Carib Indians inhabited Grenada when Christopher COLUMBUS landed on the island in 1498, but it remained uncolonized for more than a century. The French settled Grenada in the 17th century, established sugar estates, and imported large numbers of African slaves. Britain took the island in 1762 and vigorously expanded sugar production. In the 19th century, cacao eventually surpassed sugar as the main export crop; in the 20th century, nutmeg became the leading export. In 1967, Britain gave Grenada autonomy over its internal affairs. Full independence was attained in 1974, making Grenada one of the smallest independent countries in the Western Hemisphere. In 1979, a leftist New Jewel Movement seized power under Maurice BISHOP, ushering in the Grenada Revolution. On 19 October 1983, factions within the revolutionary government overthrew and killed BISHOP and members of his party. Six days later, the island was invaded by US forces and those of six other Caribbean nations, which quickly captured the ringleaders and their hundreds of Cuban advisers. The rule of law was restored, and democratic elections were reinstituted the following year and have continued since then.
land: 344 sq km
water: 0 sq km
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
arable land: 8.8% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 20.6% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 2.9% (2018 est.)
forest: 50% (2018 est.)
other: 17.7% (2018 est.)
114,299 (2023 est.)
noun: Grenadian(s)
adjective: Grenadian
African descent 82.4%, mixed 13.3%, East Indian 2.2%, other 1.3%, unspecified 0.9% (2011 est.)
English (official), French patois
Protestant 49.2% (includes Pentecostal 17.2%, Seventh Day Adventist 13.2%, Anglican 8.5%, Baptist 3.2%, Church of God 2.4%, Evangelical 1.9%, Methodist 1.6%, other 1.2%), Roman Catholic 36%, Jehovah’s Witness 1.2%, Rastafarian 1.2%, other 5.5%, none 5.7%, unspecified 1.3% (2011 est.)
0-14 years: 22.23% (male 13,261/female 12,153)
15-64 years: 65.51% (male 38,112/female 36,765)
65 years and over: 12.26% (2023 est.) (male 6,630/female 7,378)
total dependency ratio: 51.3
youth dependency ratio: 36.4
elderly dependency ratio: 14.9
potential support ratio: 6.7 (2021 est.)
total: 35 years (2023 est.)
male: 34.7 years
female: 35.1 years
0.29% (2023 est.)
13.6 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
8.3 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
-2.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)
approximately one-third of the population is found in the capital of St. George’s; the island’s population is concentrated along the coast
urban population: 37.1% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.86% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
39,000 SAINT GEORGE’S (capital) (2018)
at birth: 1.1 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
21 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
total: 9.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
male: 8.8 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 9.7 deaths/1,000 live births
total population: 76 years (2023 est.)
male: 73.4 years
female: 78.8 years
1.92 children born/woman (2023 est.)
0.91 (2023 est.)
NA
improved: total: 96.8% of population
unimproved: total: 3.2% of population (2017 est.)
5.8% of GDP (2020)
1.44 physicians/1,000 population (2018)
3.6 beds/1,000 population (2017)
improved: urban: NA
rural: NA
total: 93.7% of population
unimproved: urban: NA
rural: NA
total: 6.3% of population (2020 est.)
21.3% (2016)
total: 8.62 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 3.54 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 0.56 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 4.21 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0.31 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
NA
41.3% (2023 est.)
3.6% of GDP (2018 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.6%
male: 98.6%
female: 98.6% (2014 est.)
total: 19 years
male: 18 years
female: 19 years (2018)
deforestation causing habitat destruction and species loss; coastal erosion and contamination; pollution and sedimentation; inadequate solid waste management
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
tropical; tempered by northeast trade winds
agricultural land: 32.3% (2018 est.)
arable land: 8.8% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 20.6% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 2.9% (2018 est.)
forest: 50% (2018 est.)
other: 17.7% (2018 est.)
urban population: 37.1% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.86% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
0% of GDP (2018 est.)
0% of GDP (2018 est.)
particulate matter emissions: 10.08 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 0.27 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 2.04 megatons (2020 est.)
municipal solid waste generated annually: 29,536 tons (2012 est.)
municipal: 10 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
industrial: 0 cubic meters (2017 est.)
agricultural: 2.1 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
200 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
small OECS service-based economy; large tourism, construction, transportation, and education sectors; major spice exporter; shrinking but still high public debt; vulnerable to hurricanes; emerging blue economy incentives
$1.706 billion (2021 est.)
$1.629 billion (2020 est.)
$1.889 billion (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
4.69% (2021 est.)
-13.76% (2020 est.)
0.68% (2019 est.)
$13,700 (2021 est.)
$13,200 (2020 est.)
$15,400 (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
$1.119 billion (2017 est.)
1.22% (2021 est.)
-0.74% (2020 est.)
0.6% (2019 est.)
Standard & Poors rating: SD (2013)
note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
agriculture: 6.8% (2017 est.)
industry: 15.5% (2017 est.)
services: 77.7% (2017 est.)comparison rankings:
household consumption: 63% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 12% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 20% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: -0.1% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 60% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -55% (2017 est.)
bananas, watermelons, sweet potatoes, sugar cane, tomatoes, plantains, coconuts, melons, cucumbers, cabbages
food and beverages, textiles, light assembly operations, tourism, construction, education, call-center operations
15.33% (2021 est.)
55,270 (2017 est.)
24% (2017 est.)
28.2% (2016 est.)
38% (2008 est.)
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA
revenues: $323 million (2019 est.)
expenditures: $263 million (2019 est.)
3.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
70.4% of GDP (2017 est.)
82% of GDP (2016 est.)
25.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
calendar year
-$293.776 million (2021 est.)
-$219.561 million (2020 est.)
-$176.958 million (2019 est.)
$393.766 million (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$421.843 million (2020 est.)
$661.723 million (2019 est.)
United States 30%, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 12%, France 7%, Germany 5%, Trinidad and Tobago 5% (2021)
nutmeg, tuna, cocoa beans, fruits, nuts, toilet paper, acrylic paints, beer (2021)
$650 million (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$587 million (2020 est.)
$727 million (2019 est.)
United States 35%, Trinidad and Tobago 17%, Cayman Islands 8%, China 5%, United Kingdom 4% (2021)
refined petroleum, poultry, cars, food preparation materials, delivery trucks (2021)
$348.259 million (31 December 2021 est.)
$293.32 million (31 December 2020 est.)
$236.325 million (31 December 2019 est.)
$793.5 million (2017 est.)
$682.3 million (2016 est.)
East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
2.7 (2021 est.)
2.7 (2020 est.)
2.7 (2019 est.)
2.7 (2018 est.)
2.7 (2017 est.)
electrification - total population: 93.7% (2021)
electrification - urban areas: 93% (2020)
electrification - rural areas: 96% (2020)
installed generating capacity: 55,000 kW (2020 est.)
consumption: 194.495 million kWh (2019 est.)
exports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)
imports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 19 million kWh (2019 est.)comparison rankings:
fossil fuels: 98.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
solar: 1.6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
wind: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 2,200 bbl/day (2019 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
1,886 bbl/day (2015 est.)
production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
316,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 316,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
39.799 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
J3
3 (2021)
3
note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
total: 1,127 km (2017)
paved: 902 km (2017)
unpaved: 225 km (2017)
total: 6 (2022)
by type: general cargo 3, other 3
major seaport(s): Saint George’s
manyapis