Background: 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.

Area
Total: 261 km² (Saint Kitts 168 km²; Nevis 93 km²)
Land: 261 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: 1.5 times the size of Washington, D.C.

Land boundaries
Total: 0 km

Coastline: 135 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

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

Terrain: volcanic with mountainous interiors

Elevation
Highest point: Mount Liamuiga 1,156 m
Lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m

Land use
Agricultural land: 23.1% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 19.2% (2023 est.)
Permanent crops: 0.4% (2023 est.)
Permanent pasture: 3.5% (2023 est.)
Forest: 42.3% (2023 est.)
Other: 34.6% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land: 8 km² (2012)

Natural hazards: hurricanes (July to October)
Volcanism: 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

Geography
Note: 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

Population
Total: 55,133 (2024 est.)
Male: 27,599
Female: 27,534
Distribution: population clusters are found in the small towns located on the periphery of both islands
Growth rate: 0.56% (2024 est.)

Languages: English (official)

Religions: Protestant 75.6% (includes Anglican 16.6%, Methodist 15.8%, Pentecostal 10.8%, Church of God 7.4%, Baptist 5.4%, Seventh Day Adventist 5.4%, Wesleyan Holiness 5.3%, Moravian 4.8%, Evangelical 2.1%, Brethren 1.7%, Presbyterian 0.3%), Roman Catholic 5.9%, Hindu 1.8%, Jehovah's Witness 1.4%, Rastafarian 1.3%, other 5%, none 8.8%, unspecified 0.1% (2011 est.)

Age structure
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)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 46.9 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 28.2 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 18.7 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 5.3 (2024 est.)

Median age
Total: 38.6 years (2024 est.)
Male: 38.8 years
Female: 38.3 years

Population growth rate: 0.56% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 11.8 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 7.4 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

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

Urbanization
Urban population: 31.1% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 1.06% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 14,000 BASSETERRE (capital) (2018)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
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
Total population: 1 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 74 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 8 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 5.5 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 10.6 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 77.6 years (2024 est.)
Male: 75.2 years
Female: 80.1 years

Total fertility rate: 1.76 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Capital
Name: Basseterre
Geographic coordinates: 17 18 N, 62 43 W
Time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: the French name translates as 'low land' in English; the reference is probably to the city's location in a valley

Administrative divisions: 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

Legal system: English common law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Executive branch
Chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor General Marcella LIBURD (since 1 February 2023)
Head of government: Prime Minister Dr. Terrance DREW (since 6 August 2022)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by governor general in consultation with 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

Legislative branch
Legislature name: National Assembly
Legislative structure: unicameral
Number of seats: 16 (11 directly elected; 4 appointed)
Electoral system: plurality/majority
Scope of elections: full renewal
Term in office: 5 years
Most recent election date: 8/5/2022
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%
Expected date of next election: October 2,027

Flag description: 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

National anthem
Title: 'God Save the King'
Lyrics/music: unknown
History: in use since 1745

National heritage
Total World Heritage Sites: 1 (cultural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales:

Real gdp growth rate: 1.2% (2024 est.); 4.3% (2023 est.); 10.3% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: 1.2% (2024 est.); 4.3% (2023 est.); 10.3% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1.3% (2024 est.)
Industry: 21.1% (2024 est.)
Services: 65.5% (2024 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

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

Industrial production growth rate: -2.7% (2024 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Budget
Revenues: $262 million (2020 est.)
Expenditures: $281.889 million (2020 est.)
Note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Taxes and other revenues: 15% (of GDP) (2020 est.)
Note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Exports: $504.391 million (2024 est.); $579.568 million (2023 est.); $542.983 million (2022 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: ships, measuring instruments, beer, electrical transformers, electrical control boards (2023)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $642.934 million (2024 est.); $669.168 million (2023 est.); $606.856 million (2022 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: refined petroleum, ships, cars, jewelry, poultry (2023)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Electricity
Installed generating capacity: 72,000 kW (2023 est.)
Consumption: 182.455 million kWh (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 39.522 million kWh (2023 est.)
Access electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 95% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources solar: 2.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources wind: 2.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Petroleum
Refined petroleum consumption: 2,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 269,000 metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 269,000 metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 81.454 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 16,000 (2022 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 33 (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 56,000 (2023 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 119 (2021 est.)

Internet
Users percent of population: 76% (2022 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 22,000 (2022 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 47 (2022 est.)

Airports: 2 (2025)

Heliports: 1 (2025)

Railways
Total: 50 km (2008)
Narrow gauge: 50 km (2008) 0.762-m gauge on Saint Kitts for tourists

Merchant marine
Total: 341 (2023)
By type: bulk carrier 22, container ship 16, general cargo 85, oil tanker 59, other 159