Background: England and France contested Saint Lucia -- with its fine natural harbor at Castries and burgeoning sugar industry -- throughout the 17th and early 18th centuries, with possession changing 14 times; it was finally ceded to the UK in 1814 and became part of the British Windward Islands colony. Even after the abolition of slavery on its plantations in 1834, Saint Lucia remained an agricultural island, dedicated to producing tropical commodity crops. In the mid-20th century, Saint Lucia joined the West Indies Federation (1958–1962) and in 1967 became one of the six members of the West Indies Associated States, with internal self-government. In 1979, Saint Lucia gained full independence.

Area
Total: 616 km²
Land: 606 km²
Water: 10 km²
Comparative: 3.5 times the size of Washington, D.C.

Land boundaries
Total: 0 km

Coastline: 158 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, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season January to April, rainy season May to August

Terrain: volcanic and mountainous with broad, fertile valleys

Elevation
Highest point: Mount Gimie 948 m
Lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m

Land use
Agricultural land: 16.3% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 4.4% (2023 est.)
Permanent crops: 11.3% (2023 est.)
Permanent pasture: 0.6% (2023 est.)
Forest: 53.7% (2023 est.)
Other: 30% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land: 30 km² (2012)

Natural hazards: hurricanes
Volcanism: Mount Gimie (948 m), also known as Qualibou, is a caldera on the west of the island; the iconic twin pyramidal peaks of Gros Piton (771 m) and Petit Piton (743 m) are lava-dome remnants associated with the Soufrière volcano; there have been no historical magmatic eruptions, but a minor steam eruption in 1766 spread a thin layer of ash over a wide area; Saint Lucia is part of the volcanic-island arc of the Lesser Antilles that extends from Saba in the north to Grenada in the south

Geography
Note: the twin Pitons (Gros Piton and Petit Piton), striking cone-shaped peaks south of Soufrière, are one of the scenic natural highlights of the Caribbean

Population
Total: 168,038 (2024 est.)
Male: 81,517
Female: 86,521
Distribution: most of the population is found on the periphery of the island, with a larger concentration in the north around the capital of Castries
Growth rate: 0.26% (2024 est.)

Languages: English (official), Saint Lucian Creole

Religions: Roman Catholic 61.5%, Protestant 25.5% (includes Seventh Day Adventist 10.4%, Pentecostal 8.9%, Baptist 2.2%, Anglican 1.6%, Church of God 1.5%, other Protestant 0.9%), other Christian 3.4% (includes Evangelical 2.3% and Jehovah's Witness 1.1%), Rastafarian 1.9%, other 0.4%, none 5.9%, unspecified 1.4% (2010 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 17.9% (male 15,505/female 14,607)
15-64 years: 66.7% (male 54,260/female 57,747)
65 years and over: 15.4% (2024 est.) (male 11,752/female 14,167)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 50 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 26.9 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 23.1 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 4.3 (2024 est.)

Median age
Total: 39.7 years (2024 est.)
Male: 38.4 years
Female: 40.9 years

Population growth rate: 0.26% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 11.4 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 8.3 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Population distribution: most of the population is found on the periphery of the island, with a larger concentration in the north around the capital of Castries

Urbanization
Urban population: 19.2% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 0.98% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 22,000 CASTRIES (capital) (2018)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 44 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 11.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 10.8 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 12.2 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 79.4 years (2024 est.)
Male: 76.7 years
Female: 82.3 years

Total fertility rate: 1.71 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Drinking water source
Urban: 2.8% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 3.2% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 3.1% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 2.4% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 7.1% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 6.2% of population (2022 est.)

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 11% (2024 est.); 11.1% (2023 est.); 16% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Capital
Name: Castries
Geographic coordinates: 14 00 N, 61 00 W
Time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: in 1785, the village of Carenage was renamed Castries, after Charles Eugene Gabriel de La Croix de CASTRIES, who was then the French Minister of the Navy and Colonies

Administrative divisions: 10 districts; Anse-la-Raye, Canaries, Castries, Choiseul, Dennery, Gros-Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Soufrière, Vieux-Fort

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 Acting Governor General Errol CHARLES (since 11 November 2021)
Head of government: Prime Minister Philip J. PIERRE (since 28 July 2021)
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

Legislative branch
Legislature name: Houses of Parliament
Legislative structure: bicameral

Flag description: cerulean blue with a gold isosceles triangle below a black arrowhead; the upper edges of the arrowhead have a white border

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

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

Real gdp growth rate: 3.9% (2024 est.); 2.2% (2023 est.); 20.4% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: 3.9% (2024 est.); 2.2% (2023 est.); 20.4% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 66.1% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 11.2% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 16.9% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0.1% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 62.7% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -56.9% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1.1% (2024 est.)
Industry: 9.8% (2024 est.)
Services: 75.9% (2024 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Industries: tourism; clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated cardboard boxes, lime processing, coconut processing

Industrial production growth rate: 5.6% (2024 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Labor force: 102,400 (2024 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate: 11% (2024 est.); 11.1% (2023 est.); 16% (2022 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 11% (2024 est.); 11.1% (2023 est.); 16% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Budget
Revenues: $414.77 million (2017 est.)
Expenditures: $351.956 million (2017 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: 18.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Exports: $1.6 billion (2024 est.); $1.419 billion (2023 est.); $1.29 billion (2022 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: refined petroleum, gravel and crushed stone, beer, liquor, paper containers (2023)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $1.446 billion (2024 est.); $1.292 billion (2023 est.); $1.2 billion (2022 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: refined petroleum, crude petroleum, cars, poultry, plastic products (2023)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Electricity
Installed generating capacity: 93,000 kW (2023 est.)
Consumption: 365.178 million kWh (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 31.038 million kWh (2023 est.)
Access electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 98% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources solar: 2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Petroleum
Refined petroleum consumption: 4,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 605,000 metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 605,000 metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 47.522 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 31,000 (2022 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 17 (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 176,000 (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 96 (2021 est.)

Internet
Users percent of population: 74% (2022 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 24,000 (2022 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 14 (2022 est.)

Airports: 2 (2025)