Saint Lucia
The numbers tell two very different stories about Saint Lucia. A top performer in spirits consumption (#8), it falls behind in urban population. Think you can explain the gap?
Saint Lucia is a country in North America with a population of 168.5K and an area of 616 km². Life expectancy is 72.7 years.
At a Glance
The numbers that define this country
Population Density
293.91How many people live in each square kilometer of land.
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
27.6KGDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
GDP Per Capita
$24.3KGDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
CO2 Per Capita
2.99How many tonnes of CO2 the average person produces per year.
Human Development Index
0.75The Human Development Index (HDI), combining life expectancy, education, and income into a single score from 0 to 1.
Life Expectancy
72.7 yearsHow many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
Where They Stand Out
Global rankings worth knowing
🍻Spirits Consumption
4.56How many liters of spirits the average adult (15+) drinks per year.
❤️Doctors (per 1,000)
4.23The number of doctors per 1,000 people.
💰Youth Unemployment Rate
29.0%Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) from CIA World Factbook.
👥Population Density
293.91How many people live in each square kilometer of land.
🌱Electricity Access (%)
100.0%The percentage of the population with access to electricity.
Did You Know?
Facts that catch players off guard
Has one of the highest rates of inflation rate
Inflation Rate: -0.1%
How much prices increased over the year, based on the cost of everyday goods and services.
World Bank 2023Ranks #8 globally in spirits consumption
Spirits Consumption: 4.56
How many liters of spirits the average adult (15+) drinks per year.
Our World in Data 2023Only ranks #205 in dependency ratio
Dependency Ratio: 37.276
The number of dependents (people under 15 or over 64) per 100 working-age adults (ages 15-64).
World Bank 2023Only ranks #206 in urban population (%)
Urban Population (%): 29.1%
The percentage of people living in cities and urban areas.
World Bank 2023Only ranks #186 in electricity capacity
Electricity Capacity: 93.0K
Installed generating capacity from CIA World Factbook.
Surprised? See how you stack up.
Play NowHow Saint Lucia Compares
Country vs continent vs world averages
GDP per Capita
GDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
World Bank 2023Life Expectancy
How many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
World Bank 2023Human Development Index
Above avgThe Human Development Index (HDI), combining life expectancy, education, and income into a single score from 0 to 1.
Our World in Data 2023Internet Users
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
World Bank 2023Think you can guess which countries rank higher?
Test Your IntuitionAbout Saint Lucia
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.
- Location
- Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
- 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
- Natural Resources
- forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal potential
- 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
- Size Comparison
- 3.5 times the size of Washington, D.C.
- 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.)
- Ethnic Groups
- Black/African descent 85.3%, mixed 10.9%, East Indian 2.2%, other 1.6%, unspecified 0.1% (2010 est.)
- Major Cities
- 22,000 CASTRIES (capital) (2018)
- Government Type
- parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
- Capital
- Castries
- Capital Coordinates
- 14 00 N, 61 00 W
- Capital Timezone
- UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Name Origin
- believed to be named after Saint LUCY (Sainte ALOUSIE) of Syracuse by French sailors who were shipwrecked on the island on 13 December 1502, the saint's feast day
- Independence
- 22 February 1979 (from the UK)
- National Symbols
- twin pitons (volcanic peaks), Saint Lucia parrot
- National Anthem
- "God Save the King"
- UNESCO Heritage
- 1 (natural)
- Overview
- upper middle-income, tourism-based Caribbean island economy; environmentally fragile; energy import-dependent; major banana producer; well-educated labor force; key infrastructure, IT, and communications investments
- Industries
- tourism; clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated cardboard boxes, lime processing, coconut processing
- Agricultural Products
- coconuts, bananas, tropical fruits, fruits, root vegetables, plantains, vegetables, cassava, chicken, milk (2023)
- Export Partners
- Guyana 20%, Suriname 15%, USA 11%, Barbados 8%, Dominica 7% (2023)
- Export Commodities
- refined petroleum, gravel and crushed stone, beer, liquor, paper containers (2023)
- Import Partners
- USA 59%, Guyana 8%, Brazil 7%, China 5%, UK 3% (2023)
- Import Commodities
- refined petroleum, crude petroleum, cars, poultry, plastic products (2023)
- Military Forces
- no regular military forces; Ministry of Home Affairs, Justice, and National Security: Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) (2025)
- Energy Mix
- fossil fuels: 98% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Broadcast Media
- 3 privately owned TV stations; 1 public TV station on a cable network; multi-channel cable TV service available; mix of state-owned and privately owned radio broadcasters with about 25 stations, including repeater transmission stations (2019)
Deep Dive
58 of 67 metricsEvery stat we track, organized by category
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BelizeShare a Fact
Share something surprising about Saint Lucia!
How many people live in each square kilometer of land.
Frequently Asked Questions about Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia has a population of 168.5K, ranking #184 globally by population.
Saint Lucia is located in North America. It has an area of 616 km².
Life expectancy in Saint Lucia is 72.7 years, ranking #125 globally.
Saint Lucia's GDP per capita (PPP) is 27.6K, ranking #81 globally.
Saint Lucia ranks particularly high in Population Density (#42), GDP Per Capita (PPP) (#81), GDP Per Capita (#82).
Saint Lucia has an HDI of 0.748, ranking #103 globally. The HDI combines life expectancy, education, and income indicators.
Saint Lucia has a population density of 293.9 people per km², ranking #42 globally.
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