CapitalCastries
Population168,462
Area616 km²
GDP per capita$24,300
LanguagesEnglish , Saint Lucian Creole
CurrencyEast Caribbean dollars
Life Expectancy79.4 yr
Governmentparliamentary democracy operating under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm.
Introduction
Background
Throughout the 17th and early 18th centuries, England and France vied for control of Saint Lucia, noted for its excellent natural harbor at Castries and its developing sugar industry, with ownership changing hands 14 times; the island was ultimately ceded to the United Kingdom in 1814 and integrated into the British Windward Islands colony. Following the abolition of slavery on its plantations in 1834, Saint Lucia continued to function as an agricultural island, focusing on the production of tropical cash crops. In the mid-20th century, Saint Lucia became a member of the West Indies Federation (1958–1962) and in 1967, it was one of the six nations that formed the West Indies Associated States, acquiring internal self-governance. The island achieved full independence in 1979.
Geography
Area
land
606 sq km
water
10 sq km
total
616 sq km
Climate
tropical climate, influenced by northeast trade winds; dry season from January to April, and rainy season from May to August
Terrain
characterized by volcanic and mountainous terrain along with expansive, fertile valleys
Land use
other
30% (2023 est.)
forest
53.7% (2023 est.)
agricultural land
16.3% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 4.4% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 11.3% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 0.6% (2023 est.)
Location
located in the Caribbean, this island lies between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, to the north of Trinidad and Tobago
Coastline
158 km
Elevation
lowest point
Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point
Mount Gimie 948 m
Irrigated land
30 sq km (2012)
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean
Land boundaries
total
0 km
Maritime claims
contiguous zone
24 nm
territorial sea
12 nm
continental shelf
200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Natural hazards
hurricanes
volcanism: Mount Gimie (948 m), also referred to as Qualibou, is a caldera situated on the island's western side; the notable twin pyramidal peaks of Gros Piton (771 m) and Petit Piton (743 m) are remnants of lava domes linked to the Soufrière volcano; while there have been no recorded magmatic eruptions, a minor steam eruption in 1766 dispersed a light layer of ash over a broad area; Saint Lucia forms part of the volcanic island arc of the Lesser Antilles, which stretches from Saba in the north to Grenada in the south
Geography - note
the iconic twin Pitons (Gros Piton and Petit Piton), impressive cone-shaped summits located south of Soufrière, represent one of the Caribbean's stunning natural attractions
Natural resources
comprising forests, sandy shorelines, minerals (such as pumice), mineral springs, and geothermal resources
Area - comparative
3.5 times larger than Washington, D.C.
Geographic coordinates
13 53 N, 60 58 W
Population distribution
the majority of the population resides along the island's periphery, with a significant concentration in the northern region near the capital, Castries
People & Society
Languages
English (official), Saint Lucian Creole
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.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years
1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years
0.94 male(s)/female
total population
0.94 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
65 years and over
0.83 male(s)/female
Birth rate
11.17 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate
8.41 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Median age
male
38.4 years
total
40.4 years (2025 est.)
female
40.9 years
Population
male
81,678
total
168,462 (2025 est.)
female
86,784
Nationality
noun
Saint Lucian(s)
adjective
Saint Lucian
Tobacco use
male
24.1% (2025 est.)
total
13.1% (2025 est.)
female
2.6% (2025 est.)
Urbanization
urban population
19.2% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization
0.98% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
17.9% (male 15,505/female 14,607)
15-64 years
66.7% (male 54,260/female 57,747)
65 years and over
15.4% (2024 est.) (male 11,752/female 14,167)
Ethnic groups
Black or of African descent 85.3%, mixed race 10.9%, East Indian 2.2%, other ethnicities 1.6%, and unspecified 0.1% (estimation from 2010)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio
50.9 (2025 est.)
youth dependency ratio
26.6 (2025 est.)
potential support ratio
4.1 (2025 est.)
elderly dependency ratio
24.3 (2025 est.)
Physician density
4.23 physicians/1,000 population (2020)
Health expenditure
Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
6.2% of GDP (2021)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
9% of national budget (2022 est.)
Net migration rate
-0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Hospital bed density
2 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.71 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Drinking water source
improved: rural
rural: 96.8% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total
total: 96.9% of population (2022 est.)
improved: urban
urban: 97.2% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: rural
rural: 3.2% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total
total: 3.1% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban
urban: 2.8% of population (2022 est.)
Education expenditure
Education expenditure (% GDP)
3.8% of GDP (2024 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget)
12.7% national budget (2025 est.)
Infant mortality rate
male
10.8 deaths/1,000 live births
total
11.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
female
12.2 deaths/1,000 live births
Population growth rate
0.25% (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate
0.83 (2025 est.)
Population distribution
the majority of the inhabitants reside on the island's outskirts, particularly with a significant density in the northern region surrounding the capital, Castries.
Life expectancy at birth
male
76.7 years
female
82.3 years
total population
79.4 years (2024 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio
44 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Sanitation facility access
improved: rural
rural: 92.9% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total
total: 93.8% of population (2022 est.)
improved: urban
urban: 97.6% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: rural
rural: 7.1% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total
total: 6.2% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban
urban: 2.4% of population (2022 est.)
Alcohol consumption per capita
beer
3.21 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine
0.4 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
total
9.3 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits
5.1 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols
0.6 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Major urban areas - population
22,000 CASTRIES (capital) (2018)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
19.7% (2016)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
male
12 years (2023 est.)
total
13 years (2023 est.)
female
13 years (2023 est.)
Environment
Climate
tropical climate, influenced by northeast trade winds; dry period from January to April, wet season occurring from May to August
Land use
other
30% (2023 est.)
forest
53.7% (2023 est.)
agricultural land
16.3% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 4.4% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 11.3% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 0.6% (2023 est.)
Urbanization
urban population
19.2% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization
0.98% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually
77,600 tons (2024 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled
13.3% (2022 est.)
Environmental issues
deforestation; soil erosion, especially prevalent in the northern area
Total water withdrawal
municipal
12.5 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
industrial
0 cubic meters (2022 est.)
agricultural
30.4 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
total emissions
605,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids
605,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Particulate matter emissions
8.9 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Total renewable water resources
300 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
International environmental agreements
party to
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified
none of the selected agreements
Government
Flag
description: a cerulean blue field featuring a gold isosceles triangle positioned below a black arrowhead; the upper edges of the arrowhead are outlined in white
meaning: blue symbolizes the sky and ocean, gold signifies sunlight and wealth, while white and black represent the island's ethnic diversity; the triangles symbolize Gros Piton and Petit Piton, the conical volcanic formations emblematic of the island.
Capital
name
Castries
etymology
In 1785, the Carenage village was renamed Castries in honor of Charles Eugene Gabriel de La Croix de CASTRIES, the French Minister of the Navy and Colonies at that time.
time difference
UTC-4 (one hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
geographic coordinates
14 00 N, 61 00 W
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Citizenship
citizenship by birth
yes
citizenship by descent only
at least one parent must be a citizen of Saint Lucia
dual citizenship recognized
yes
residency requirement for naturalization
8 years
Constitution
history
previously presented in 1958 and 1960 (prior to independence); most recent presentation on 20 December 1978, effective from 22 February 1979.
amendment process
proposed by Parliament; a two-thirds majority vote in the final reading by the House of Assembly is required for passage, along with the governor general's assent; amendments to various constitutional sections, including those related to fundamental rights and freedoms, government finances, the judiciary, and constitutional amendment procedures, necessitate at least a three-quarters majority vote by the House and the governor general's assent; amendments endorsed by the House but rejected by the Senate must obtain a majority of votes in a referendum.
Country name
etymology
thought to be named after Saint LUCY (Sainte ALOUSIE) of Syracuse by French sailors who were shipwrecked on the island on 13 December 1502, coinciding with the saint's feast day.
conventional long form
none
conventional short form
Saint Lucia
Independence
22 February 1979 (from the UK)
Legal system
English common law
Government type
parliamentary democracy operating under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm.
Judicial branch
highest court(s)
The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) serves as the superior court for the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; headquartered in St. Lucia, the ECSC comprises the Court of Appeal, led by the chief justice and four judges, and the High Court, which includes 18 judges; the Court of Appeal visits member states on a regular schedule to address appeals from the High Court and lower courts; it is a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice.
subordinate courts
magistrate's court
judge selection and term of office
The chief justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court is appointed by the British monarch; other justices and judges are appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, an independent body of judicial officials; justices of the Court of Appeal serve for life with mandatory retirement at age 65, while High Court judges are appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62.
Executive branch
cabinet
Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
chief of state
King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Acting Governor General Cyril Errol CHARLES (since 11 November 2021).
head of government
Prime Minister Philip J. PIERRE (since 28 July 2021).
election/appointment process
The monarchy is hereditary; the governor general is appointed by the monarch; typically, following legislative elections, the governor general appoints the leader of the majority party or coalition as prime minister; the deputy prime minister is also appointed by the governor general.
National holiday
Independence Day, 22 February (1979)
National color(s)
cerulean blue, gold, black, white
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites
1 (natural)
selected World Heritage Site locales
Pitons Management Area
Political parties
Saint Lucia Labor Party or SLP
United Workers Party or UWP
Legislative branch
legislature name
Houses of Parliament
legislative structure
bicameral
National anthem(s)
title
"God Save the King"
history
in use since 1745
lyrics/music
unknown
National symbol(s)
twin pitons (volcanic peaks), Saint Lucia parrot
Administrative divisions
10 districts: Anse-la-Raye, Canaries, Castries, Choiseul, Dennery, Gros-Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Soufrière, Vieux-Fort.
Legislative branch - lower chamber
chamber name
House of Assembly
term in office
5 years
number of seats
18 (all directly elected)
electoral system
plurality/majority
scope of elections
full renewal
most recent election date
7/26/2021
expected date of next election
December 2025
percentage of women in chamber
10.5%
parties elected and seats per party
Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) (13); United Workers Party (UWP) (2); Independents (2).
Legislative branch - upper chamber
chamber name
Senate
term in office
5 years
number of seats
11 (all appointed)
scope of elections
full renewal
most recent election date
8/17/2021
expected date of next election
December 2025
percentage of women in chamber
54.5%
Diplomatic representation in the US
FAX
[1] (202) 364-6723
chancery
1629 K Street NW, Suite 1250, Washington, DC 20006
telephone
[1] (202) 364-6792
chief of mission
Ambassador Elizabeth DARIUS-CLARKE (since 7 June 2022)
consulate(s) general
Miami, New York
email address and website
[email protected]
https://www.embassyofstlucia.org/
Diplomatic representation from the US
embassy
The US does not maintain an embassy in Saint Lucia; however, the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Saint Lucia.
International organization participation
ACP, ACS, 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
International law organization participation
Has not submitted a declaration of jurisdiction to the ICJ; accepts the jurisdiction of the ICCt.
Economy
Budget
revenues
$414.77 million (2017 est.)
expenditures
$351.956 million (2017 est.)
Exports
Exports 2022
$1.29 billion (2022 est.)
Exports 2023
$1.419 billion (2023 est.)
Exports 2024
$1.6 billion (2024 est.)
Imports
Imports 2022
$1.2 billion (2022 est.)
Imports 2023
$1.292 billion (2023 est.)
Imports 2024
$1.446 billion (2024 est.)
Industries
tourism; clothing, assembly of electronic parts, beverages, corrugated cardboard production, lime processing, coconut processing
Labor force
102,400 (2024 est.)
Public debt
Public debt 2016
69.2% of GDP (2016 est.)
Remittances
Remittances 2022
2.6% of GDP (2022 est.)
Remittances 2023
2.6% of GDP (2023 est.)
Remittances 2024
2.5% of GDP (2024 est.)
Exchange rates
Currency
East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -
Exchange rates 2020
2.7 (2020 est.)
Exchange rates 2021
2.7 (2021 est.)
Exchange rates 2022
2.7 (2022 est.)
Exchange rates 2023
2.7 (2023 est.)
Exchange rates 2024
2.7 (2024 est.)
Debt - external
Debt - external 2023
$901.317 million (2023 est.)
Economic overview
upper middle-income, tourism-driven Caribbean island economy; environmentally sensitive; reliant on energy imports; significant banana producer; a well-educated workforce; critical investments in infrastructure, information technology, and communication
Unemployment rate
Unemployment rate 2022
16% (2022 est.)
Unemployment rate 2023
11.1% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2024
11% (2024 est.)
Exports - partners
Guyana 20%, Suriname 15%, USA 11%, Barbados 8%, Dominica 7% (2023)
Imports - partners
USA 59%, Guyana 8%, Brazil 7%, China 5%, UK 3% (2023)
Real GDP per capita
Real GDP per capita 2022
$23,000 (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023
$23,400 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2024
$24,300 (2024 est.)
Real GDP growth rate
Real GDP growth rate 2022
20.4% (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2023
2.2% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2024
3.9% (2024 est.)
Agricultural products
coconuts, bananas, tropical fruits, fruits, root vegetables, plantains, vegetables, cassava, chicken, milk (2023)
Exports - commodities
refined petroleum, gravel and crushed stone, beer, liquor, paper containers (2023)
Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, crude petroleum, cars, poultry, plastic products (2023)
Current account balance
Current account balance 2022
-$83.442 million (2022 est.)
Current account balance 2023
-$38.069 million (2023 est.)
Current account balance 2024
-$64.121 million (2024 est.)
Taxes and other revenues
18.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$2.549 billion (2024 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption
66.1% (2017 est.)
government consumption
11.2% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories
0.1% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital
16.9% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services
62.7% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services
-56.9% (2017 est.)
Population below poverty line
25% (2015 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022
6.4% (2022 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023
4.1% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024
-0.1% (2024 est.)
Industrial production growth rate
5.6% (2024 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
$4.105 billion (2022 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
$4.196 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024
$4.359 billion (2024 est.)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
male
31.4% (2024 est.)
total
29% (2024 est.)
female
26.3% (2024 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022
$389.083 million (2022 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023
$424.324 million (2023 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024
$406.064 million (2024 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
industry
9.8% (2024 est.)
services
75.9% (2024 est.)
agriculture
1.1% (2024 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%
2.1% (2015 est.)
highest 10%
34.1% (2015 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2016
51.2 (2016 est.)
Energy
Petroleum
refined petroleum consumption
4,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Electricity
consumption
365.178 million kWh (2023 est.)
installed generating capacity
93,000 kW (2023 est.)
transmission/distribution losses
31.038 million kWh (2023 est.)
Electricity access
electrification - total population
100% (2022 est.)
Energy consumption per capita
Total energy consumption per capita 2023
47.522 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Electricity generation sources
solar
2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
fossil fuels
98% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Communications
Internet users
percent of population
74% (2022 est.)
Broadcast media
Three television stations are privately owned, alongside one public television station that operates on a cable network; a multi-channel cable television service is accessible; the radio broadcasting landscape includes a blend of state-owned and privately owned broadcasters, comprising approximately 25 stations, which also feature repeater transmission stations (2019)
Internet country code
.lc
Telephones - fixed lines
total subscriptions
31,000 (2022 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
17 (2022 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular
total subscriptions
176,000 (2022 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
99 (2022 est.)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
total
24,000 (2022 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
14 (2022 est.)
Transportation
Ports
large
0
small
2
medium
0
key ports
Castries, Grand Cul de Sac Bay, Vieux Fort
very small
1
total ports
3 (2024)
ports with oil terminals
2
Airports
2 (2025)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
J6
Military & Security
Military - note
Saint Lucia has been a member of the Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS) since its creation in 1982; RSS signatories (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Saint Kitts, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) agreed to prepare contingency plans and assist one another, on request, in national emergencies, prevention of smuggling, search and rescue, immigration control, fishery protection, customs and excise control, maritime policing duties, protection of off-shore installations, pollution control, national and other disasters, and threats to national security (2025)
Military and security forces
lacking standard military units; Ministry of Home Affairs, Justice, and National Security: Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) (2025)
Transnational Issues
Trafficking in persons
tier rating
Tier 2 Watch List — the government failed to show significant improvements in its efforts to combat trafficking when compared to the prior reporting period, resulting in Saint Lucia's downgrade to Tier 2 Watch List; for further information, visit: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/saint-lucia/
Refugees and internally displaced persons
refugees
5 (2024 est.)
