Saint Lucia

Broadcast media

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

.lc

Internet users

total: 86,000 | percent of population: 52.4% (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 166

Telephone system

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

total subscriptions: 35,003 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 21 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 171

Telephones - mobile cellular

total: 176,648 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 107 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 181

Agriculture - products

bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus, root crops, cocoa

Budget

revenues: $390.6 million | expenditures: $418.2 million (2016 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-2% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 90

Central bank discount rate

6.5% (31 December 2010) | 6.5% (31 December 2009) | country comparison to the world: 62

Commercial bank prime lending rate

8.5% (31 December 2016 est.) | 8.86% (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 97

Current account balance

$-31 million (2016 est.) | $-30.4 million (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 61

Debt - external

$523.2 million (31 December 2016 est.) | $529 million (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 177

Economy - overview

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

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

$188.2 million (2016 est.) | $193.2 million (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 187

Exports - commodities

bananas 41%, clothing, cocoa, avocados, mangoes, coconut oil (2010 est.)

Exports - partners

US 48.8%, Trinidad and Tobago 14.1%, UK 11.2%, Maldives 4.7% (2016)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP (official exchange rate)

$1.675 billion (2016 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$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

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

agriculture: 2.9% | industry: 13.9% | services: 83.2% (2016 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$13,300 (2016 est.) | $13,200 (2015 est.) | $13,000 (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 128

GDP - real growth rate

1% (2016 est.) | 2% (2015 est.) | -0.9% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 179

Gross national saving

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

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

Imports

$404.1 million (2016 est.) | $421.7 million (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 195

Imports - commodities

food, manufactured goods, machinery and transportation equipment, chemicals, fuels

Imports - partners

US 39.8%, Trinidad and Tobago 18%, UK 6.7%, Japan 4% (2016)

Industrial production growth rate

4% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 60

Industries

tourism; clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated cardboard boxes, lime processing, coconut processing

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

-3.1% (2016 est.) | -1% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 2

Labor force

79,700 (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 184

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 21.7% | industry: 24.7% | services: 53.6% (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Public debt

82.9% of GDP (2016 est.) | 77.8% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 33

Stock of broad money

$1.157 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $1.131 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 171

Stock of domestic credit

$1.332 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $1.399 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 161

Stock of narrow money

$318.4 million (31 December 2016 est.) | $284.8 million (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 177

Taxes and other revenues

28.2% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 94

Unemployment rate

20% (2003 est.) | country comparison to the world: 185

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

400,000 Mt (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 188

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 193

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 191

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 196

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2017 es) | country comparison to the world: 195

Electricity - consumption

332.9 million kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 178

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 199

Electricity - from fossil fuels

98.9% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 33

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 205

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 184

Electricity - from other renewable sources

1.1% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 136

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 203

Electricity - installed generating capacity

89,000 kW (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 179

Electricity - production

358 million kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 174

Electricity access

population without electricity: 16,446 | electrification - total population: 91% | electrification - urban areas: 100% | electrification - rural areas: 80% (2012)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 132

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 184

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 189

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 196

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 es) | country comparison to the world: 196

Refined petroleum products - consumption

3,100 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 186

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 199

Refined petroleum products - imports

3,058 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 178

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 199

Area

total: 616 sq km | land: 606 sq km | water: 10 sq km | country comparison to the world: 193

Area - comparative

three and a half times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season January to April, rainy season May to August

Coastline

158 km

Elevation

mean elevation: NA | elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m | highest point: Mount Gimie 948 m

Environment - current issues

deforestation; soil erosion, particularly in the northern region

Environment - international agreements

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

13 53 N, 60 58 W

Geography - note

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

30 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

agricultural land: 17.4% | arable land 4.9%; permanent crops 11.5%; permanent pasture 1% | forest: 77% | other: 5.6% (2011 est.)

Location

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

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

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

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

forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal potential

Population - distribution

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

volcanic and mountainous with broad, fertile valleys

Administrative divisions

10 districts; Anse-la-Raye, Canaries, Castries, Choiseul, Dennery, Gros-Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Soufriere, Vieux-Fort

Capital

name: Castries | geographic coordinates: 14 00 N, 61 00 W | time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

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

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

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

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

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

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 description

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

parliamentary democracy (Parliament) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

Independence

22 February 1979 (from the UK)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

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

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

English common law

Legislative branch

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

name: "Sons and Daughters of St. Lucia" | lyrics/music: Charles JESSE/Leton Felix THOMAS | note: adopted 1967

National holiday

Independence Day, 22 February (1979)

National symbol(s)

twin pitons (volcanic peaks), Saint Lucia parrot; national colors: cerulean blue, gold, black, white

Political parties and leaders

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 pressure groups and leaders

NA

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

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 branches

no regular military forces; Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (includes Special Service Unit, Marine Unit) (2012)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary security service; no national army (2012)

Age structure

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

13.3 births/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 144

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

2.8% (2012) | country comparison to the world: 116

Contraceptive prevalence rate

55.5% (2011/12)

Death rate

7.7 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 103

Dependency ratios

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

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 expenditures

4.8% of GDP (2015) | country comparison to the world: 107

Ethnic groups

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

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Health expenditures

6.7% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 87

Hospital bed density

1.6 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Infant mortality rate

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

English (official), French patois

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 77.9 years | male: 75.2 years | female: 80.8 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 66

Major infectious diseases

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

CASTRIES (capital) 22,000 (2014)

Maternal mortality rate

48 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 97

Median age

total: 34.8 years | male: 33.7 years | female: 36 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 84

Nationality

noun: Saint Lucian(s) | adjective: Saint Lucian

Net migration rate

-2.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 171

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

19.7% (2016) | country comparison to the world: 110

Physicians density

0.1 physicians/1,000 population (2009)

Population

164,994 (July 2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 187

Population distribution

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

0.32% (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 170

Religions

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

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)

total: 13 years | male: 12 years | female: 13 years (2007)

Sex ratio

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

1.75 children born/woman (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 161

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 27.5% | male: 21.5% | female: 35.2% (2007 est.) | country comparison to the world: 12

Urbanization

urban population: 18.6% of total population (2017) | rate of urbanization: 1.01% 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

transit point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe

Airports

2 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 204

Airports - with paved runways

total: 2 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2017)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

J6 (2016)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Castries, Cul-de-Sac, Vieux-Fort

Roadways

total: 1,210 km | paved: 847 km | unpaved: 363 km (2011) | country comparison to the world: 182