Grenada
Top Sights & Landmarks
Background
The indigenous Carib people inhabited Grenada when Christopher COLUMBUS landed on the island in 1498, but it remained uncolonized for more than a century. The French settled Grenada in the 17th century, established sugar estates, and imported large numbers of African slaves. Britain took the island in 1762 and vigorously expanded sugar production. In the 19th century, cacao eventually surpassed sugar as the main export crop; in the 20th century, nutmeg became the leading export. In 1967, Britain gave Grenada autonomy over its internal affairs. Full independence was attained in 1974, making Grenada one of the smallest independent countries in the Western Hemisphere. In 1979, a leftist New Jewel Movement seized power under Maurice BISHOP, ushering in the Grenada Revolution. On 19 October 1983, factions within the revolutionary government overthrew and killed BISHOP and members of his party. Six days later, US forces and those of six other Caribbean nations intervened, quickly capturing the ringleaders and their hundreds of Cuban advisers. Rule of law was restored, and democratic elections were reinstituted the following year and have continued since.
Location
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
Area
Elevation
Detailed Geography Information
Coastline
121 km
Irrigated land
20 sq km (2012)
Land boundaries
total: 0 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Natural hazards
lies on edge of hurricane belt; hurricane season lasts from June to November volcanism: Mount Saint Catherine (840 m) is on the island of Grenada; Kick 'em Jenny, an active submarine volcano (seamount) on the Caribbean Sea floor, lies about 8 km (5 mi) north of Grenada; these two volcanoes are at the southern end of the volcanic island arc of the Lesser Antilles that extends to the Dutch dependency of Saba in the north
Natural resources
Terrain
volcanic in origin with central mountains
Population & Growth
Age Distribution
Demographic Longevity
Vital Dynamics
Detailed People & Society Information
Alcohol consumption per capita
8.62 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 53.6 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 33.1 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 20.5 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 4.9 (2025 est.)
Education expenditure
5.1% of GDP (2023 est.) 11.4% national budget (2025 est.)
Ethnic groups
Gross reproduction rate
0.9 (2025 est.)
Health expenditure
5.7% of GDP (2021) 6.3% of national budget (2022 est.)
Hospital bed density
3.2 beds/1,000 population (2018 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total: 8.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 8.6 deaths/1,000 live births female: 9.5 deaths/1,000 live births
Languages
Major urban areas - population
39,000 SAINT GEORGE'S (capital) (2018)
Maternal mortality ratio
48 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Nationality
noun: Grenadian(s) adjective: Grenadian
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
21.3% (2016)
Physician density
1.38 physicians/1,000 population (2018)
Population distribution
approximately one third of the population is found in the capital of St. George's; the island's population is concentrated along the coast
Refugees and internally displaced persons
Religions
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 18 years (2018 est.) male: 17 years (2018 est.) female: 18 years (2018 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.1 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.09 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Climate & Issues
tropical; tempered by northeast trade winds
Land Cover
Air & Carbon Emissions
Water Resources & Use
Detailed Environmental Information
International environmental agreements
Urbanization
urban population: 37.1% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.86% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually: 29,500 tons (2024 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 15.1% (2022 est.)
Capital & State Profile
Executive Branch
Legislative Branch
National Identity & Symbols
a rectangle divided diagonally into yellow triangles (top and bottom) and green triangles (left and right), with a wide red border around the flag; three five-pointed yellow stars are centered on the top and bottom of the red border, with one larger yellow star on a red disk at the center of the flag; a small yellow-and-red nutmeg pod is on the left triangle
Detailed Government Information
Administrative divisions
6 parishes and 1 dependency*; Carriacou and Petite Martinique*, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick
Citizenship
citizenship by birth: yes citizenship by descent only: yes dual citizenship recognized: yes residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years for persons from a non-Caribbean state and 4 years for a person from a Caribbean state
Constitution
history: previous 1967; latest presented 19 December 1973, effective 7 February 1974, suspended 1979 following a revolution but restored in 1983 amendment process: proposed by either house of Parliament; passage requires two-thirds majority vote by the membership in both houses and assent of the governor general; passage of amendments to constitutional sections, such as personal rights and freedoms, the structure, authorities, and procedures of the branches of government, the delimitation of electoral constituencies, or the procedure for amending the constitution, also requires two-thirds majority approval in a referendum
Country name
conventional long form: none conventional short form: Grenada etymology: origin of the name remains obscure; some sources attribute the designation to Spanish influence (most likely named for the Spanish city of Granada); in Spanish granada means "pomegranate"
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
International organization participation
Judicial branch
highest court(s): regionally, the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC is headquartered on St. Lucia and consists of the Court of Appeal -- headed by the chief justice and 4 judges -- and the High Court with 18 judges; the Court of Appeal travels to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts judge selection and term of office: chief justice of Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court appointed by the British monarch; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, and independent body of judicial officials; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62 subordinate courts: magistrates' courts; Court of Magisterial Appeals note: appeals beyond the ECSC in civil and criminal matters are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)
Legal system
common law based on English model
Political parties
National Democratic Congress or NDC New National Party or NNP
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Economic Overview
small OECS service-based economy; large tourism, construction, transportation, and education sectors; major spice exporter; shrinking but still high public debt; vulnerable to hurricanes; emerging blue economy incentives
Size & Performance
GDP Sector Breakdown
Trade Balance
Budget Balance
Export Profile
Top Export Partners
Major Export Commodities
Import Profile
Top Import Partners
Major Import Commodities
Labor & Employment
Income Inequality
Family Income / Consumption Share
Detailed Economic Data
Agricultural products
Current account balance
-$270.771 million (2024 est.) -$243.473 million (2023 est.) -$148.445 million (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
Debt - external
$501.371 million (2023 est.) note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
Exchange rates
East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - Exchange rates: 2.7 (2024 est.) 2.7 (2023 est.) 2.7 (2022 est.) 2.7 (2021 est.) 2.7 (2020 est.)
Industrial production growth rate
2.9% (2024 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
Industries
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
1.1% (2024 est.) 2.7% (2023 est.) 2.6% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Remittances
5% of GDP (2024 est.) 5.3% of GDP (2023 est.) 5.1% of GDP (2022 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$423.263 million (2024 est.) $404.13 million (2023 est.) $371.767 million (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Grid Infrastructure
Generation Mix
Fossil Fuels Production
Intensity & Nuclear
Digital Access
Active internet users as a percentage of the total population.
Fixed Broadband
Mobile Cellular
Broadcast Media
Aviation
Ports & Harbors
Merchant Marine
Service & Defense Details
no regular military forces; the Royal Grenada Police Force (under the Ministry of National Security) includes a Coast Guard and a paramilitary Special Services Unit (2025)
Grenada joined the Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS) in 1985; RSS signatories (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Guyana, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) agreed to prepare contingency plans and assist one another, on request, in national emergencies, prevention of smuggling, search and rescue, immigration control, fishery protection, customs and excise control, maritime policing duties, protection of off-shore installations, pollution control, national and other disasters, and threats to national security (2025)