Geography
Location: Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico.
CIA 2026
Data as of May 5, 2026
British Virgin Islands
North AmericaMicrostate
At only 151 km², British Virgin Islands is remarkably compact. There's more here than meets the eye.
At only 151 km², British Virgin Islands is remarkably compact. Smaller than many cities, this territory packs a lot into a tiny footprint. There's more here than meets the eye.
18.4, -64.6 - North America
Area
151 km²
Pop.
40.1K
Stats
50
Reality brief
British Virgin Islands is a country in North America with a population of 40.1K and an area of 151 km². Life expectancy is 77.3 years.
Short factual summary generated from the same country data used in game rounds.
Core numbers
Stats worth knowing
Fast scan first, deep dive later.
Population Density
259.9 /km²#49globally
How many people live in each square kilometer of land.
CO2 Per Capita
4.9 t/person/yr#70globally
Annual carbon dioxide emissions in tonnes per person, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Life Expectancy
77.3 years#79globally
How many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
Internet Users (%)
78%#128globally
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
University Enrollment Rate
29.56%#106globally
Total university and college enrollment as a percentage of the typical college-age population.
Country briefing
Grounded facts about British Virgin Islands
A quick real-world briefing before you dive deeper into rankings, surprises, and matchups.
Culture
Major languages include English (official), Virgin Islands Creole.
CIA 2026
Economy
Key industries include tourism, light industry, construction, rum, and more.
CIA 2026
Top stats
Where They Stand Out
The strongest source-backed stats before the deeper data table.
Inflation Rate
8.5%#42globally
How much prices increased over the year, based on the cost of everyday goods and services.
Median Age
37.5 years#79globally
The age that splits the population in half: half are younger, half are older. UN WPP estimate as of 1 July 2023.
Elderly Population (%)
9.6%#97globally
Share of the population ages 65 and older, from World Bank Open Data.
Reality checks
Did You Know?
The stats that tend to surprise players in real rounds.
Only ranks #211 in dependency ratio
#21131.78% of working-age pop.Dependency Ratio
Dependents as a share of the working-age population, from World Bank Open Data.
Only ranks #237 in land border length
#2370 kmLand Border Length
Total length of land borders with neighboring countries from the frozen public-domain CIA World Factbook snapshot.
Keeps total co2 emissions unusually low
#1920.09 Mt CO2eTotal CO2 Emissions
Total carbon dioxide emissions excluding LULUCF from the World Bank latest available country value.
Only ranks #194 in forest area
#19436.2 km²Forest Area
Total forest area in square kilometers, including natural and planted trees at least 5 meters tall.
Only ranks #211 in population
#21140.1KPopulation
The total number of people living in the country.
Compared with the region
How British Virgin Islands Compares
Country vs continent vs world averages
British Virgin Islands
North America avg
World avg
Life Expectancy
How many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
- Country
- 77.3 years
- Region avg
- 75.5 years
- World avg
- 73.7 years
British Vi…77.3 years
North America75.5 years
World73.7 years
+5% above worldWB 2023
Internet Users
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
- Country
- 78%
- Region avg
- 76.55%
- World avg
- 70.29%
British Vi…78%
North America76.55%
World70.29%
+11% above worldWB 2023
Child Mortality
Deaths before age 5 per 1,000 live births, from World Bank Open Data.
- Country
- 12.7 per 1k births
- Region avg
- 16.52 per 1k births
- World avg
- 24.74 per 1k births
British Vi…12.7 per 1k births
North America16.52 per 1k births
World24.74 per 1k births
+49% above worldWB 2023
Think you can guess which countries rank higher?
Play this countryFactbook notes
About British Virgin Islands
Country briefing
First inhabited by Arawak and later by Carib Indians, the Virgin Islands were settled by the Dutch in 1648 and then annexed by the English in 1672.
Read the full Factbook note
First inhabited by Arawak and later by Carib Indians, the Virgin Islands were settled by the Dutch in 1648 and then annexed by the English in 1672. The islands were part of the British colony of the Leeward Islands (1872-1960); they were granted autonomy in 1967. The economy is closely tied to the larger and more populous US Virgin Islands to the west, and the US dollar is the legal currency. In 2017, Hurricane Irma devastated the island of Tortola. An estimated 80% of residential and business structures were destroyed or damaged, communications disrupted, and local roads rendered impassable.
Geography & Climate6 facts
- Location
- Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico
- Climate
- subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds
- Terrain
- coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly
- Natural Resources
- NEGL; pleasant climate, beaches foster tourism
- Natural Hazards
- hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October)
- Size Comparison
- about 0.9 times the size of Washington, D.C.
People & Culture4 facts
- Languages
- English (official), Virgin Islands Creole
- Religions
- Protestant 70.2% (Methodist 17.6%, Church of God 10.4%, Anglican 9.5%, Seventh Day Adventist 9.0%, Pentecostal 8.2%, Baptist 7.4%, New Testament Church of God 6.9%, other Protestant 1.2%), Roman Catholic 8.9%, Jehovah's Witness 2.5%, Hindu 1.9%, other 6.2%, none 7.9%, unspecified 2.4% (2010 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- African/Black 76.3%, Latino 5.5%, White 5.4%, mixed 5.3%, Indian 2.1%, East Indian 1.6%, other 3%, unspecified 0.8% (2010 est.)
- Major Cities
- 15,000 ROAD TOWN (capital) (2018)
Government & History8 facts
- Government Type
- Overseas Territory of the UK with limited self-government; parliamentary democracy
- Capital
- Road Town
- Capital Coordinates
- 18 25 N, 64 37 W
- Capital Timezone
- UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Name Origin
- the islets, cays, and rocks surrounding the major islands reminded explorer Christopher COLUMBUS in 1493 of Saint Ursula and her 11,000 virgin followers (Santa Ursula y las Once Mil Virgenes), which over time was shortened to the Virgins (las Virgenes)
- Independence
- none (overseas territory of the UK)
- National Symbols
- zenaida dove, white cedar flower
- National Anthem
- "God Save the King"
Economy & Trade7 facts
- Overview
- British Caribbean island territorial economy; strong tourism and services industries; vulnerable to hurricanes; navigating public debt insolvency since 2008 Crisis; considered a tax haven; high electrification costs; major rum exporter
- Industries
- tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore banking center
- Agricultural Products
- fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish
- Export Partners
- Malta 33%, Guyana 22%, Greece 11%, Germany 7%, Indonesia 4% (2023)
- Export Commodities
- ships, refined petroleum, aircraft, molasses, precious stones (2023)
- Import Partners
- USA 34%, Italy 10%, France 9%, China 8%, Luxembourg 5% (2023)
- Import Commodities
- ships, refined petroleum, aircraft, railway cargo containers, jewelry (2023)
Infrastructure & Defense2 facts
- Energy Mix
- fossil fuels: 97.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 1.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); wind: 1.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Broadcast Media
- 1 private TV station; multi-channel TV is available from cable and satellite subscription services; about a half-dozen private radio stations
Source:World Factbook archive 2026
Data vault
Deep Dive
Every tracked stat, grouped for fast scanning.
Wealth & Economy1 statsBest: #42
Inflation Rate
Demographics12 statsBest: #49
Population Density
Median Age
Elderly Population (%)
Urban Population (%)
Teen Birth Rate
Birth Rate
Death Rate
Fertility Rate
Youth Population (%)
Population
Land Area
Dependency Ratio
Environment7 statsBest: #70
Health & Survival3 statsBest: #79
Education & Future2 statsBest: #106
Lifestyle1 statsBest: #117
Tourist Arrivals
Technology3 statsBest: #128
Infrastructure2 statsBest: #137
Merchant Fleet Size
29#137
Airports
Land & Sea4 statsBest: #168
Coastline Length
80 km#168
Highest Elevation
521 m#191
Lowest Elevation
0 m#199
Land Border Length
0 km#237
Energy1 statsBest: #189
Electric Generating Capacity
63.0K kW#189
Keep exploring
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Where British Virgin Islands leads
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Neighboring Countries
Share a country stat
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British Virgin Islands
#49 in Population Density
How many people live in each square kilometer of land.
Top 20% globally
259.9 /km²
Frequently Asked Questions about British Virgin Islands
What is the population of British Virgin Islands?
British Virgin Islands has a population of 40.1K, ranking #211 globally by population.
What continent is British Virgin Islands in?
British Virgin Islands is located in North America. It has an area of 151 km².
What is the life expectancy in British Virgin Islands?
Life expectancy in British Virgin Islands is 77.3 years, ranking #79 globally.
What is British Virgin Islands known for in global statistics?
British Virgin Islands ranks particularly high in Population Density (#49), CO2 Per Capita (#70), Life Expectancy (#79).
How densely populated is British Virgin Islands?
British Virgin Islands has a population density of 259.9 people per km², ranking #49 globally.