Saint Kitts and Nevis
Top Sights & Landmarks
Background
Carib Indians occupied the islands of the West Indies for hundreds of years before the British and French began settlement in 1623. During the 17th century, Saint Kitts became the premier base for British and French expansion into the Caribbean. The French ceded the territory to the UK in 1713. At the turn of the 18th century, Saint Kitts was the richest British Crown Colony per capita in the Caribbean, a result of the sugar trade. Although small in size and separated by only 3 km (2 mi) of water, Saint Kitts and Nevis were viewed and governed as different states until the late-19th century, when the British forcibly unified them along with the island of Anguilla. In 1967, the island territory of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla became an associated state of the UK with full internal autonomy. The island of Anguilla rebelled and was allowed to secede in 1971. The remaining islands achieved independence in 1983 as Saint Kitts and Nevis. In 1998, a referendum on Nevis to separate from Saint Kitts fell short of the necessary two-thirds majority.
Location
Caribbean, islands in the Caribbean Sea, about one-third of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago
Area
Elevation
Detailed Geography Information
Coastline
135 km
Geography - note
smallest country in the Western Hemisphere in terms of both area and population; the two volcanic islands are separated by a 3-km-wide (9-mi-wide) channel called The Narrows; on the southern tip of baseball-bat-shaped Saint Kitts lies the Great Salt Pond; Nevis Peak sits in the center of its ball-shaped namesake island
Irrigated land
8 sq km (2012)
Land boundaries
total: 0 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
Natural hazards
hurricanes (July to October) volcanism: Mount Liamuiga (1,156 m) on Saint Kitts and Nevis Peak (985 m) on Nevis are part of the volcanic-island arc of the Lesser Antilles, which extends from Saba in the north to Grenada in the south
Natural resources
Terrain
volcanic with mountainous interiors
Population & Growth
Age Distribution
Demographic Longevity
Vital Dynamics
Detailed People & Society Information
Alcohol consumption per capita
8.84 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 48.1 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 28.1 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 20 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 5 (2025 est.)
Education expenditure
3.5% of GDP (2023 est.) 11% national budget (2025 est.)
Ethnic groups
Gross reproduction rate
0.87 (2025 est.)
Health expenditure
6.2% of GDP (2021) 5.9% of national budget (2022 est.)
Hospital bed density
4.3 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total: 7.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 5.5 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.6 deaths/1,000 live births
Languages
Major urban areas - population
14,000 BASSETERRE (capital) (2018)
Maternal mortality ratio
74 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Nationality
noun: Kittitian(s), Nevisian(s) adjective: Kittitian, Nevisian
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
22.9% (2016)
Physician density
3.09 physicians/1,000 population (2018)
Population distribution
population clusters are found in the small towns located on the periphery of both islands
Refugees and internally displaced persons
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 19 years (2015 est.) male: 18 years (2015 est.) female: 20 years (2015 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Climate & Issues
tropical, tempered by constant sea breezes; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)
Land Cover
Air & Carbon Emissions
Water Resources & Use
Detailed Environmental Information
International environmental agreements
Urbanization
urban population: 31.1% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 1.06% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually: 32,900 tons (2024 est.)
Capital & State Profile
Executive Branch
Legislative Branch
National Identity & Symbols
divided diagonally from the lower left side by a broad black band with two five-pointed white stars; the black band is edged in yellow; the upper triangle is green, and the lower is red
Detailed Government Information
Administrative divisions
14 parishes; Christ Church Nichola Town, Saint Anne Sandy Point, Saint George Basseterre, Saint George Gingerland, Saint James Windward, Saint John Capesterre, Saint John Figtree, Saint Mary Cayon, Saint Paul Capesterre, Saint Paul Charlestown, Saint Peter Basseterre, Saint Thomas Lowland, Saint Thomas Middle Island, Trinity Palmetto Point
Citizenship
citizenship by birth: yes citizenship by descent only: yes dual citizenship recognized: yes residency requirement for naturalization: 14 years
Constitution
history: several previous (pre-independence); latest presented 22 June 1983, effective 23 June 1983 amendment process: proposed by the National Assembly; passage requires approval by at least two-thirds majority vote of the total Assembly membership and assent of the governor general; amendments to constitutional provisions such as the sovereignty of the federation, fundamental rights and freedoms, the judiciary, and the Nevis Island Assembly also require approval in a referendum by at least two thirds of the votes cast in Saint Kitts and in Nevis
Country name
conventional long form: Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis conventional short form: Saint Kitts and Nevis former: Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis etymology: explorer Christopher COLUMBUS visited the islands in 1493 and named one for his own patron saint; a common nickname for Christopher during the following centuries was Kit or Kitt, and Saint Kitts is still referred to as Saint Christopher; the name of Nevis is said to derive from the original Spanish name "Las Nieves" (The Snows) and refers to its cloud-topped mountain note: Nevis is pronounced NEE-vis
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
International organization participation
Judicial branch
highest court(s): 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; member of the Caribbean Court of Justice 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, an 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
Legal system
English common law
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites: 1 (cultural) selected World Heritage Site locales: Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park
Political parties
Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM Nevis Reformation Party or NRP People's Action Movement or PAM People's Labour Party or PLP Saint Kitts and Nevis Labor Party or SKNLP
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Economic Overview
high-income, tourism-based Caribbean OECS economy; better debt balancing; CARICOM and ECCU member; growing offshore financial and telecommunications hub; environmentally fragile; unique citizenship-driven growth model
Size & Performance
GDP Sector Breakdown
Trade Balance
Budget Balance
Export Profile
Top Export Partners
Major Export Commodities
Detailed Economic Data
Agricultural products
Current account balance
-$169.221 million (2024 est.) -$122.386 million (2023 est.) -$111.685 million (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current 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
-2.7% (2024 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
Industries
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
3.6% (2023 est.) 2.7% (2022 est.) 1.2% (2021 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Public debt
62.9% of GDP (2017 est.) note: central government debt as a % of GDP
Remittances
3.4% of GDP (2024 est.) 3.5% of GDP (2023 est.) 3.8% of GDP (2022 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$294.748 million (2024 est.) $286.075 million (2023 est.) $293.98 million (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Taxes and other revenues
15% (of GDP) (2020 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
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
Railways
Ports & Harbors
Merchant Marine
Active Duty Strengths
estimated 200 active Defense Forces (2024)
Service & Defense Details
St. Kitts and Nevis Defense Force (SKNDF); Regular Force, Coast Guard Force (SKNDF Coast Guard), Reserve Force, Cadet Force Ministry of National Security: the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force (2025)
the SKNDF is lightly armed with equipment from Belgium, the UK, and the US (2025)
SKNDF's missions include protecting the country's territorial integrity, assisting the police in combating the illegal narcotic trade and other crimes, and providing humanitarian and disaster relief assistance; the force also has a regional role through the Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS); St. Kitts joined the RSS in 1984; RSS signatories (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, 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)
18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women (under 18 with written parental permission); no conscription (2025)