St. Vincent & Grenadines profile

Demography and Health

St. Vincent and the Grenadines is a small population country, with about 100,600 people in 2024, placing it among the smaller states in global rankings. The crude birth rate in 2023 is 12.2 births per 1,000 people, while the crude death rate is 11.5 per 1,000, suggesting a modest natural increase that will gradually raise living standards if the economy expands. Life expectancy at birth stands at 71.2 years (2023), indicating middling health outcomes by global standards and room for improvement in healthcare access and quality. The under-5 mortality rate is 10.6 per 1,000 live births (2023), a marker for child health services, nutrition, and maternal care—areas that benefit from continued investment in primary care and preventive services. The population also experiences net out-migration in 2024, with a net migration of -737 people, a dynamic that can erode the labor force and affect long-term demographic structure, especially given the small base population. Undernourishment affects 4.8% of the population (2022), which is relatively modest and consistent with a country that has deeper income diversity but still faces challenges in remote areas or among vulnerable groups. The mortality scenario includes a very low suicide mortality rate (0.41 per 100,000 in 2021), a positive signal for mental health outcomes, though ongoing attention to psychosocial services remains important. Infrastructure indicators such as hospital beds (4.2 per 1,000 people in 2021) indicate a health system with a capacity buffer relative to population size, yet the combination with health expenditure levels suggests a fragile financing envelope for expanding services to cover the entire population equitably. Overall, these demography and health metrics imply a population that could benefit from targeted health financing, stronger preventive care, and policies to mitigate outward migration, thereby sustaining human development gains as the economy evolves.

Economy

The economy of St. Vincent and the Grenadines is represented by a per capita income standing at around $11,501 in current US dollars in 2024, with a purchasing power parity (PPP) per capita of about $21,272 (2024). This places the country in the middle tier among small economies, suggesting a services-driven structure with potential for growth through diversification. The inflation rate is relatively contained at 3.63% in 2024, which helps preserve purchasing power and planning for households and firms. Foreign direct investment, net inflows as a share of GDP, are 6.37% (2024), a healthy indicator of external confidence and openness to capital projects, though it will be crucial to ensure such investment translates into productive capacity and job creation. The current account balance is negative, at -13.5% of GDP in 2024, signaling a financing gap that could reflect a trade deficit, high import dependence, or investment outflows; this underlines the importance of diversifying exports and improving competitiveness. The country’s export profile includes high-technology exports valued at about $536,000 (2023), with a relatively low global rank (133), indicating that although SVG participates in technology-driven sectors, the scale is modest. The overall governance and investment environment is nuanced by a governance score that reflects a mixed context: relatively sound political stability (1.02 in 2023, rank 24) alongside moderate regulatory quality (0.318, rank 71) and a solid score for control of corruption (0.737, rank 42), but weaker government effectiveness (0.074, rank 84) and a moderate rule-of-law score (0.572, rank 60). Taken together, the economy shows resilience through openness to investment and a stable political backdrop, but it also faces vulnerabilities from a sizable current account deficit and the need to translate external inflows into broad-based growth and job creation.

Trade and Investment

Trade and investment dynamics in St. Vincent and the Grenadines are shaped by a combination of openness to capital flows and a modest export base. Foreign direct investment net inflows amount to 6.37% of GDP in 2024, suggesting a relatively favorable investment climate for a small island economy, and underscoring ongoing opportunities in sectors such as tourism, services, and infrastructure development where foreign partners can contribute. The negative current account balance of -13.5% of GDP (2024) highlights ongoing trade and external financing needs; this could reflect a reliance on imports for consumer goods and capital inputs, alongside limited export earnings beyond niche or commodity sectors. The country’s high-technology exports stand at about $0.54 million (2023), with a global ranking of 133, indicating that while SVG participates in technology-enabled trade, the scale remains limited. This combination implies that future gains from trade will likely hinge on expanding value-added services, digital economy opportunities, and improved logistics for tourism-related goods and manufacturing. A sound governance backdrop—especially strong control of corruption and political stability—supports investment climate improvements, but the moderate regulatory quality and relatively weak government effectiveness should be addressed to streamline business processes, reduce red tape, and improve public service delivery for investors and citizens alike.

Governance and Institutions

SVG displays a mixed governance landscape with notable strengths and clear gaps. Political Stability and Absence of Violence/Terrorism score 1.02 in 2023 places the country at rank 24, signaling a relatively stable political environment by international comparisons. Control of Corruption registers strongly at 0.737 (rank 42), suggesting credible efforts against corruption and a governance environment that can support predictable policy implementation. By contrast, Regulatory Quality sits at 0.318 (rank 71) and Rule of Law at 0.572 (rank 60), indicating that institutions may struggle to consistently translate policy intentions into consistent legal and regulatory outcomes. Government Effectiveness is weak at 0.0738 (rank 84), which can complicate public service delivery and public investment execution. These patterns suggest a governance framework that is broadly stable and not prone to acute political risk, but that would benefit from targeted reforms to improve regulatory efficiency, administrative capacity, and rule-of-law applications. For investors and development partners, this combination implies opportunities rooted in political continuity and anti-corruption momentum, but a need for strengthening bureaucratic performance, judicial reliability, and the enforcement of contracts to unlock more rapid, inclusive growth and public sector efficiency.

Infrastructure and Technology

In technology and digital infrastructure, SVG shows notable reach with 76.0% of the population using the Internet in 2023, reflecting substantial connectivity that can underpin e-government, digital services, and online entrepreneurship. Health and education services increasingly leverage this connectivity to extend reach. Health capacity is visible in the hospital bed ratio of 4.2 per 1,000 people (2021), indicative of a healthcare system that maintains capacity relative to population but may require investment to handle surges or broaden access in more remote Grenadine communities. The renewable energy share stands at 5.1% of total final energy consumption (2022), signaling heavy reliance on non-renewable sources with clear room for expansion of solar, wind, and other renewables to improve energy security and reduce imports. Level of water stress is moderate at 7.9% of freshwater withdrawals (2021), while climate resilience will depend on improving water management in drought-prone periods and building adaptation measures. High-technology exports are present but small (current US$ ~\$536k; rank 133), suggesting that the innovation pipeline exists but must be scaled, supported by investment in human capital, research, and targeted industrial policy. Overall, SVG benefits from strong digital inclusion but faces infrastructure and energy transition challenges that require coordinated policy and investment efforts to unlock higher productivity and resilience.

Environment and Sustainability

Environmental sustainability in St. Vincent and the Grenadines is characterized by low to moderate pressures that reflect its small size and reliance on imports for energy and many consumer goods. Per capita greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF are 1.49 tons CO2e (2023), a relatively low footprint that aligns with limited heavy industry and high reliance on imports; however, it also underscores the vulnerability of the country to climate-related impacts, such as tropical storms and sea-level rise, given its geographic setting. The prevalence of undernourishment is 4.8% (2022), suggesting that food security is generally adequate but should be supported by sustainable agricultural practices and climate-resilient food systems. Renewable energy consumption at 5.1% of total final energy consumption (2022) highlights the opportunity to expand clean energy, reduce import dependency, and enhance energy resilience. The hydrological context shows a freshwater withdrawal level of 7.9% of available resources (2021), indicating manageable water stress for now, yet the island nature of the territory makes water resource planning critical under changing climatic conditions. The environmental profile, combined with modest economic growth and a small population, presents an opportunity to pursue ambitious climate adaptation and mitigation strategies that prioritize energy diversification, coastal zone protection, and sustainable tourism—areas likely to yield long-term social and economic dividends while preserving biodiversity and cultural heritage.