Grenada

Country Summary

Introduction

Background

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 and Britain took the island in 1762 establishing sugar, cacao, and then nutmeg plantations. Independence was attained in 1974, making Grenada one of the smallest independent countries in the Western Hemisphere.

Geography

Area

total: 344 sq km
land: 344 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Climate

tropical; tempered by northeast trade winds

Natural resources

timber, tropical fruit

People and Society

Population

114,299 (2023 est.)

Ethnic groups

African descent 82.4%, mixed 13.3%, East Indian 2.2%, other 1.3%, unspecified 0.9% (2011 est.)

Languages

English (official), French patois

Religions

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.)

Population growth rate

0.29% (2023 est.)

Government

Government type

parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

Capital

name: Saint George's

Executive branch

chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor General Cecile LA GRENADE (since 7 May 2013)
head of government: Prime Minister Dickon MITCHELL (since 24 June 2022)

Legislative branch

description: bicameral Parliament consists of:
Senate (13 seats; members appointed by the governor general - 10 on the advice of the prime minister and 3 on the advice of the leader of the opposition party; members serve 5-year terms)
House of Representatives (15 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)

Economy

Economic overview

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

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$1.706 billion (2021 est.)
$1.629 billion (2020 est.)
$1.889 billion (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita

$13,700 (2021 est.)
$13,200 (2020 est.)
$15,400 (2019 est.)

Agricultural products

bananas, watermelons, sweet potatoes, sugar cane, tomatoes, plantains, coconuts, melons, cucumbers, cabbages

Industries

food and beverages, textiles, light assembly operations, tourism, construction, education, call-center operations

Remittances

6.59% of GDP (2021 est.)
6.75% of GDP (2020 est.)
5.22% of GDP (2019 est.)

Exports

$393.766 million (2021 est.)
$421.843 million (2020 est.)
$661.723 million (2019 est.)

Exports - partners

United States 30%, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 12%, France 7%, Germany 5%, Trinidad and Tobago 5% (2021)

Exports - commodities

nutmeg, tuna, cocoa beans, fruits, nuts, toilet paper, acrylic paints, beer (2021)

Imports

$650 million (2021 est.)
$587 million (2020 est.)
$727 million (2019 est.)

Imports - partners

United States 35%, Trinidad and Tobago 17%, Cayman Islands 8%, China 5%, United Kingdom 4% (2021)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, poultry, cars, food preparation materials, delivery trucks (2021)

Exchange rates

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.)


Page last updated: Wednesday, December 06, 2023