Country profile · Latin America & Caribbean

🇱🇨 St. Lucia

Upper middle income. Capital Castries. Full World Bank, WHO, ILO & OECD indicator profile across 37 measures, with regional peers and rankings.

179.7K
Population
$2.6 billion
GDP
$14,494
GDP / capita
72.8 years
Life expectancy
Latin America & Caribbean Upper middle income Capital: Castries

The verdict

St. Lucia ranks 185th of 217 by total GDP and 127th for life expectancy - a upper middle income economy in Latin America & Caribbean.

#185
World GDP rank (of 217)
$14,494
GDP per capita
#127
Life-expectancy rank
#183
Population rank

Ranks are computed across the 217 countries with data for each indicator; see the full tables and sources below.

St. Lucia on the global income map

St. Lucia (LCA) plotted alongside its largest economic peers on GDP per capita and the Human Development Index. Bubble area scales with population; color encodes income tier; gold rings mark OECD members.

St. Lucia on the global income map St. Lucia positioned on the GDP-per-capita / HDI plane against its largest economic peers. 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 $200 $1K $10K $100K GDP per capita (USD, log scale) Human Development Index (0–1) India - GDP/cap $2,695 · lower-middle income IND China - GDP/cap $13,303 · upper-middle income CHN United States - GDP/cap $84,534 · high income · OECD USA Indonesia - GDP/cap $4,925 · upper-middle income IDN Pakistan - GDP/cap $1,479 · lower-middle income Nigeria - GDP/cap $1,084 · low income Brazil - GDP/cap $10,311 · upper-middle income Bangladesh - GDP/cap $2,593 · lower-middle income Russian Federation - GDP/cap $14,889 · high income Ethiopia - GDP/cap $1,134 · low income Mexico - GDP/cap $14,186 · high income · OECD Japan - GDP/cap $32,487 · high income · OECD Egypt, Arab Rep. - GDP/cap $3,338 · lower-middle income Philippines - GDP/cap $3,985 · lower-middle income Congo, Dem. Rep. - GDP/cap $693 · low income Viet Nam - GDP/cap $4,717 · upper-middle income Iran, Islamic Rep. - GDP/cap $5,190 · upper-middle income Turkiye - GDP/cap $15,893 · high income · OECD Germany - GDP/cap $56,104 · high income · OECD Thailand - GDP/cap $7,387 · upper-middle income United Kingdom - GDP/cap $53,246 · high income · OECD Tanzania - GDP/cap $1,193 · lower-middle income France - GDP/cap $46,103 · high income · OECD South Africa - GDP/cap $6,267 · upper-middle income Italy - GDP/cap $40,385 · high income · OECD Kenya - GDP/cap $2,133 · lower-middle income Myanmar - GDP/cap $1,359 · lower-middle income Colombia - GDP/cap $7,951 · upper-middle income · OECD Korea, Rep. - GDP/cap $36,239 · high income · OECD Sudan - GDP/cap $985 · low income St. Lucia - GDP/cap $14,494 · high income Income tier Low Lower-middle Upper-middle High OECD member

Indicators tracked

37

Across 8 topic areas

GDP per capita

$14,494

Latest WB report

Population

179.7K

UN estimate

OECD member

No

Outside OECD harmonized stats

Population
179.7K
GDP
$2.6 billion
GDP per Capita
$14,494
Life Expectancy
72.8 years

Overview

St. Lucia has a population of 179.7K, making it the 183rd-most populous country out of 217 tracked in Latin America & Caribbean.

Its economy totals $2.6 billion - ranked 185th globally by total GDP. GDP per capita stands at $14,494, placing it in the Upper middle income category.

Life expectancy at birth is 72.8 years (ranked 127th globally), reflecting overall health outcomes as measured by the World Bank.

The capital is Castries.

👥 Demographics

Population
179.7K
2024
Population Ages 0-14
17.5%
2024
Population Ages 65+
9.6%
2024
Population Density
293.9/km²
2023
Urban Population
29.1%
2024

💰 Economy

Foreign Direct Investment
$186.6 million
2024
GDP (Current USD)
$2.6 billion
2024
GDP Growth Rate
4.8%
2024
GDP Per Capita (Current USD)
$14,493.658
2024
Government Debt (% of GDP)
45.9%
2010
Inflation (Consumer Prices)
-0.7%
2024
Unemployment Rate
10.2%
2024

🏥 Health

Health Expenditure (% of GDP)
4.7%
2023
Infant Mortality Rate
15.8 per 1,000
2024
Life Expectancy at Birth
72.8 years
2024
Maternal Mortality Ratio
44
2023
Physicians (per 1,000 people)
4.2 per 1,000
2020
Stunting Prevalence (under 5)
2.5
2012
Under-5 Mortality Rate
17.2 per 1,000
2024

📚 Education

Education Expenditure (% of GDP)
3.8%
2024
School Enrollment (Primary)
96.8
2024
School Enrollment (Secondary)
87.9
2024
School Enrollment (Tertiary)
15.0
2023
Youth Literacy Rate
100.0
2012

🌍 Environment

CO2 Emissions Per Capita
1.7
2024
Forest Area
34.0
2023
Freshwater Withdrawal
14.3
2022
Renewable Energy Consumption
9.7%
2022

🏗️ Infrastructure

Access to Electricity
100.0%
2023
Internet Users
68.2%
2024
Mobile Subscriptions
98.7
2022

⚖️ Social

Female Labor Participation
61.9
2024
GINI Index
43.7
2015
Intentional Homicides
39.0
2023
Male Labor Participation
74.8
2024
Net Migration
-7
2024
Poverty (< $2.15/day)
0.1%
2015

🫀 Disease Burden

Key causes of death and disease risk in St. Lucia. Source: WHO Global Health Observatory.

NCD Death Rate
467
per 100K · 2021
Premature NCD Risk
15.5%
dying 30–70 from NCD
Road Traffic Deaths
8.9
per 100K
Suicide Rate
10.9
per 100K
Maternal Mortality
44
per 100K births

Sources: WHO Global Health Observatory. NCD mortality rate: 2021. Rates are age-standardized per 100,000 population. Premature NCD risk covers cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory disease.

Compare St. Lucia with Another Country

What the data says about St. Lucia

St. Lucia is classified as an upper-middle-income economy, a tier where statistical capacity, and therefore data completeness, varies more widely than in high-income countries, so a missing or older data point on this profile usually reflects reporting lag rather than an absence of the underlying activity. Output and income figures are reported at market exchange rates in current dollars, which means currency depreciation or appreciation can shift the headline numbers for a small economy like this one even when the real economy is barely moving. Because these economies are also the ones most likely to shift income tier within a decade, the trend over several years usually tells a more useful story than any single year's value.

St. Lucia sits in Latin America & Caribbean with a population of 179.7K, placing it 183rd out of 217 countries by headcount. Its capital, Castries, anchors a Upper middle income economy with total GDP of $2.6 billion - ranked 185th globally, and GDP per capita of $14,494. This combination of demographic scale and economic output shapes everything from household purchasing power and domestic market depth to the country's weight in regional trade flows and international development programmes.

Life expectancy at birth in St. Lucia is 72.8 years, ranking 127th worldwide and offering a summary read on healthcare access, nutrition, sanitation, and long-run living standards. The World Bank's World Development Indicators, combined with the WHO Global Health Observatory and ILO ILOSTAT wage statistics, expose 37 data points across 7 thematic areas, from fertility and urbanisation to CO₂ emissions, school enrolment, and labour-force participation. Reading these indicators together, rather than in isolation, is what turns headline numbers into a grounded portrait of how people actually live.

Use the indicator tables below to track trajectories over time, jump to St. Lucia's placement on specific rankings such as GDP, population density, or life expectancy, and open the side-by-side Compare view to benchmark against peers inside Latin America & Caribbean or across income groups. Because all figures come from official, CC BY 4.0-licensed datasets with clear vintages, you can cite them directly in research or journalism. Where a field reads "N/A", the upstream agency has not yet released that value for St. Lucia - we never fabricate estimates or carry forward stale values, so missing points stay visible rather than quietly filled in.

Using the St. Lucia profile

A single rank only means something in context, read St. Lucia's numbers against its peers and over time.

  • Put St. Lucia side-by-side with another country to see exactly where the gaps are. Compare countries
  • See the full GDP table to find every country above and below St. Lucia's #185 position. GDP rankings
  • Browse Latin America & Caribbean to benchmark St. Lucia against its regional peers. Regional peers

Figures come from official World Bank, WHO, ILO and OECD releases; observation years differ by indicator (shown in the “Year” column) and unavailable values appear as “N/A” rather than estimates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does the data for St. Lucia come from?

Data for St. Lucia is sourced from the World Bank Open Data catalog, WHO Global Health Observatory, and ILO ILOSTAT (for average wages and working hours). These are official, publicly available datasets.

How current is the data for St. Lucia?

It varies by indicator - most points are 2020-2024. See our methodology page for the update cadence per source.

Can I compare St. Lucia with other countries?

Yes - use the compare tool above, or the rankings catalog to see where St. Lucia stands on any single indicator.

What does GDP per capita tell us about St. Lucia?

St. Lucia's total output divided by its population, in current US dollars - an approximate read on average economic productivity per person. See our methodology page for the PPP-adjustment caveats.

How does St. Lucia's life expectancy compare to the global average?

72.8 years, ranking 127th of 217 countries tracked - against a global average near 73 years.

Does PlainCountries cover visa or travel information for St. Lucia?

No - PlainCountries is development and health data only. PlainVisa (plainvisa.com) covers immigration policy; PlainFlights (plainflights.com) covers flight routes.

Source: World Bank Open Data, Source: WHO Global Health Observatory, Source: ILO ILOSTAT. World Bank and ILO data licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, financial, or policy advice. Data is sourced from the World Bank, WHO, ILO, and OECD. See our full disclaimer and editorial policy.