Demographics of Saint Lucia
This is a demography of the population of Saint Lucia including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1843 | 20,694 | — |
1851 | 24,185 | +16.9% |
1861 | 26,674 | +10.3% |
1871 | 31,610 | +18.5% |
1881 | 38,551 | +22.0% |
1891 | 42,220 | +9.5% |
1901 | 49,883 | +18.2% |
1911 | 48,637 | −2.5% |
1921 | 51,505 | +5.9% |
1946 | 70,113 | +36.1% |
1960 | 86,108 | +22.8% |
1970 | 100,893 | +17.2% |
1980 | 113,409 | +12.4% |
1991 | 133,308 | +17.5% |
2001 | 157,775 | +18.4% |
2010 | 165,595 | +5.0% |
Source:[1] |
Demographics of Saint Lucia | |
---|---|
![]() Population pyramid of Saint Lucia in 2020 | |
Population | 167,122 (2022 est.) |
Growth rate | 0.29% (2022 est.) |
Birth rate | 12.02 births/1,000 population (2022 est.) |
Death rate | 8.07 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.) |
Life expectancy | 78.95 years |
Fertility rate | 1.72 children born/woman (2022 est.) |
Infant mortality rate | 11.99 deaths/1,000 live births |
Net migration rate | -1.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.) |
Age structure | |
0–14 years | 19.24% |
65 and over | 13.1% |
Nationality | |
Nationality | Saint Lucian |
Major ethnic | Black/African descent (85.3%) |
Language | |
Official | English |
Population

According to the 2018 population census, Saint Lucia has a population of 179,667.[2] The estimated population of 2021 is 179,651 (the 2022 revision of the World Population Prospects[3][4]). The population is evenly divided between urban and rural areas.
Vital statistics
Average population (x 1000) | Live births | Deaths | Natural change | Crude birth rate (per 1000) | Crude death rate (per 1000) | Natural change (per 1000) | Total fertility rate[5] | Infant mortality rate | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1950 | 79 | 2 820 | 1 184 | 1 636 | 34.1 | 14.3 | 19.8 | ||
1951 | 80 | 2 892 | 1 389 | 1 503 | 34.5 | 16.6 | 17.9 | ||
1952 | 81 | 2 906 | 1 246 | 1 660 | 34.3 | 14.7 | 19.6 | ||
1953 | 81 | 3 069 | 1 156 | 1 913 | 35.9 | 13.5 | 22.4 | ||
1954 | 82 | 3 090 | 1 028 | 2 062 | 35.9 | 11.9 | 23.9 | ||
1955 | 83 | 3 549 | 1 034 | 2 515 | 41.0 | 11.9 | 29.0 | ||
1956 | 83 | 3 571 | 1 127 | 2 444 | 41.0 | 12.9 | 28.0 | ||
1957 | 84 | 3 924 | 1 270 | 2 654 | 44.7 | 14.5 | 30.3 | ||
1958 | 85 | 3 952 | 1 269 | 2 683 | 44.7 | 14.4 | 30.4 | ||
1959 | 85 | 4 108 | 1 297 | 2 811 | 46.1 | 14.6 | 31.6 | ||
1960 | 86.444 | 4 240 | 1 281 | 2 959 | 47.2 | 14.2 | 32.9 | ||
1961 | 87.800 | 4 011 | 1 228 | 2 783 | 44.1 | 13.5 | 30.6 | ||
1962 | 89.178 | 3 935 | 1 186 | 2 749 | 42.7 | 12.9 | 29.9 | ||
1963 | 90.577 | 3 981 | 1 069 | 2 912 | 42.6 | 11.4 | 31.2 | ||
1964 | 91.998 | 4 098 | 864 | 3 234 | 43.2 | 9.1 | 34.1 | ||
1965 | 93.441 | 4 379 | 842 | 3 537 | 45.5 | 8.7 | 36.7 | ||
1966 | 94.907 | 4 307 | 746 | 3 561 | 44.0 | 7.6 | 36.4 | ||
1967 | 96.396 | 4 340 | 887 | 3 453 | 43.6 | 8.9 | 34.7 | ||
1968 | 97.908 | 4 152 | 821 | 3 331 | 41.0 | 8.1 | 32.9 | ||
1969 | 99.444 | 4 057 | 791 | 3 266 | 39.5 | 7.7 | 31.8 | ||
1970 | 101.366 | 3 958 | 825 | 3 133 | 38.0 | 7.9 | 30.1 | ||
1971 | 102.779 | 4 083 | 802 | 3 281 | 38.7 | 7.6 | 31.1 | ||
1972 | 104.192 | 4 151 | 950 | 3 201 | 39.0 | 8.9 | 30.1 | ||
1973 | 105.605 | 4 054 | 835 | 3 219 | 37.7 | 7.8 | 30.0 | ||
1974 | 107.018 | 3 909 | 827 | 3 082 | 36.0 | 7.6 | 28.4 | ||
1975 | 108.431 | 4 051 | 855 | 3 196 | 36.9 | 7.8 | 29.1 | ||
1976 | 109.844 | 3 920 | 893 | 3 027 | 35.2 | 8.0 | 27.2 | ||
1977 | 111.257 | 4 127 | 815 | 3 312 | 36.6 | 7.2 | 29.4 | ||
1978 | 112.670 | 4 029 | 781 | 3 248 | 35.2 | 6.8 | 28.4 | ||
1979 | 114.083 | 3 808 | 850 | 2 958 | 32.7 | 7.3 | 25.4 | ||
1980 | 115.499 | 3 944 | 843 | 3 101 | 33.4 | 7.1 | 26.3 | ||
1981 | 117.360 | 3 860 | 843 | 3 017 | 32.3 | 7.0 | 25.2 | ||
1982 | 119.360 | 4 045 | 845 | 3 200 | 33.4 | 7.0 | 26.4 | ||
1983 | 121.083 | 4 069 | 795 | 3 274 | 33.2 | 6.5 | 26.7 | ||
1984 | 122.944 | 4 159 | 740 | 3 419 | 33.4 | 5.9 | 27.5 | ||
1985 | 124.805 | 4 223 | 824 | 3 399 | 33.4 | 6.5 | 26.9 | 3.5 | |
1986 | 126.666 | 3 907 | 843 | 3 064 | 30.4 | 6.6 | 23.8 | ||
1987 | 128.527 | 3 833 | 934 | 2 899 | 29.3 | 7.1 | 22.1 | ||
1988 | 130.388 | 3 643 | 902 | 2 741 | 27.3 | 6.8 | 20.5 | ||
1989 | 132.249 | 3 652 | 882 | 2 770 | 26.9 | 6.5 | 20.4 | ||
1990 | 134.110 | 3 582 | 874 | 2 708 | 25.9 | 6.3 | 19.6 | ||
1991 | 135.975 | 3 572 | 866 | 2 706 | 25.5 | 6.2 | 19.3 | ||
1992 | 137.607 | 3 761 | 919 | 2 842 | 26.5 | 6.5 | 20.0 | ||
1993 | 139.909 | 3 556 | 907 | 2 649 | 24.8 | 6.3 | 18.4 | ||
1994 | 142.688 | 3 684 | 915 | 2 769 | 25.4 | 6.3 | 19.1 | ||
1995 | 145.437 | 3 705 | 940 | 2 765 | 25.2 | 6.4 | 18.8 | ||
1996 | 147.062 | 3 299 | 950 | 2 349 | 22.1 | 6.4 | 15.8 | ||
1997 | 149.666 | 3 444 | 981 | 2 463 | 22.8 | 6.5 | 16.3 | ||
1998 | 151.952 | 2 950 | 976 | 1 974 | 19.3 | 6.4 | 12.9 | ||
1999 | 154.220 | 2 997 | 981 | 2 016 | 19.3 | 6.3 | 13.0 | ||
2000 | 155.996 | 2 904 | 941 | 1 963 | 18.5 | 6.0 | 12.5 | ||
2001 | 157.775 | 2 788 | 998 | 1 790 | 17.6 | 6.3 | 11.3 | ||
2002 | 158.644 | 2 598 | 960 | 1 638 | 16.2 | 6.0 | 10.2 | ||
2003 | 159.513 | 2 486 | 1 046 | 1 440 | 15.4 | 6.5 | 8.9 | ||
2004 | 160.382 | 2 322 | 1 114 | 1 208 | 14.2 | 6.8 | 7.4 | ||
2005 | 161.250 | 2 298 | 1 110 | 1 188 | 14.3 | 6.9 | 7.4 | 1.5 | 21.3 |
2006 | 162.119 | 2 261 | 1 029 | 1 232 | 13.9 | 6.3 | 7.6 | 1.4 | 21.7 |
2007 | 162.988 | 2 191 | 1 029 | 1 162 | 13.4 | 6.3 | 7.1 | 1.5 | 16.9 |
2008 | 163.857 | 2 210 | 1 022 | 1 188 | 13.6 | 6.2 | 7.3 | 1.5 | 17.6 |
2009 | 164.726 | 2 192 | 954 | 1 238 | 13.3 | 5.8 | 7.5 | 1.5 | 16.9 |
2010 | 165.595 (census) | 1 882 | 737 | 1 145 | 11.4 | 4.5 | 6.9 | 1.4 | 15.4 |
2011 | 167.366 | 2 009 | 983 | 1 026 | 12.0 | 5.9 | 6.1 | 1.5 | 20.9 |
2012 | 169.115 | 2 103 | 922 | 1 181 | 12.4 | 5.5 | 6.9 | 1.5 | 16.2 |
2013 | 170.745 | ||||||||
2014 | 172.623 | ||||||||
2015 | 174.257 | 2 069 | 11.9 | 26.1 | |||||
2016 | 175.819 | 15.0 | |||||||
2017 | 177.301 | 31.0 | |||||||
2018 | 178.696 | 15.8 |
Structure of the population
Age Group | Male | Female | Total | % |
---|---|---|---|---|
Total | 81 919 | 83 675 | 165 594 | 100 |
0–4 | 5 979 | 5 831 | 11 810 | 7.13 |
5–9 | 6 678 | 6 472 | 13 150 | 7.94 |
10–14 | 7 479 | 7 439 | 14 918 | 9.01 |
15–19 | 8 116 | 7 805 | 15 921 | 9.61 |
20–24 | 6 744 | 6 876 | 13 620 | 8.22 |
25–29 | 6 553 | 6 736 | 13 289 | 8.03 |
30–34 | 6 150 | 6 103 | 12 253 | 7.40 |
35–39 | 5 952 | 6 333 | 12 285 | 7.42 |
40–44 | 6 043 | 6 175 | 12 218 | 7.38 |
45–49 | 5 496 | 5 467 | 10 963 | 6.62 |
50–54 | 4 447 | 4 479 | 8 926 | 5.39 |
55–59 | 3 177 | 3 313 | 6 490 | 3.92 |
60–64 | 2 687 | 2 797 | 5 484 | 3.31 |
65-69 | 2 087 | 2 293 | 4 380 | 2.65 |
70-74 | 1 722 | 1 869 | 3 591 | 2.17 |
75-79 | 1 145 | 1 420 | 2 565 | 1.55 |
80-84 | 796 | 1 108 | 1 904 | 1.15 |
85-89 | 428 | 742 | 1 170 | 0.71 |
90-94 | 163 | 282 | 445 | 0.27 |
95-99 | 69 | 107 | 176 | 0.11 |
100+ | 8 | 28 | 36 | 0.02 |
Age group | Male | Female | Total | Percent |
0–14 | 20 136 | 19 742 | 39 878 | 24.08 |
15–64 | 55 365 | 56 084 | 111 449 | 67.30 |
65+ | 6 418 | 7 849 | 14 267 | 8.62 |
Age Group | Male | Female | Total | % |
---|---|---|---|---|
Total | 90 419 | 91 860 | 182 279 | 100 |
0–4 | 5 381 | 5 266 | 10 647 | 5.84 |
5–9 | 5 263 | 5 047 | 10 310 | 5.66 |
10–14 | 5 750 | 5 504 | 11 254 | 6.17 |
15–19 | 6 307 | 6 047 | 12 353 | 6.78 |
20–24 | 6 900 | 6 839 | 13 739 | 7.54 |
25–29 | 8 028 | 7 773 | 15 801 | 8.67 |
30–34 | 7 594 | 7 595 | 15 189 | 8.33 |
35–39 | 7 265 | 7 425 | 14 691 | 8.06 |
40–44 | 6 894 | 6 612 | 13 507 | 7.41 |
45–49 | 6 458 | 6 370 | 12 828 | 7.04 |
50–54 | 6 260 | 6 352 | 12 612 | 6.92 |
55–59 | 5 734 | 5 791 | 11 524 | 6.32 |
60–64 | 4 670 | 4 823 | 9 493 | 5.21 |
65-69 | 3 162 | 3 500 | 6 662 | 3.65 |
70-74 | 2 192 | 2 602 | 4 794 | 2.63 |
75-79 | 1 376 | 1 916 | 3 292 | 1.81 |
80-84 | 775 | 1 274 | 2 049 | 1.12 |
85+ | 410 | 1 124 | 1 534 | 0.84 |
Age group | Male | Female | Total | Percent |
0–14 | 16 394 | 15 817 | 32 211 | 17.67 |
15–64 | 66 110 | 65 627 | 131 737 | 72.27 |
65+ | 7 915 | 10 416 | 18 331 | 10.06 |
Ethnic groups
Saint Lucia's population is predominantly African/black (141,216 in 2010; 85.3% of the total population) or of mixed African-European descent (17,965; 10.8%).[2] 2.2% of the population is East Indian (3,575 residents in 2010) and 0.6% white (991). Saint Lucia also has a small Amerindian (Carib) population. During the past decades the Amerindian (Carib) increased from 366 at the 1991 census (0.3% of the population), 803 at the 2001 census (0.5% of the population) to 951 in 2010 (0.6% of the population.
The remaining 0.5% of the population includes Chinese (0.1%) and people from the Middle East (0.1%).
Languages
The official language is English.[11][12] Saint Lucian Creole French (Kwéyòl), which is colloquially referred to as Patois ("Patwa"), is spoken by 95% of the population.[13] This Antillean Creole is used in literature and music, and is gaining official acknowledgement.[13] As it developed during the early period of French colonisation, the Creole is derived chiefly from French and West African languages, with some vocabulary from Carib and other sources. Saint Lucia is a member of La Francophonie.[14]
Religion
According to the 2010 census, 90.2% percent of the population of Saint Lucia is considered Christian, 2.3% has a non-Christian religion and 5.9% has no religion or did not state a religion (1.4%).[2]
Roughly two thirds of Christians are Roman Catholics (61.5% of the total population), a reflection of early French influence on the island, and 25.5% are Protestant. The Seventh-day Adventists constitute the largest Protestant group, with 10.4% of the population. Pentecostals are the second largest group (8.9%). The next largest group are Evangelicals (2.3% of the population), followed by Baptists (2.2%). Other Christians include Anglicanism (3.4%) and Jehovah's Witnesses (1.1%),
The number of non-Christians is small. These religious groups include the Rastafarian Movement (1.9% of the population), Hinduism (0.3%) and Muslims (0.1%).
References
- "Annual Statistical Digest" (PDF). 204.188.173.139:9090. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-10-06. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
- "Cepal-Celade::Redatam Style Page". 204.188.173.139:9090. Archived from the original on 2013-12-29. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
- "World Population Prospects 2022". population.un.org. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
- "World Population Prospects 2022: Demographic indicators by region, subregion and country, annually for 1950-2100" (XSLX). population.un.org ("Total Population, as of 1 July (thousands)"). United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
- "Population". 204.188.173.139:9090. 2013-05-13. Archived from the original on 2013-09-29. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
- "United Nations Statistics Division - Demographic and Social Statistics". Unstats.un.org. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
- "Home". 204.188.173.139:9090. Archived from the original on 2013-12-29. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
- "Demographic Profile : Saint Lucia" (PDF). Caricomstats.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-08-17. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
- "UNSD — Demographic and Social Statistics". unstats.un.org. Retrieved 2023-05-10.
- "Central America and Caribbean :: SAINT LUCIA". CIA The World Factbook. 2 May 2023.
- "About St. Lucia". Castries, St. Lucia: St. Lucis Tourist Board. Archived from the original on 5 June 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2011.
The official language spoken in Saint Lucia is English although many Saint Lucians also speak a French dialect, Creole (Kwéyòl).
- Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs (U.S. Department of State) (12 August 2011). "Background Note: Saint Lucia". United States Department of State. Retrieved 11 November 2011.
Languages: English (official); a French patois is common throughout the country.
- "Kweyolphone Countries Take Stock of the Language's Growth". Government of Saint Lucia. Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2008.
- "Welcome to the International Organisation of La Francophonie's official website". Paris: Organisation internationale de la Francophonie. Archived from the original on 4 November 2010. Retrieved 11 November 2011.