Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Resistance from native Caribs prevented colonization on Saint Vincent until 1719. France and England disputed the island for most of the 18th century, but it was ceded to England in 1783. The British prized Saint Vincent because of its fertile soil, which allowed for thriving slave-run plantations of sugar, coffee, indigo, tobacco, cotton, and cocoa. In 1834, the British abolished slavery. Immigration of indentured servants eased the ensuing labor shortage, as did subsequent immigrant waves from Portugal and East India. Conditions remained harsh for both former slaves and immigrant agricultural workers, however, as depressed world sugar prices kept the economy stagnant until the early 1900s. The economy then went into a period of decline, with many landowners abandoning their estates and leaving the land to be cultivated by liberated slaves. <br><br>Between 1960 and 1962, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was a separate administrative unit of the Federation of the West Indies. Autonomy was granted in 1969 and independence in 1979. In 2021, the eruption of the La Soufrière volcano in the north of Saint Vincent destroyed much of Saint Vincent’s most productive agricultural lands. Unlike most of its tourism-dependent neighbors, the Vincentian economy is primarily agricultural. 

Land

389 sq km

Total

389 sq km (Saint Vincent 344 sq km)

Water

0 sq km

twice the size of Washington, D.C.

tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)

84 km

North America

Highest point

La Soufriere 1,234 m

Lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 m

13 15 N, 61 12 W

the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is composed of 32 islands and cays

10 sq km (2012)

Total

0 km

Agricultural land

17.9% (2023 est.)

Agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 5.1% (2023 est.)

Agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 7.7% (2023 est.)

Agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 5.1% (2023 est.)

arable land

5.13%

Forest

73.2% (2023 est.)

Other

8.8% (2023 est.)

permanent crops

7.69%

No

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

Google Maps

https://goo.gl/maps/wMbnMqjG37FMnrwf7

OpenStreetMap

https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/550725

Central America and the Caribbean

Contiguous zone

24 nm

Continental shelf

200 nm

Exclusive economic zone

200 nm

Territorial sea

12 nm

hurricanes; La Soufrière volcano on the island of Saint Vincent is a constant threat<br><br><strong>volcanism:</strong> La Soufrière (1,234 m) last erupted in 1979; the island of Saint Vincent is part of the volcanic-island arc of the Lesser Antilles that extends from Saba in the north to Grenada in the south

hydropower, arable land

most of the population is concentrated in and around the capital of Kingstown

Caribbean

volcanic, mountainous

UTC-04:00

number of time zones

1

0-14 years

18.8% (male 9,527/female 9,353)

15-64 years

68.2% (male 35,401/female 33,288)

65 years and over

13% (2024 est.) (male 6,321/female 6,757)

Beer

2.52 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Other alcohols

0.23 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Spirits

4.48 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Total

7.48 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Wine

0.24 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

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

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

adult female

137 per 1,000

adult male

221 per 1,000

Elderly dependency ratio

19 (2024 est.)

Potential support ratio

5.3 (2024 est.)

Total dependency ratio

46.5 (2024 est.)

Youth dependency ratio

27.5 (2024 est.)

Education expenditure (% GDP)

6.5% of GDP (2023 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

12.6% national budget (2024 est.)

6 % of GDP

African descent 71.2%, mixed 23%, Indigenous 3%, East Indian/Indian 1.1%, European 1.5%, other 0.2% (2012 est.)

0.85 (2025 est.)

4 % of GDP

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

5.4% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

8.6% of national budget (2022 est.)

0.32%

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

Female

10.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Male

13.9 deaths/1,000 live births

neonatal

6 deaths/1,000 live births

Total

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

English, Vincentian Creole English, French patois

languages

English

number of languages

1

Female

79.3 years

Male

75.2 years

Total population

77.2 years (2024 est.)

27,000 KINGSTOWN (capital) (2018)

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

Female

37.4 years

Male

37.7 years

Total

38.1 years (2025 est.)

42 births/1,000 women 15-19

Adjective

Saint Vincentian or Vincentian

Noun

Saint Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s)

-5.43 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

23.7% (2016)

0.66 physicians/1,000 population (2012)

Female

49,398

Male

51,249

Total

100,647 (2024 est.)

-0.15% (2025 est.)

Protestant 75% (Pentecostal 27.6%, Anglican 13.9%, Seventh Day Adventist 11.6%,&nbsp; Baptist 8.9%, Methodist 8.7%, Evangelical 3.8%, Salvation Army 0.3%, Presbyterian/Congregational 0.3%), Roman Catholic 6.3%,&nbsp; Rastafarian 1.1%, Jehovah's Witness 0.8%, other 4.7%, none 7.5%, unspecified 4.7% (2012 est.)

Improved: total

total: 90.2% of population

Female

15 years (2015 est.)

Male

14 years (2015 est.)

Total

15 years (2015 est.)

0-14 years

1.02 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.06 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.94 male(s)/female

At birth

1.03 male(s)/female

Total population

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

1.73 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Rate of urbanization

0.94% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Urban population

54.3% of total population (2023)

measles

99%

6 parishes; Charlotte, Grenadines, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint Patrick

Geographic coordinates

13 08 N, 61 13 W

Name

Kingstown

Time difference

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

Citizenship by birth

yes

Citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Dual citizenship recognized

yes

Residency requirement for naturalization

7 years

svg

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

Amendment process

proposed by the House of Assembly; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly membership and assent of the governor general; passage of amendments to constitutional sections on fundamental rights and freedoms, citizen protections, various government functions and authorities, and constitutional amendment procedures requires approval by the Assembly membership, approval in a referendum of at least two thirds of the votes cast, and assent of the governor general

History

previous 1969, 1975; latest drafted 26 July 1979, effective 27 October 1979 (The Saint Vincent Constitution Order 1979)

alternative spellings

VC

Conventional long form

none

Conventional short form

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Etymology

explorer Christopher COLUMBUS named the island after Saint VINCENT of Saragossa because 22 January 1498, the day of discovery, was the saint's feast day

FIFA code

VIN

local long form (eng)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Embassy

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

Chancery

1627 K Street, NW, Suite 704, Washington, DC 20006

Chief of mission

Ambassador Lou-Anne Gaylene GILCHRIST (since 18 January 2017)

Consulate(s) general

New York

Email address and website

<br>mail@embsvg.com<br><br>http://wa.embassy.gov.vc/washington/

FAX

[1] (202) 364-6736

Telephone

[1] (202) 364-6730

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 Governor General Stanley JOHN (since 6 January 2026)

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 on the advice of the prime minister

Head of government

Prime Minister Godwin FRIDAY (since 28 November 2025)

<strong>description:</strong> three vertical bands of blue (left side), gold (double-width), and green; the gold band has three green diamonds arranged in a "V" pattern that stands for "Vincent" <br><br><strong>meaning:</strong> the diamonds represent the islands as "the Gems of the Antilles" and are set slightly lowered in the gold band to reflect the country's position in the Antilles; blue stands for the tropical sky and sea, yellow for the sand, and green for vegetation

The flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is composed of three vertical bands of blue, gold and green. The gold band is twice as wide as the other two bands and bears three green diamonds arranged to form the letter V at its center.

svg

https://flagcdn.com/vc.svg

parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

27 October 1979 (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, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU (NGOs), 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; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a 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

November 2030

Legislative structure

unicameral

Legislature name

House of Assembly

Most recent election date

11/27/2025

Number of seats

22 (15 directly elected; 6 appointed)

Parties elected and seats per party

United Labour Party (ULP) (9); New Democratic Party (NDP) (6)

Percentage of women in chamber

21.7%

Scope of elections

full renewal

Term in office

5 years

blue, gold, green

Independence Day, 27 October (1979)

Saint Vincent parrot

New Democratic Party or NDP<br>SVG Green Party or SVGP<br>Unity Labor Party or ULP (formed in 1994 by the coalition of Saint Vincent Labor Party or SVLP and the Movement for National Unity or MNU)

Monday

18 years of age; universal

Yes

bananas, root vegetables, plantains, spices, coconuts, fruits, apples, vegetables, mangoes/guavas, sweet potatoes (2023)

note

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

Expenditures

$208.744 million (2017 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

$226.404 million (2017 est.)

code

XCD

name

Eastern Caribbean dollar (XCD) [$]

$-156,588,993

Current account balance 2022

-$199.727 million (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

-$180.43 million (2023 est.)

Current account balance 2024

-$156.589 million (2024 est.)

Note

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

$806.45 million

Debt - external 2023

$456.971 million (2023 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> present value of external debt in current US dollars

upper middle-income Caribbean island economy; key agriculture and tourism sectors; environmentally fragile; diversifying economy across services, science and knowledge, and creative industries; CARICOM member and US Caribbean Basin Initiative beneficiary

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

$278.292 million (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$345.098 million (2023 est.)

Exports 2024

$425.182 million (2024 est.)

Note

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

ships, wheat flours, animal food, shellfish, construction vehicles (2023)

note

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

Croatia 16%, Barbados 14%, USA 10%, St. Lucia 10%, St. Kitts &amp; Nevis 8% (2023)

note

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

net inflows

$138.93 million

Agriculture

3.5% (2024 est.)

Industry

15.4% (2024 est.)

Note

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

Services

66.4% (2024 est.)

$1.157 billion (2024 est.)

note

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

$11,501

$1.15 billion

$11,060

Imports 2022

$540.833 million (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$588.865 million (2023 est.)

Imports 2024

$641.179 million (2024 est.)

Note

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

ships, refined petroleum, wheat, coal, poultry (2023)

note

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

USA 37%, Italy 7%, Trinidad &amp; Tobago 7%, China 6%, UK 6% (2023)

note

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

7.3% (2024 est.)

note

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

tourism; food processing, cement, furniture, clothing, starch

3.63%

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

5.7% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

4.6% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

3.6% (2024 est.)

Note

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

52,100 (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

total

53,688 persons

agriculture

9.07%

industry

21.13%

services

69.79%

Public debt 2016

82.8% of GDP (2016 est.)

$2.14 billion

Note

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

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$1.718 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$1.809 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$1.883 billion (2024 est.)

4.06%

Note

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

Real GDP growth rate 2022

3.1% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

5.3% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2024

4.1% (2024 est.)

$21,272

Note

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

Real GDP per capita 2022

$16,800 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$17,900 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$18,700 (2024 est.)

$91.89 million

Note

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

Remittances 2022

9% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

8.5% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances 2024

8.2% of GDP (2024 est.)

$316.82 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

$320.193 million (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$280.564 million (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024

$316.824 million (2024 est.)

23.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

note

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

18%

Note

<b>note:</b> % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2022

19.5% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

18.6% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

18.1% (2024 est.)

Female

41.4% (2024 est.)

Male

41.4% (2024 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Total

41.4% (2024 est.)

Exports

8 metric tons (2023 est.)

Imports

8,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Consumption

140.316 million kWh (2023 est.)

Installed generating capacity

55,000 kW (2023 est.)

Transmission/distribution losses

10.868 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Fossil fuels

86.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectric

13.39%

Hydroelectricity

12.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

nuclear

0%

renewable

15.02%

Solar

1.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

37.253 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Refined petroleum consumption

2,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

5.1%

per 100 inhabitants

30 per 100

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

30 (2023 est.)

Total

31,000 (2023 est.)

St. Vincent and the Grenadines Broadcasting Corporation operates 1 TV station and 5 repeater stations that provide near total coverage to the multi-island state; multi-channel cable TV service available; a partially government-funded national radio service broadcasts on 1 station and has 2 repeater stations; about a dozen privately owned radio stations and repeater stations

.vc

Percent of population

76% (2023 est.)

+1784

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

10 (2023 est.)

Total subscriptions

10,000 (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100

102 per 100

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

100 (2022 est.)

Total subscriptions

103,000 (2023 est.)

5 (2025)

J8

Left

By type

bulk carrier 30, container ship 18, general cargo 137, oil tanker 16, other 629

Total

830 (2023)

Key ports

Kingstown

Large

0

Medium

0

Ports with oil terminals

1

Small

1

Total ports

1 (2024)

Very small

0

WV

the country 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 Nevis, and Saint Lucia) 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)

no regular military forces; Ministry of National Security: Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVPF) (2025)

From coal and metallurgical coke

19,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

From petroleum and other liquids

249,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Total emissions

268,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

pollution of coastal waters and shorelines from boats; poor land-use planning; deforestation; watershed management; squatter settlement control

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, Whaling

Signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

9.5 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

1 % of total land area

2 % of total

100 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

8 % of internal resources

Agricultural

0 cubic meters (2022 est.)

Industrial

2,000 cubic meters (2022 est.)

Municipal

8.5 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Municipal solid waste generated annually

31,600 tons (2024 est.)

Percent of municipal solid waste recycled

13.3% (2022 est.)