arable land: 2.2%
permanent crops: 4.3%
permanent pasture: 0%

Seychelles has no indigenous population and was first permanently settled by a small group of French planters African slaves and South Indians in 1770. Seychelles’ modern population is composed of the descendants of French and later British settlers Africans and Indian Chinese and Middle Eastern traders and is concentrated on three of its 155 islands – the vast majority on Mahe and lesser numbers on Praslin and La Digue. Seychelles’ population grew rapidly during the second half of the 20th century largely due to natural increase but the pace has slowed because of fertility decline. The total fertility rate dropped sharply from 4.0 children per woman in 1980 to 1.9 in 2015 mainly as a result of a family planning program free education and health care and increased female labor force participation. Life expectancy has increased steadily but women on average live 9 years longer than men a difference that is higher than that typical of developed countries.
The combination of reduced fertility and increased longevity has resulted in an aging population which will put pressure on the government’s provision of pensions and health care. Seychelles’ sustained investment in social welfare services such as free primary health care and education up to the post-secondary level have enabled the country to achieve a high human development index score – among the highest in Africa. Despite some of its health and education indicators being nearly on par with Western countries Seychelles has a high level of income inequality.
An increasing number of migrant workers – mainly young men – have been coming to Seychelles in recent years to work in the construction and tourism industries. As of 2011 foreign workers made up nearly a quarter of the workforce. Indians are the largest non-Seychellois population – representing half of the country’s foreigners – followed by Malagasy.

urban: 95.7% of population
rural: 95.7% of population
total: 95.7% of population
urban: 4.3% of population
rural: 4.3% of population
total: 4.3% of population (2015 est.)

urban: 98.4% of population
rural: 98.4% of population
total: 98.4% of population
urban: 1.6% of population
rural: 1.6% of population
total: 1.6% of population (2015 est.)

Lafors Demokratik Seselwa or LSD (Martin AGLAE)
People's Party (Parti Lepep) or PL [James Alix MICHEL] (formerly SPPF)
Seselwa (Seychelles) United Party or SUP [Robert ERNESTA] (formerly the New Democratic Party or NDP)
Seychelles National Party or SNP [Wavel RAMKALAWAN] (formerly the United Opposition or UO)
Seychelles Party for Social Justice and Democracy or SPSD
Seychelles Patriotic Movement or SPM [Regis FRANCOURT]
Seychelloise Alliance (Lalyans Seselwa) [Patrick PILLAY]
Seychellois Democratic Alliance (Linyon Demokratik Seselwa) or LDS [Roger MANCIENNE] (includes SNP Seychelloise Alliance SPSD SUP)

Since independence in 1976 per capita output in this Indian Ocean archipelago has expanded to roughly seven times the pre-independence near-subsistence level moving the island into the upper-middle-income group of countries. Growth has been led by the tourist sector which employs about 30% of the labor force and provides more than 70% of hard currency earnings and by tuna fishing.
In recent years the government has encouraged foreign investment to upgrade hotels and other services. At the same time the government has moved to reduce the dependence on tourism by promoting the development of farming fishing and small-scale manufacturing.
In 2008 having depleted its foreign exchange reserves Seychelles defaulted on interest payments due on a $230 million Eurobond requested assistance from the IMF and immediately enacted a number of significant structural reforms including liberalization of the exchange rate reform of the public sector to include layoffs and the sale of some state assets. In December 2013 the IMF declared that Seychelles had successfully transitioned to a market-based economy with full employment and a fiscal surplus. Effective 1 January 2017 Seychelles will no longer be eligible for trade benefits under the US African Growth and Opportunities Act after having gained developed country status. Seychelles grew at 4.9% in 2016 because of a strong tourist sector and low commodity prices; its fiscal surplus reached 3% of GDP. The Seychellois Government met the IMF’s performance criteria for 2016 but recognizes a need to make additional progress to combat high poverty levels estimated at 39% in 2013.

$2.561 billion (2016 est.)
$2.421 billion (2015 est.)
$2.281 billion (2014 est.)

4.5% (2016 est.)
5% (2015 est.)
4.5% (2014 est.)

$27,200 (2016 est.)
$26,400 (2015 est.)
$25,700 (2014 est.)

11.8% of GDP (2016 est.)
15.2% of GDP (2015 est.)
14.6% of GDP (2014 est.)

2.7% (2016 est.)
3.3% (2013 est.)

57.6% of GDP (2016 est.)
62.9% of GDP (2015 est.)

-1% (2016 est.)
4% (2015 est.)

12.36% (31 December 2016 est.)
12.36% (31 December 2015 est.)

$556.5 million (31 December 2016 est.)
$493.8 million (31 December 2015 est.)

$638.2 million (31 December 2016 est.)
$565.7 million (31 December 2015 est.)

$565.9 million (31 December 2016 est.)
$496.6 million (31 December 2015 est.)

$-263 million (2016 est.)
$-256.2 million (2015 est.)

$477.6 million (2016 est.)
$449.4 million (2015 est.)

$962.4 million (2016 est.)
$922.4 million (2015 est.)

$523.5 million (31 December 2016 est.)
$536.2 million (31 December 2015 est.)

$2.651 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$2.754 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

Seychelles rupees (SCR) per US dollar -
13.319 (2016 est.)
13.319 (2015 est.)
13.314 (2014 est.)
12.747 (2013 est.)
13.7 (2012 est.)

1.29% of GDP (2016)
1.21% of GDP (2015)
2.17% of GDP (2014)
0.98% of GDP (2013)
0.87% of GDP (2012)