World Factbook
Saint Lucia
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Budget
note
note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
revenues
$414.77 million (2017 est.)
expenditures
$351.956 million (2017 est.)
Exports
note
note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Exports 2022
$1.29 billion (2022 est.)
Exports 2023
$1.419 billion (2023 est.)
Exports 2024
$1.6 billion (2024 est.)
Imports
note
note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Imports 2022
$1.2 billion (2022 est.)
Imports 2023
$1.292 billion (2023 est.)
Imports 2024
$1.446 billion (2024 est.)
Industries
tourism; clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated cardboard boxes, lime processing, coconut processing
Labor force
102,400 (2024 est.)
note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
Public debt
Public debt 2016
69.2% of GDP (2016 est.)
Remittances
note
note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Remittances 2022
2.6% of GDP (2022 est.)
Remittances 2023
2.6% of GDP (2023 est.)
Remittances 2024
2.5% of GDP (2024 est.)
Exchange rates
Currency
East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -
Exchange rates 2020
2.7 (2020 est.)
Exchange rates 2021
2.7 (2021 est.)
Exchange rates 2022
2.7 (2022 est.)
Exchange rates 2023
2.7 (2023 est.)
Exchange rates 2024
2.7 (2024 est.)
Debt - external
note
note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
Debt - external 2023
$901.317 million (2023 est.)
Economic overview
upper middle-income, tourism-based Caribbean island economy; environmentally fragile; energy import-dependent; major banana producer; well-educated labor force; key infrastructure, IT, and communications investments
Unemployment rate
note
note: % of labor force seeking employment
Unemployment rate 2022
16% (2022 est.)
Unemployment rate 2023
11.1% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2024
11% (2024 est.)
Exports - partners
Guyana 20%, Suriname 15%, USA 11%, Barbados 8%, Dominica 7% (2023)
note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Imports - partners
USA 59%, Guyana 8%, Brazil 7%, China 5%, UK 3% (2023)
note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Real GDP per capita
note
note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita 2022
$23,000 (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023
$23,400 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2024
$24,300 (2024 est.)
Real GDP growth rate
note
note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
Real GDP growth rate 2022
20.4% (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2023
2.2% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2024
3.9% (2024 est.)
Agricultural products
coconuts, bananas, tropical fruits, fruits, root vegetables, plantains, vegetables, cassava, chicken, milk (2023)
note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
Exports - commodities
refined petroleum, gravel and crushed stone, beer, liquor, paper containers (2023)
note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, crude petroleum, cars, poultry, plastic products (2023)
note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
Current account balance
note
note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
Current account balance 2022
-$83.442 million (2022 est.)
Current account balance 2023
-$38.069 million (2023 est.)
Current account balance 2024
-$64.121 million (2024 est.)
Taxes and other revenues
18.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
GDP (official exchange rate)
$2.549 billion (2024 est.)
note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption
66.1% (2017 est.)
government consumption
11.2% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories
0.1% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital
16.9% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services
62.7% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services
-56.9% (2017 est.)
Population below poverty line
25% (2015 est.)
note: % of population with income below national poverty line
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
note
note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022
6.4% (2022 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023
4.1% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024
-0.1% (2024 est.)
Industrial production growth rate
5.6% (2024 est.)
note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
note
note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
$4.105 billion (2022 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
$4.196 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024
$4.359 billion (2024 est.)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
male
31.4% (2024 est.)
note
note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
total
29% (2024 est.)
female
26.3% (2024 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
note
note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022
$389.083 million (2022 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023
$424.324 million (2023 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024
$406.064 million (2024 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
note
note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
industry
9.8% (2024 est.)
services
75.9% (2024 est.)
agriculture
1.1% (2024 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
note
note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
lowest 10%
2.1% (2015 est.)
highest 10%
34.1% (2015 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
note
note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2016
51.2 (2016 est.)