In February 2016 Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, inhis 2016 budget to parliament, introduced a cell-phone-usage tax that would provide income for an

antihunger trust fund. The political opposition, the NewDemocratic Party, temporarily boycotted the new legisla-tive session; members claimed the previous December’selection, which returned Gonsalves and his Unity LabourParty to power, was rigged. Another source of controver-sy was the government’s cybercrime law, enacted inAugust, which critics considered so loose in its definitionsof crimes, such as defamation and cyberbullying, that thelaw could be used to restrict freedom of expression.

DemographyPopulation (2016): 110,000.Density (2016): persons per sq mi 731.9,persons per sq km 282.6.

Sex distribution (2015): male 50.88%;female 49.12%.

Population projection: (2020) 111,000;(2030) 112,000.

Major cities (2010): Kingstown (urbanagglomeration; 2014) 27,314;Georgetown 1,400; Byera 1,200; Biabou900; Port Elizabeth 770.

Urban-rural (2014):

Vital statisticsBirth rate per 1,000 population (2015): 13.6 (world avg. 19.5).Death rate per 1,000 population (2015): 7.2 (world avg. 8.1).Life expectancy at birth (2015): male 73.1 years; female 77.1 years.

Age breakdown (2015):

Ethnic composition (2000):Religious affiliation (2000):

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Official name: Saint Vincent and theGrenadines.

Form of government: constitutional monarchywith one legislative house (House of Assembly[231]).

Head of state: British Monarch, QueenElizabeth II, represented by Governor-GeneralSir Frederick Ballantyne.

Head of government: Prime Minister RalphGonsalves.

Capital: Kingstown.Official language: English.Official religion: none.Monetary unit: Eastern Caribbean dollar (EC$);valuation (Sept. 1, 2016) 1 U.S.$ = EC$2.70; 1 £ = EC$3.59.

Area and populationarea population

2012Census Divisions2 sq mi sq km census3

Island of Saint VincentBarrouallie 14.2 36.8 5,884Bridgetown 7.2 18.6 6,568Calliaqua 11.8 30.6 24,205Chateaubelair 30.9 80.0 5,756Colonarie 13.4 34.7 6,849Georgetown 22.2 57.5 7,061Kingstown (city) 1.9 4.9 12,909Kingstown (suburbs) 6.4 16.6 13,812Layou 11.1 28.7 6,339Marriaqua 9.4 24.3 7,798Sandy Bay 5.3 13.7 2,576

GrenadinesNorthern Grenadines 9.0 23.3 6,184Southern Grenadines 7.5 19.4 4,050

TOTAL 150.3 389.34 109,991

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National economyBudget (2013). Revenue: EC$502,500,000 (tax revenue 83.0%, of whichtaxes on goods and services 43.7%, income tax 22.6%,tax on international trade 15.9%; nontax revenue 13.5%;grants 3.5%). Expenditures: EC$624,900,000 (currentexpenditure 80.2%, of which wages and salaries 40.1%,transfers 22.0%; development expenditure 19.8%).

Public debt (external, outstanding; 2014): U.S.$311,688,000.Production (metric tons except as noted). Agriculture,

forestry, fishing (2014): bananas 63,7395, sugarcane18,380, sweet potatoes 3,120, yams 2,890, coconuts 2,259,plantains 1,9775, mangoes, mangosteens, and guavas1,6535, oranges 1,4885, apples 1,2135, lemons and limes1,0365, cassava 721, chilies and peppers 6135, nutmeg,mace, and cardamoms 2405, soursops, papayas, eddoes,and dasheens8 are also grown; livestock (number of live animals)9,420 goats, 7,420 sheep, 6,800 pigs, 3,810 cattle; roundwood 7,257cu m, of which fuelwood 100%; fisheries production 81,413 (fromaquaculture, none). Mining and quarrying: sand and gravel for localuse. Manufacturing (value added in EC$’000,000; 2000): beveragesand tobacco products 17.4; food and food products 15.6; paper prod-ucts and publishing 3.6; textiles, wearing apparel, and footwear 3.3.Energy production (consumption): electricity (kW-hr; 2012)137,000,000 (127,000,000), by source (2013): fossil fuels c. 100%;renewable energy, negligible; coal, none (none); crude petroleum,none (none); petroleum products (metric tons; 2011) none (78,000);natural gas, none (none).

Gross national income (GNI; 2015): U.S.$730,000,000 (U.S.$6,670 percapita); purchasing power parity GNI (U.S.$11,000 per capita).

Population economically active (2008): total 53,000; participation rates(2014): ages 15–64, male, n.a.; female, n.a.; unemployed (2011) c.28%, of which youth (ages 15–24) n.a.

Average household size (2014): n.a.Land use as % of total land area (2011): in temporary crops or left fal-low 12.8%, in permanent crops 7.7%, in pasture 5.1%, forest area68.7%.

Foreign trade9

Imports (2012): U.S.$403,200,000 (mineral fuels[principally refined petroleum products] 30.5%,food products, beverages, and tobacco 23.9%,machinery and apparatus 11.2%, base and fabricat-ed metals 6.2%). Major import sources:

Exports (2012): U.S.$43,000,000 (food products,beverages, and tobacco 74.2%, base and fabricatedmetals 9.1%, machinery and apparatus 4.9%,paper and paper products 4.2%). Major export destinations:

Transport and communicationsTransport. Railroads: none. Roads (2004):

total length 829 km (paved c. 70%).Vehicles (2008): passenger cars 9,247;trucks and buses 13,019.

Education and healthLiteracy (2004): percentage of total populationage 15 and over literate 88.1%.

Health: physicians (2013) 105 (1 per 1,048 per-sons); hospital beds (2014) 286 (1 per 385 per-sons); infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births(2015) 12.7; undernourished population(2006–08) 5,000 (5% of total population basedon the consumption of a minimum dailyrequirement of 1,870 calories).

MilitaryTotal active duty personnel (2014): noregular military forces; the paramilitaryincludes coast guard and police units.

1Includes 8 nonelective seats (including 1 seat for the attorney general and 1 seat for the speaker serving exofficio). 2For statistical purposes and the election of legislative representatives only. 3Preliminary results.4Detail does not add to total given because of rounding. 52013. 6Taxes less subsidies and less imputed bank ser-vice charges. 7Includes 9,258 unemployed. 8Varieties of taro roots. 9Imports c.i.f.; exports f.o.b. 10Subscribers.

Internet resources for further information:• Statistical Office www.stats.gov.vc• Eastern Caribbean Central Bank www.eccb-centralbank.org

Structure of gross domestic product and labour force2013 2001

in value % of total labour % of labourEC$’000 value force force

Agriculture, forestry, fishing 116,960 6.1 5,303 12.1Mining and quarrying 2,000 0.1 104 0.2Manufacturing 77,500 4.0 2,444 5.6Construction 145,050 7.6 3,659 8.4Public utilities 66,570 3.5 596 1.4Transp. and commun. 224,320 11.7 2,594 5.9Trade, restaurants 281,870 14.7 8,271 18.9Finance, real estate 348,800 18.2 1,905 4.3Pub. admin., defense 200,550 10.5 2,151 4.9Services 196,470 10.3 6,045 13.8Other 254,7506 13.36 10,7077 24.57

TOTAL 1,914,8304 100.0 43,779 100.0

Communications units unitsnumber per 1,000 number per 1,000

Medium date in ’000s persons Medium date in ’000s persons

TelephonesCellular 2015 11310 1,03710

Landline 2015 25 227

Internet users 2009 76 696Broadband 2015 1710 15510

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