Factbook dossier
Background
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. 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 Soufri re 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.
Location
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
Area
total : 389 sq km (Saint Vincent 344 sq km) land: 389 sq km water: 0 sq km
Natural resources
hydropower, arable land
Natural hazards
hurricanes; La Soufri re volcano on the island of Saint Vincent is a constant threat volcanism: La Soufri re (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
Population
total: 100,647 (2024 est.) male: 51,249 female: 49,398
Ethnic groups
African descent 71.2%, mixed 23%, Indigenous 3%, East Indian/Indian 1.1%, European 1.5%, other 0.2% (2012 est.)
Languages
English, Vincentian Creole English, French patois
Religions
Protestant 75% (Pentecostal 27.6%, Anglican 13.9%, Seventh Day Adventist 11.6%, Baptist 8.9%, Methodist 8.7%, Evangelical 3.8%, Salvation Army 0.3%, Presbyterian/Congregational 0.3%), Roman Catholic 6.3%, Rastafarian 1.1%, Jehovah's Witness 0.8%, other 4.7%, none 7.5%, unspecified 4.7% (2012 est.)
Environmental issues
pollution of coastal waters and shorelines from boats; poor land-use planning; deforestation; watershed management; squatter settlement control
Government type
parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
Capital
name: Kingstown geographic coordinates: 13 08 N, 61 13 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Executive branch
chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor General Stanley JOHN (since 6 January 2026) head of government: Prime Minister Godwin FRIDAY (since 28 November 2025) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister 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
Legislative branch
legislature name: House of Assembly legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 22 (15 directly elected; 6 appointed) electoral system: plurality/majority scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 5 years most recent election date: 11/27/2025 parties elected and seats per party: United Labour Party (ULP) (9); New Democratic Party (NDP) (6) percentage of women in chamber: 21.7% expected date of next election: November 2030
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$1.883 billion (2024 est.) $1.809 billion (2023 est.) $1.718 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita
$18,700 (2024 est.) $17,900 (2023 est.) $16,800 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
3.6% (2024 est.) 4.6% (2023 est.) 5.7% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Exports - partners
Croatia 16%, Barbados 14%, USA 10%, St. Lucia 10%, St. Kitts & Nevis 8% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Imports - partners
USA 37%, Italy 7%, Trinidad & Tobago 7%, China 6%, UK 6% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Military and security forces
no regular military forces; Ministry of National Security: Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVPF) (2025)