Saint Kitts and Nevis

Carib Indians occupied the islands of the West Indies for hundreds of years before the British and French began settlement in 1623. During the 17th century, Saint Kitts became the premier base for British and French expansion into the Caribbean. The French ceded the territory to the UK in 1713. At the turn of the 18th century, Saint Kitts was the richest British Crown Colony per capita in the Caribbean, a result of the sugar trade. Although small in size and separated by only 3 km (2 mi) of water, Saint Kitts and Nevis were viewed and governed as different states until the late-19th century, when the British forcibly unified them along with the island of Anguilla. 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 necessary two-thirds majority.

Land

261 sq km

Total

261 sq km (Saint Kitts 168 sq km; Nevis 93 sq km)

Water

0 sq km

1.5 times the size of Washington, D.C.

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

135 km

North America

Highest point

Mount Liamuiga 1,156 m

Lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 m

17 20 N, 62 45 W

smallest country in the Western Hemisphere in terms of both area and population; the two volcanic islands are separated by a 3-km-wide (9-mi-wide) channel called The Narrows; on the southern tip of baseball-bat-shaped Saint Kitts lies the Great Salt Pond; Nevis Peak sits in the center of its ball-shaped namesake island

8 sq km (2012)

Total

0 km

Agricultural land

23.1% (2023 est.)

Agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 19.2% (2023 est.)

Agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.4% (2023 est.)

Agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 3.5% (2023 est.)

arable land

19.23%

Forest

42.3% (2023 est.)

Other

34.6% (2023 est.)

permanent crops

0.38%

No

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

Google Maps

https://goo.gl/maps/qiaVwcLVTXX3eoTNA

OpenStreetMap

https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/536899

Central America and the Caribbean

Contiguous zone

24 nm

Continental shelf

200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Exclusive economic zone

200 nm

Territorial sea

12 nm

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

arable land

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

Caribbean

volcanic with mountainous interiors

UTC-04:00

number of time zones

1

0-14 years

19.2% (male 5,314/female 5,277)

15-64 years

68.1% (male 18,944/female 18,575)

65 years and over

12.7% (2024 est.) (male 3,341/female 3,682)

Beer

3.73 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Other alcohols

0.21 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Spirits

3.89 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Total

8.84 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Wine

1.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

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

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

adult female

104 per 1,000

adult male

215 per 1,000

Elderly dependency ratio

20 (2025 est.)

Potential support ratio

5 (2025 est.)

Total dependency ratio

48.1 (2025 est.)

Youth dependency ratio

28.1 (2025 est.)

Education expenditure (% GDP)

3.5% of GDP (2023 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

11% national budget (2025 est.)

3 % of GDP

African descent 92.5%, mixed 3%, White 2.1%, East Indian 1.5%, other 0.6%, unspecified 0.3% (2001 est.)

0.87 (2025 est.)

6 % of GDP

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

6.2% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

5.9% of national budget (2022 est.)

0.49%

4.3 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Female

10.6 deaths/1,000 live births

Male

5.5 deaths/1,000 live births

neonatal

10 deaths/1,000 live births

Total

7.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

English (official)

languages

English

number of languages

1

Female

80.1 years

Male

75.2 years

Total population

77.6 years (2024 est.)

14,000 BASSETERRE (capital) (2018)

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

Female

38.3 years

Male

38.8 years

Total

39.1 years (2025 est.)

35 births/1,000 women 15-19

Adjective

Kittitian, Nevisian

Noun

Kittitian(s), Nevisian(s)

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

22.9% (2016)

3.09 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Female

27,686

Male

27,748

Total

55,434 (2025 est.)

0.53% (2025 est.)

Female

20 years (2015 est.)

Male

18 years (2015 est.)

Total

19 years (2015 est.)

0-14 years

1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.02 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.91 male(s)/female

At birth

1.02 male(s)/female

Total population

1 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

1.76 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Rate of urbanization

1.06% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Urban population

31.1% of total population (2023)

measles

95%

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

Etymology

the French name translates as "low land" in English; the reference is probably to the city's location in a valley

Geographic coordinates

17 18 N, 62 43 W

Name

Basseterre

Time difference

UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship by birth

yes

Citizenship by descent only

yes

Dual citizenship recognized

yes

Residency requirement for naturalization

14 years

svg

https://mainfacts.com/media/images/coats_of_arms/kn.svg

Amendment process

proposed by the National Assembly; passage requires approval by at least two-thirds majority vote of the total Assembly membership and assent of 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

History

several previous (pre-independence); latest presented 22 June 1983, effective 23 June 1983

alternative spellings

KN, Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis

Conventional long form

Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis

Conventional short form

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Etymology

explorer Christopher COLUMBUS visited the islands in 1493 and named one for his own patron saint; a common nickname for Christopher during the following centuries was Kit or Kitt, and Saint Kitts is still referred to as Saint Christopher; the name of Nevis is said to derive from the original Spanish name "Las Nieves" (The Snows) and refers to its cloud-topped mountain

FIFA code

SKN

Former

Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis

local long form (eng)

Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis

Note

<strong>note:</strong> Nevis is pronounced NEE-vis

Embassy

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

Chancery

1203 19th St. NW, 5th Floor, Washington, DC 20036

Chief of mission

Ambassador Jacinth HENRY-MARTIN (since 15 September 2023)

Consulate(s) general

Los Angeles, New York

Email address and website

<br>stkittsnevis@embskn.com<br><br>Embassy of St.Kitts and Nevis to the USA – and Permanent Mission to the OAS (embassydc.gov.kn)

FAX

[1] (202) 686-5740

Telephone

[1] (202) 686-2636

Cabinet

Cabinet appointed by governor general in consultation with prime minister

Chief of state

King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor General Marcella LIBURD (since 1 February 2023)

Election/appointment process

the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the governor general usually appoints the leader of the majority party or majority coalition as prime minister; deputy prime minister also appointed by governor general

Head of government

Prime Minister Dr. Terrance DREW (since 6 August 2022)

<strong>description:</strong> divided diagonally from the lower left side by a broad black band with two five-pointed white stars; the black band is edged in yellow; the upper triangle is green, and the lower is red<br><br><strong>meaning:</strong> green stands for the island's fertility, red for the struggles of the people from slavery, yellow for year-round sunshine, and black for the people's African heritage; the white stars stand for the islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis but can also express hope and liberty, or independence and optimism

The flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis features two large five-pointed white stars within a yellow-edged black diagonal band that extends from the lower hoist-side corner to the upper fly-side corner of the field. Above and beneath this band are a green and red triangle respectively.

svg

https://flagcdn.com/kn.svg

federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

19 September 1983 (from the UK)

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

ACP, ACS, 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

Highest court(s)

the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC is headquartered on St. Lucia and 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 travels to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts; member of the Caribbean Court of Justice

Judge selection and term of office

chief justice of Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court appointed by the British monarch; 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

English common law

Electoral system

plurality/majority

Expected date of next election

October 2027

Legislative structure

unicameral

Legislature name

National Assembly

Most recent election date

8/5/2022

Number of seats

16 (11 directly elected; 4 appointed)

Parties elected and seats per party

St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) (6); Concerned Citizens' Movement (CCM) (3); Peoples Labour Party (PLP) (1); People's Action Movement (PAM) (1)

Percentage of women in chamber

31.3%

Scope of elections

full renewal

Term in office

5 years

the coat of arms of Saint Kitts and Nevis features a Carib who represents the original inhabitants of the islands, and a fleur-de-lis and rose that represent the French and English who arrived in the 1620; the shield also features the poinciana (the national flower) and a traditional boat; three hands hold the torch, which represents the quest for freedom: the hand of an African, a European, and a person of mixed ethnicity; pelicans (the national bird) support the shield, with a sugarcane plant and a coconut tree that symbolize the land

green, yellow, red, black, white

Selected World Heritage Site locales

Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park

Total World Heritage Sites

1 (cultural)

Independence Day, 19 September (1983)

brown pelican, royal poinciana (flamboyant) tree

Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM<br>Nevis Reformation Party or NRP<br>People's Action Movement or PAM<br>People's Labour Party or PLP<br>Saint Kitts and Nevis Labor Party or SKNLP

Monday

18 years of age; universal

Yes

coconuts, tropical fruits, root vegetables, vegetables, eggs, pulses, sweet potatoes, watermelons, cucumbers/gherkins, tomatoes (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Expenditures

$281.889 million (2020 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Revenues

$262 million (2020 est.)

code

XCD

name

Eastern Caribbean dollar (XCD) [$]

$-169,220,834

Current account balance 2022

-$111.685 million (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

-$122.386 million (2023 est.)

Current account balance 2024

-$169.221 million (2024 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

high-income, tourism-based Caribbean OECS economy; better debt balancing; CARICOM and ECCU member; growing offshore financial and telecommunications hub; environmentally fragile; unique citizenship-driven growth model

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.)

Exports 2022

$542.983 million (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$579.568 million (2023 est.)

Exports 2024

$504.391 million (2024 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

ships, measuring instruments, beer, electrical transformers, electrical control boards (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Malta 49%, USA 21%, Turkey 7%, St. Vincent &amp; the Grenadines 5%, Guyana 3% (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

net inflows

$42.08 million

Agriculture

1.3% (2024 est.)

Industry

21.1% (2024 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Services

65.5% (2024 est.)

$1.067 billion (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> data in current dollars at official exchange rate

$23,961

$1.11 billion

$22,470

Imports 2022

$606.856 million (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$669.168 million (2023 est.)

Imports 2024

$642.934 million (2024 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

refined petroleum, ships, cars, jewelry, poultry (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five import commodities based on value in dollars

USA 50%, Italy 11%, China 8%, Japan 2%, UK 2% (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

-2.7% (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

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

3.56%

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

1.2% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

2.7% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

3.6% (2023 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> annual % change based on consumer prices

Note

<b>note:</b> central government debt as a % of GDP

Public debt 2017

62.9% of GDP (2017 est.)

$1.63 billion

Note

<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$1.388 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$1.448 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$1.465 billion (2024 est.)

0.31%

Note

<b>note:</b> annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2022

10.3% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

4.3% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2024

1.2% (2024 est.)

$34,847

Note

<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2022

$29,700 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$31,000 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$31,300 (2024 est.)

$38.74 million

Note

<b>note:</b> personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2022

3.8% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

3.5% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances 2024

3.4% of GDP (2024 est.)

$294.75 million

Note

<b>note:</b> holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$293.98 million (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$286.075 million (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024

$294.748 million (2024 est.)

15% (of GDP) (2020 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Consumption

182.455 million kWh (2023 est.)

Installed generating capacity

72,000 kW (2023 est.)

Transmission/distribution losses

39.522 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Fossil fuels

95% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectric

0%

nuclear

0%

renewable

4.53%

Solar

2.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Wind

2.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

81.454 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Refined petroleum consumption

2,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

1.5%

per 100 inhabitants

47 per 100

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

47 (2022 est.)

Total

22,000 (2022 est.)

national state-operated TV network that broadcasts on 2 channels; cable subscription available for local and international channels; national state-operated radio network; mix of state-owned and privately owned broadcasters with about 15 radio stations (2019)

.kn

Percent of population

76% (2022 est.)

+1869

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

33 (2022 est.)

Total subscriptions

16,000 (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100

119 per 100

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

119 (2023 est.)

Total subscriptions

56,600 (2023 est.)

2 (2025)

V4

Left

1 (2025)

By type

bulk carrier 22, container ship 16, general cargo 85, oil tanker 59, other 159

Total

341 (2023)

Key ports

Basseterre, Charlestown

Large

0

Medium

0

Ports with oil terminals

2

Small

0

Total ports

2 (2024)

Very small

2

Narrow gauge

50 km (2008) 0.762-m gauge on Saint Kitts for tourists

Total

50 km (2008)

KN

SKNDF's missions include protecting the country's territorial integrity, assisting the police in combating the illegal narcotic trade and other crimes, and providing humanitarian and disaster relief assistance; the force also has a regional role through the Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS); St. Kitts joined the RSS in 1984; RSS signatories (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Saint Lucia, 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)

St. Kitts and Nevis Defense Force (SKNDF); Regular Force, Coast Guard Force (SKNDF Coast Guard), Reserve Force, Cadet Force<br><br>Ministry of National Security: the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force (2025)

estimated 200 active Defense Forces (2024)

the SKNDF is lightly armed with equipment from Belgium, the UK, and the US (2025)

18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women (under 18 with written parental permission); no conscription (2025)

Refugees

5 (2024 est.)

From petroleum and other liquids

269,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Total emissions

269,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

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

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 Protocol, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling

Signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

8 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

5 % of total land area

5 % of total

24 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

51 % of internal resources

Agricultural

200,000 cubic meters (2022 est.)

Industrial

0 cubic meters (2022 est.)

Municipal

15.4 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Municipal solid waste generated annually

32,900 tons (2024 est.)