Form of Government: Constitutional monarchy
Area: 271.9 sq km
Population: 53 192 inhab. (estimate 2020)
Density: 195.63 inhab./sq km
Coordinates: lat. 17° N; long. 63° W
Capital: Basseterre (capital) 14 000 inhab. (2018);
Currency: East Caribbean dollar (100 cents)
Human development index: 0.779 (rank: 74)
Head of State: The British Sovereign
Prime Minister: Timothy Harris (PLP, Labour), since 18 February 2015
Internet: www.stats.gov.kn (Department of Statistics)
Member of Caricom, Commonwealth, OAS, UN, WTO
Saint Kitts and Nevis

International license plate code KN
International dialling code 001869
Travel vaccinations requirement yellow fever (required only if traveling from a country with risk of transmission, including travelers having transited more than 12 hours through the airport of a country with risk of transmission)
Electricity (Voltage) 230
Driving side left
Internet code .kn
GMT -4
DST not applied
Annual average temperature (°C) Basseterre 25.9
Average temperature in January/July (°C) Basseterre 24.5/27
Daily sunshine hours in June/December (average) Basseterre 8/7
Annual average precipitation (mm) Basseterre 1265
Days of rainfall (annual average) Basseterre 145
Geography.
Archipelago part of the Lesser Antilles in the Leeward islands, the country comprises the islands of Saint Kitts (Saint Christopher) and Nevis. Both islands are mountainous, the highest peak is the volcano Liamuiga (1156 m).
Government
The federation of the two islands has been independent since 19 September 1983. UK sovereignty is represented by a Governor General, who appoints the Prime Minister. Legislative power resides in the National assembly (14 or 15 members, of which 11 are elected for a five-year term).
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Homicides | 34.2 | per 100 000 pop. | 2012 |
Police personnel | 760.4 | per 100 000 pop. | 2011 |
Administrative division
Island | AREA | INHABITANTS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Nevis | 93.2 sq km | 12 278 inhab. | 2011 |
Saint Kitts | 178.7 sq km | 34 918 inhab. | 2011 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Basseterre | 14 000 | inhab. | 2018 |
Charlestown | 1 800 | inhab. | 2011 |
Population
Population by age and gender (% - 2020) | ||||||||
| ||||||||
MALE | AGE | FEMALE |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Birth rate | 13.2 | ‰ | 2017 |
Death rate | 7.1 | ‰ | 2017 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
black | 90$ | % | 2000 |
mulatto | 5$ | % | 2000 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
other | 29$ | % | 2011 |
Anglican | 17$ | % | 2011 |
DESCRIPTION |
---|
English (official) |
English Creole |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
0-14 years | 19.8 | % | 2020 |
15-29 years | 20.5 | % | 2020 |
Economy
After the last sugar plants were closed, the country decided to focus on technological innovation (electronics), tourism, the offshore finance sector and the sale of citizenship. Public debt, which recently fell sharply, started to rise again in 2020-21.
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Agricultural prod. index (2004-06=100) | 39.33 | index | 2016 |
Agricultural prod. index (2014-16=100) | 92.13 | index | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Active population | 21 000 | units | 2005 |
Active population, Females | 38.1 | % | 2005 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Unemployment rate | 5.1 | % | 2001 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Expenses | 662.8 | M LCU | 2015 |
Revenues | 934.8 | M LCU | 2015 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
agriculture | 20.8 | % | 2014 |
industry and services | 79.2 | % | 2014 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
agriculture | 1.375 | % | 2019 |
industry | 27.458 | % | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Currency in circulation | 0.259 | BN LCU | 2020 |
International reserves | 362.679 | M US$ | 2020 |
Agriculture
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
arable land | 19.615 | % | 2018 |
forests | 42.308 | % | 2018 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
potatoes | 0.082 | 1000 t | 2017 |
roots and tubers, total | 0.878 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
cabbages | 0.017 | 1000 t | 2019 |
carrots and turnips | 0.153 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
groundnuts | 0.031 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
coconuts | 3.012 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
sugar cane | 110 | 1000 t | 2009 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
seed cotton | 0.001 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
fruits, total | 2.013 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
pineapples | 0.001 | 1000 t | 2018 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
potatoes | 0.003 | 1000 ha | 2017 |
sweet potatoes | 0.04 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
cabbages | 0.002 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
carrots and turnips | 0.02 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
groundnuts | 0.019 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
coconuts | 0.643 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
sugar cane | 2$ | 1000 ha | 2009 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
seed cotton | 0.004 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
pineapples | 0.001 | 1000 ha | 2017 |
Forests-Livestock-Fishing
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
cattle | 2$ | 1000 heads | 2019 |
cattle and buffaloes | 2$ | 1000 heads | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
pigs | 7.75 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
sheep | 5.778 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
goats | 2.646 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
birds | 96$ | 1000 heads | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
eggs | 0.147 | 1000 t | 2019 |
hides and skins | 0.009 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
crustaceans and molluscs | 365 | t | 2019 |
freshwater fishes | 1$ | t | 2019 |
Energy
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
- thermal | 190 | M kWh | 2018 |
non-renewable electricity generation | 96.154 | % | 2018 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
- thermal | 60$ | 1000 kW | 2018 |
- other renew. | 4$ | 1000 kW | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
total net generation | 197.6 | M kWh | 2018 |
total installed capacity | 64$ | 1000 kW | 2018 |
Industry
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
beer of barley | 2.5 | 1000 t | 2018 |
coconut oil | 0.605 | 1000 t | 2018 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
manufacturing production | 60.426 | M US$ | 2020 |
Trade
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
manufactures | 86.367 | % of goods exports | 2017 |
food products | 13.482 | % of goods exports | 2017 |
Tourism
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Expenditures | 59$ | M US$ | 2018 |
Number of arrivals | 131 000 | units | 2019 |
Social and welfare
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Expected years of schooling | 17.452 | years | 2015 |
Graduates | 183 | units | 1993 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Students, primary level | 5 452 | units | 2016 |
Students, secondary level | 4 175 | units | 2016 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Hospital beds | 2.3 | per 1000 pop. | 2012 |
Physicians | 2.68 | per 1000 pop. | 2015 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Tuberculosis | 1.5 | per 100 000 pop. | 2019 |
Tuberculosis (prevalence) | 9.2 | per 100 000 pop. | 2014 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking | 100 | % | 2019 |
Access to electricity | 100 | % | 2019 |