

Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Mark BRANTLEY] Nevis Reformation Party or NRP [Joseph PARRY] People's Action Movement or PAM [Shawn RICHARDS] People's Labour Party or PLP [Dr. Timothy HARRIS] Saint Kitts and Nevis Labor Party or SKNLP [Dr. Denzil DOUGLAS]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

Carib Indians occupied the islands of the West Indies for hundreds of years before the British began settlement in 1623. In 1967, the island territory of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla became an associated state of the UK with full internal autonomy. The island of Anguilla rebelled and was allowed to secede in 1971. The remaining islands achieved independence in 1983 as Saint Kitts and Nevis. In 1998, a referendum on Nevis to separate from Saint Kitts fell short of the two-thirds majority vote needed. Nevis continues in its efforts to separate from Saint Kitts. | ST. KITTS AND NEVIS SUMMARY: PDF

Military branches

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Security, Labour, Immigration, and Social Security: Royal Saint Kitts and Nevis Defense Force (includes Coast Guard), Royal Saint Kitts and Nevis Police Force (2013)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)

Age structure

0-14 years: 20.09% (male 5,354 /female 5,311) | 15-24 years: 14.28% (male 3,645 /female 3,936) | 25-54 years: 44.25% (male 12,059 /female 11,437) | 55-64 years: 12.35% (male 3,274 /female 3,283) | 65 years and over: 9.03% (male 2,236 /female 2,559) (2018 est.) | population pyramid: The World Factbook Field Image Modal × Central America :: Saint Kitts and Nevis Print Image Description This is the population pyramid for Saint Kitts and Nevis. A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends. For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page under the References tab.

Birth rate

13 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Death rate

7.2 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 98.3% of population | rural: 98.3% of population | total: 98.3% of population | unimproved: urban: 1.7% of population | rural: 1.7% of population | total: 1.7% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

2.8% of GDP (2015)

Ethnic groups

African origin 92.5%, mixed 3%, white 2.1%, East Indian 1.5%, other .6%, unspecified .3% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Health expenditures

5.1% of GDP (2014)

Hospital bed density

4.8 beds/1,000 population (2012)

Infant mortality rate

total: 8.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.) | male: 5.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.) | female: 10.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

English (official)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 76.2 years (2018 est.) | male: 73.7 years (2018 est.) | female: 78.7 years (2018 est.)

Major urban areas - population

14,000 BASSETERRE (capital) (2018)

Median age

total: 35.5 years | male: 35.7 years | female: 35.3 years (2018 est.)

Nationality

noun: Kittitian(s), Nevisian(s) | adjective: Kittitian, Nevisian

Net migration rate

1.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

22.9% (2016)

Population

53,094 (July 2018 est.)

Population distribution

population clusters are found in the small towns located on the periphery of both islands

Population growth rate

0.7% (2018 est.)

Religions

Protestant 74.4% (includes Anglican 20.6%, Methodist 19.1%, Pentecostal 8.2%, Church of God 6.8%, Moravian 5.5%, Baptist 4.8%, Seventh Day Adventist 4.7%, Evangelical 2.6%, Bretheren 1.8%, other .3%), Roman Catholic 6.7%, Rastafarian 1.7%, Jehovah's Witness 1.3%, other 7.6%, none 5.2%, unspecified 3.2% (2001 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 87.3% of population (2007 est.) | rural: 87.3% of population (2007 est.) | total: 87.3% of population (2007 est.) | unimproved: urban: 12.7% of population (2007 est.) | rural: 12.7% of population (2007 est.) | total: 12.7% of population (2007 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 14 years (2015) | male: 13 years (2015) | female: 16 years (2015)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | 0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | 15-24 years: 0.94 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | 25-54 years: 1.05 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | 55-64 years: 1 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | 65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | total population: 1 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.77 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 30.8% of total population (2018) | rate of urbanization: 0.92% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Disputes - international

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

transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; some money-laundering activity

Airports

2 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 2 (2017) | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2017) | 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2017)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

V4 (2016)

Merchant marine

total: 274 (2017) | by type: bulk carrier 6, container ship 5, general cargo 58, oil tanker 60, other 145 (2017)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Basseterre, Charlestown

Railways

total: 50 km (2008) | narrow gauge: 50 km 0.762-m gauge on Saint Kitts for tourists (2008)

Roadways

total: 383 km (2002) | paved: 163 km (2002) | unpaved: 220 km (2002)