St Kitts and Nevis is a country in Caribbean. Its capital is Basseterre.
North America and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Basseterre; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapSaint Kitts and Nevis consists of two volcanic islands separated by a narrow channel. Both have mountainous interiors surrounded by lower coastal land. Their central peaks strongly influence the shape of roads, settlements and agricultural areas.
Mount Liamuiga dominates Saint Kitts, while Nevis Peak rises near the centre of Nevis. Wetter uplands contrast with lower, more settled coastal slopes. The islands share a volcanic origin but form separate catchments and landscapes.
The islands have a warm tropical climate moderated by sea breezes. Higher volcanic slopes are cooler and generally wetter than coastal areas.
Forest is concentrated in wetter highland areas, with different vegetation at lower elevations. Short streams drain toward the coast. Marine habitats and coastal wetlands add another ecological setting beyond the mountains.
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
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · Government of St Kitts and Nevis · economic sectors
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The volcanic mountain rises above Charlestown on Nevis.
Photo: David Stanley from Nanaimo, Canada · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
The island’s steep volcanic profile dominates views from the water.
Photo: Jensonmorton at English Wikipedia · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
English is the official language and is used in administration and formal education.
Kittitian and Nevisian Creole English varieties are common in everyday speech. Local pronunciation and expressions differ between communities, reflecting the two islands’ connected but distinct histories.
British and French colonization established plantation economies based on enslaved labor. Internal self-government expanded in 1967. Following Anguilla’s separation, Saint Kitts and Nevis became independent from Britain on 19 September 1983. Nevis retains its own local governmental institutions within the federation.
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · Government of St Kitts and Nevis · economic sectors
Tourism, construction, financial and other services are important activities. Sugar shaped the islands’ history, but commercial sugar production ended in 2005. Citizenship-by-investment revenue is also significant to public finances.
tourism, cotton, salt, copra, clothing, footwear, beverages
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · Government of St Kitts and Nevis · economic sectors
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
| Year | People | Thousands of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 44,606 | 44.606 |
| 1980 | 42,850 | 42.850 |
| 1990 | 40,432 | 40.432 |
| 2000 | 45,248 | 45.248 |
| 2010 | 46,846 | 46.846 |
| 2020 | 46,870 | 46.870 |
| 2025 | 46,922 | 46.922 |
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 409,858,640 | 0.410 |
| 1991 | 402,216,051 | 0.402 |
| 1992 | 419,386,549 | 0.419 |
| 1993 | 447,913,010 | 0.448 |
| 1994 | 471,660,099 | 0.472 |
| 1995 | 497,050,235 | 0.497 |
| 1996 | 526,092,075 | 0.526 |
| 1997 | 561,992,423 | 0.562 |
| 1998 | 559,256,949 | 0.559 |
| 1999 | 577,264,388 | 0.577 |
| 2000 | 635,237,944 | 0.635 |
| 2001 | 668,609,851 | 0.669 |
| 2002 | 677,754,528 | 0.678 |
| 2003 | 651,095,767 | 0.651 |
| 2004 | 677,115,811 | 0.677 |
| 2005 | 743,018,278 | 0.743 |
| 2006 | 766,426,187 | 0.766 |
| 2007 | 771,029,360 | 0.771 |
| 2008 | 858,287,029 | 0.858 |
| 2009 | 829,064,586 | 0.829 |
| 2010 | 828,615,281 | 0.829 |
| 2011 | 842,010,736 | 0.842 |
| 2012 | 835,799,755 | 0.836 |
| 2013 | 883,668,355 | 0.884 |
| 2014 | 950,623,606 | 0.951 |
| 2015 | 957,222,222 | 0.957 |
| 2016 | 994,866,931 | 0.995 |
| 2017 | 997,065,002 | 0.997 |
| 2018 | 1,017,041,453 | 1.017 |
| 2019 | 1,046,924,639 | 1.047 |
| 2020 | 886,725,391 | 0.887 |
| 2021 | 889,985,054 | 0.890 |
| 2022 | 983,259,886 | 0.983 |
| 2023 | 1,012,966,874 | 1.013 |
| 2024 | 1,016,129,628 | 1.016 |
| 2025 | 1,043,449,133 | 1.043 |
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
A federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. A Governor-General represents the monarch and a Prime Minister heads the federal government. The National Assembly is the federal legislature. Nevis has its own Island Assembly and administration.
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · Government of St Kitts and Nevis · economic sectors
Three questions about St Kitts and Nevis.
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · Government of St Kitts and Nevis · economic sectors
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.
