Seychelles was uninhabited prior to being discovered by Europeans early in the 16th century. A lengthy struggle between France and Great Britain for the islands ended in 1814, when they were ceded to the latter. During colonial rule, a plantation-based economy developed that relied on imported labor, primarily from European colonies in Africa. Seychelles gained independence in 1976 through negotiations with Great Britain. In 1977, prime minister France-Albert RENE launched a coup against the country’s first president and Seychelles became a socialist one-party state until adopting a new constitution and holding elections in 1993. RENE continued to lead Seychelles through two election cycles until he stepped down in 2004. Vice President James Alix MICHEL took over the presidency and in 2006 was elected to a new five-year term; he was reelected in 2011 and again in 2015. In 2016, James MICHEL resigned and handed over the presidency to his vice-president, Danny FAURE. In 2020, Wavel RAMKALAWAN was elected president, the first time an opposition candidate has won the presidency.
land: 455 sq km
water: 0 sq km
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
arable land: 2.2% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 4.3% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)
forest: 88.5% (2018 est.)
other: 5% (2018 est.)
97,617 (2023 est.)
noun: Seychellois (singular and plural)
adjective: Seychellois
predominantly Creole (mainly of East African and Malagasy heritage); also French, Indian, Chinese, and Arab populations
Seychellois Creole (official) 89.1%, English (official) 5.1%, French (official) 0.7%, other 3.8%, unspecified 1.4% (2010 est.)
Roman Catholic 76.2%, Protestant 10.5% (Anglican 6.1%, Pentecostal Assembly 1.5%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.2%, other Protestant 1.7%), other Christian 2.4%, Hindu 2.4%, Muslim 1.6%, other non-Christian 1.1%, unspecified 4.8%, none 0.9% (2010 est.)
Seychelles has no indigenous population and was first permanently settled by a small group of French planters, African slaves, and South Indians in 1770. Seychelles’ modern population is composed of the descendants of French and later British settlers, Africans, and Indian, Chinese, and Middle Eastern traders and is concentrated on three of its 155 islands – the vast majority on Mahe and lesser numbers on Praslin and La Digue. Seychelles’ population grew rapidly during the second half of the 20th century, largely due to natural increase, but the pace has slowed because of fertility decline. The total fertility rate dropped sharply from 4.0 children per woman in 1980 to 1.9 in 2015, mainly as a result of a family planning program, free education and health care, and increased female labor force participation. Life expectancy has increased steadily, but women on average live 9 years longer than men, a difference that is higher than that typical of developed countries.The combination of reduced fertility and increased longevity has resulted in an aging population, which will put pressure on the government’s provision of pensions and health care. Seychelles’ sustained investment in social welfare services, such as free primary health care and education up to the post-secondary level, have enabled the country to achieve a high human development index score – among the highest in Africa. Despite some of its health and education indicators being nearly on par with Western countries, Seychelles has a high level of income inequality.An increasing number of migrant workers – mainly young men – have been coming to Seychelles in recent years to work in the construction and tourism industries. As of 2011, foreign workers made up nearly a quarter of the workforce. Indians are the largest non-Seychellois population – representing half of the country’s foreigners – followed by Malagasy.
0-14 years: 17.95% (male 8,999/female 8,524)
15-64 years: 72.58% (male 37,677/female 33,177)
65 years and over: 9.47% (2023 est.) (male 3,956/female 5,284)
total dependency ratio: 45
youth dependency ratio: 33.6
elderly dependency ratio: 11.4
potential support ratio: 8.7 (2021 est.)
total: 38.2 years (2023 est.)
male: 37.7 years
female: 38.8 years
0.6% (2023 est.)
12.1 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
6.9 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
0.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)
more than three-quarters of the population lives on the main island of Mahe; Praslin contains less than 10%; a smaller percent on La Digue and the outer islands as shown in this
urban population: 58.8% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.99% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
28,000 VICTORIA (capital) (2018)
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.14 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
total population: 1.08 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
3 deaths/100,000 live births (2020)
total: 10.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
male: 13.1 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 7.6 deaths/1,000 live births
total population: 76.4 years (2023 est.)
male: 72 years
female: 80.9 years
1.81 children born/woman (2023 est.)
0.89 (2023 est.)
NA
improved: urban: NA
rural: NA
total: 96.2% of population
unimproved: urban: NA
rural: NA
total: 3.8% of population (2017 est.)
6.4% of GDP (2020)
2.25 physicians/1,000 population (2019)
3.6 beds/1,000 population (2011)
improved: urban: NA
rural: NA
total: 100% of population
unimproved: urban: NA
rural: NA
total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
14% (2016)
total: 9.48 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 4.11 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 0.49 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 4.62 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0.25 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
total: 20.2% (2020 est.)
male: 34% (2020 est.)
female: 6.4% (2020 est.)
45% (2023 est.)
5.2% of GDP (2020 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95.9%
male: 95.4%
female: 96.4% (2018)
total: 15 years
male: 13 years
female: 16 years (2021)
water supply depends on catchments to collect rainwater; water pollution; biodiversity maintainance
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
tropical marine; humid; cooler season during southeast monsoon (late May to September); warmer season during northwest monsoon (March to May)
agricultural land: 6.5% (2018 est.)
arable land: 2.2% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 4.3% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)
forest: 88.5% (2018 est.)
other: 5% (2018 est.)
urban population: 58.8% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.99% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
0.09% of GDP (2018 est.)
0% of GDP (2018 est.)
particulate matter emissions: 16.96 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 0.61 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 0.1 megatons (2020 est.)
municipal solid waste generated annually: 48,000 tons (2012 est.)
municipal: 10 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
industrial: 3.8 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
agricultural: 900,000 cubic meters (2017 est.)
0 cubic meters (2017 est.)
high-income Indian Ocean island economy; rapidly growing tourism sector; major tuna exporter; offshore financial hub; environmentally fragile and investing in ocean rise mitigation; recently discovered offshore oil potential; successful anticorruption efforts
$2.855 billion (2021 est.)
$2.647 billion (2020 est.)
$2.867 billion (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
7.86% (2021 est.)
-7.69% (2020 est.)
3.1% (2019 est.)
$28,800 (2021 est.)
$26,900 (2020 est.)
$29,400 (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
$1.748 billion (2019 est.)
8.28% (2020 est.)
2.07% (2019 est.)
3.7% (2018 est.)
Fitch rating: B+ (2020)
note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
agriculture: 2.5% (2017 est.)
industry: 13.8% (2017 est.)
services: 83.7% (2017 est.)comparison rankings:
household consumption: 52.7% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 34.4% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 26.7% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 0% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 79.4% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -93.2% (2017 est.)
coconuts, vegetables, bananas, fruit, eggs, poultry, tomatoes, pork, tropical fruit, cassava
fishing, tourism, beverages
3.63% (2021 est.)
51,000 (2018 est.)
3% (2017 est.)
2.7% (2016 est.)
total: 16.5% (2020 est.)
male: 17.5%
female: 15.6%
25.3% (2018 est.)
32.1 (2018 est.)
lowest 10%: 4.7%
highest 10%: 15.4% (2007)
revenues: $601 million (2019 est.)
expenditures: $586 million (2019 est.)
-0.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
63.6% of GDP (2017 est.)
69.1% of GDP (2016 est.)
31.52% (of GDP) (2018 est.)
calendar year
-$154.259 million (2021 est.)
-$173.236 million (2020 est.)
-$53.115 million (2019 est.)
$1.751 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$1.24 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$2.085 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
United Arab Emirates 17%, United Kingdom 13%, France 12%, British Virgin Islands 11%, Zambia 9%, Mauritius 5%, Japan 5% (2019)
refined petroleum, fish, recreational boats, cigarettes, animal meal (2019)
$1.821 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$1.332 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$2.025 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
United Arab Emirates 21%, Qatar 13%, British Virgin Islands 7%, Germany 6%, France 6%, China 5%, Spain 5%, South Africa 5% (2019)
recreational boats, refined petroleum, fish, aircraft, cars (2019)
$702.585 million (31 December 2021 est.)
$559.682 million (31 December 2020 est.)
$580.546 million (31 December 2019 est.)
$4.802 billion (2019 est.)
$4.613 billion (2018 est.)
Seychelles rupees (SCR) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
16.921 (2021 est.)
17.617 (2020 est.)
14.033 (2019 est.)
13.911 (2018 est.)
13.648 (2017 est.)
electrification - total population: 100% (2021)
installed generating capacity: 157,000 kW (2020 est.)
consumption: 463.894 million kWh (2019 est.)
exports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)
imports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 30 million kWh (2019 est.)comparison rankings:
fossil fuels: 99.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
solar: 0.9% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
wind: 0% 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: 7,500 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.)
7,225 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.)
1.156 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 1.156 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
163.06 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 7
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 455,201 (2018)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 7.79 million (2018) mt-km
S7
14 (2021)
7
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.)
7
note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control
1 (2021)
total: 526 km (2015)
paved: 514 km (2015)
unpaved: 12 km (2015)
total: 31 (2022)
by type: general cargo 6, oil tanker 7, other 18
major seaport(s): Victoria
manyapis