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Physical geography
Volcanic and mountainous with broad, fertile valleys.
Local timeCastries ·
North America / Caribbean · Card 031
St Lucia
St Lucia is a country in Caribbean. Its capital is Castries.
Find St Lucia
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Castries
- Languages
- English
- Currency
- Eastern Caribbean dollar (XCD)
- Population
- 180,1492025 · World Bank
- Area
- 616 km²237.84 square miles
- Independence
- 1979from the UK
St Lucia in context
North America and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Castries; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
English is official. Saint Lucian Kwéyòl, a French-based Creole, is widely spoken.
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Location
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago.
Flag
Cerulean blue with a gold isosceles triangle below a black arrowhead; the upper edges of the arrowhead have a white border
History & independence
France and Britain repeatedly contested Saint Lucia before British control was confirmed in 1814. The island later joined the short-lived West Indies Federation and gained internal self-government in 1967. Negotiated independence from Britain followed on 22 February 1979.
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British control is confirmed
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Internal self-government begins
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Independence from Britain
Economy
Main activities
Tourism and associated services are central to the economy. Agriculture, including bananas, and manufacturing also contribute. The island depends on imported energy and is exposed to storms and changes in visitor demand.
Industry and production
tourism; clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated cardboard boxes, lime processing, coconut processing
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Thousands of people180.12025 · thousands of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Thousands of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 103,165 | 103.165 |
| 1980 | 119,290 | 119.290 |
| 1990 | 137,857 | 137.857 |
| 2000 | 158,616 | 158.616 |
| 2010 | 170,906 | 170.906 |
| 2020 | 178,250 | 178.250 |
| 2025 | 180,149 | 180.149 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars2.22025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
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
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1,160,539,673 | 1.161 |
| 1991 | 1,164,899,565 | 1.165 |
| 1992 | 1,257,544,906 | 1.258 |
| 1993 | 1,264,878,904 | 1.265 |
| 1994 | 1,285,098,755 | 1.285 |
| 1995 | 1,307,565,184 | 1.308 |
| 1996 | 1,345,779,926 | 1.346 |
| 1997 | 1,336,438,462 | 1.336 |
| 1998 | 1,420,453,281 | 1.420 |
| 1999 | 1,458,387,956 | 1.458 |
| 2000 | 1,459,098,899 | 1.459 |
| 2001 | 1,409,371,876 | 1.409 |
| 2002 | 1,415,241,212 | 1.415 |
| 2003 | 1,475,595,751 | 1.476 |
| 2004 | 1,582,833,328 | 1.583 |
| 2005 | 1,576,338,888 | 1.576 |
| 2006 | 1,673,997,138 | 1.674 |
| 2007 | 1,702,314,784 | 1.702 |
| 2008 | 1,786,567,823 | 1.787 |
| 2009 | 1,736,027,614 | 1.736 |
| 2010 | 1,741,756,827 | 1.742 |
| 2011 | 1,817,121,649 | 1.817 |
| 2012 | 1,815,145,417 | 1.815 |
| 2013 | 1,782,131,987 | 1.782 |
| 2014 | 1,805,800,308 | 1.806 |
| 2015 | 1,807,640,741 | 1.808 |
| 2016 | 1,869,604,354 | 1.870 |
| 2017 | 1,932,793,731 | 1.933 |
| 2018 | 1,988,589,215 | 1.989 |
| 2019 | 1,968,119,316 | 1.968 |
| 2020 | 1,517,409,880 | 1.517 |
| 2021 | 1,686,550,996 | 1.687 |
| 2022 | 2,012,825,747 | 2.013 |
| 2023 | 2,091,481,906 | 2.091 |
| 2024 | 2,191,222,632 | 2.191 |
| 2025 | 2,178,643,364 | 2.179 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.748High human developmentRank 103 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.683
20000.710
20100.749
20200.734
20230.748
72.7 yearsLife expectancy at birth
8.6 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
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
Government
A parliamentary constitutional monarchy. A Governor-General represents the monarch, a Prime Minister heads the government, and Parliament comprises a House of Assembly and Senate.
Knowledge check
Three questions about St Lucia.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Which French-based Creole is widely spoken in Saint Lucia?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile
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.