Saint Lucia ranked 172/197 by economy size with a GDP of $2.55B and 70/197 by GDP per capita at $14,182. Saint Lucia has $1.91B in government debt, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 74.5%.
In 2025, Saint Lucia made up 0.002% of the world's economy, compared to 0.001% in 1980.
The chart below shows GDP in nominal terms, GDP adjusted for inflation (in constant dollars), and a bar chart of year-over-year inflation-adjusted growth.
| Year | GDP | GDP growth | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current $ | Constant $ | ||
| 1977 | - | $483,071,666 | - |
| 1978 | - | $532,885,730 | - |
| 1979 | - | $553,096,671 | - |
| 1980 | $170,370,370 | $540,815,004 | - |
| 1981 | $194,444,444 | $574,941,800 | 14.1% |
| 1982 | $183,333,333 | $586,937,053 | -5.71% |
| 1983 | $197,037,037 | $616,080,731 | 7.47% |
| 1984 | $251,481,481 | $660,842,530 | 27.6% |
| 1985 | $284,444,444 | $715,611,607 | 13.1% |
| 1986 | $340,000,000 | $818,674,128 | 19.5% |
| 1987 | $375,555,556 | $850,796,702 | 10.5% |
| 1988 | $429,629,630 | $969,054,583 | 14.4% |
| 1989 | $486,666,667 | $1,056,085,416 | 13.3% |
| 1990 | $579,629,630 | $1,160,539,673 | 19.1% |
| 1991 | $613,703,704 | $1,164,899,565 | 5.88% |
| 1992 | $674,074,074 | $1,257,544,906 | 9.84% |
| 1993 | $684,814,815 | $1,264,878,904 | 1.59% |
| 1994 | $713,703,704 | $1,285,098,755 | 4.22% |
| 1995 | $762,962,963 | $1,307,565,184 | 6.9% |
| 1996 | $788,888,889 | $1,345,779,926 | 3.4% |
| 1997 | $805,925,926 | $1,336,438,462 | 2.16% |
| 1998 | $877,407,407 | $1,420,453,281 | 8.87% |
| 1999 | $921,851,852 | $1,458,387,956 | 5.07% |
| 2000 | $932,592,593 | $1,459,098,899 | 1.17% |
| 2001 | $892,592,593 | $1,409,371,876 | -4.29% |
| 2002 | $900,000,000 | $1,415,241,212 | 0.83% |
| 2003 | $987,407,407 | $1,475,595,751 | 9.71% |
| 2004 | $1,066,666,667 | $1,582,833,328 | 8.03% |
| 2005 | $1,135,555,556 | $1,576,338,888 | 6.46% |
| 2006 | $1,268,319,185 | $1,673,997,138 | 11.7% |
| 2007 | $1,336,088,815 | $1,702,314,784 | 5.34% |
| 2008 | $1,437,731,111 | $1,786,567,823 | 7.61% |
| 2009 | $1,401,507,889 | $1,736,027,614 | -2.52% |
| 2010 | $1,482,385,185 | $1,741,756,827 | 5.77% |
| 2011 | $1,568,370,370 | $1,817,121,649 | 5.8% |
| 2012 | $1,598,207,407 | $1,815,145,417 | 1.9% |
| 2013 | $1,660,392,593 | $1,782,131,987 | 3.89% |
| 2014 | $1,749,185,185 | $1,805,800,308 | 5.35% |
| 2015 | $1,807,640,741 | $1,807,640,741 | 3.34% |
| 2016 | $1,868,544,444 | $1,869,604,354 | 3.37% |
| 2017 | $1,998,503,704 | $1,932,793,731 | 6.96% |
| 2018 | $2,060,955,556 | $1,988,589,215 | 3.12% |
| 2019 | $2,095,344,444 | $1,974,662,680 | 1.67% |
| 2020 | $1,499,274,074 | $1,493,605,760 | -28.4% |
| 2021 | $1,867,185,185 | $1,666,845,860 | 24.5% |
| 2022 | $2,342,714,815 | $2,006,689,781 | 25.5% |
| 2023 | $2,430,166,667 | $2,051,035,272 | 3.73% |
| 2024 | $2,549,062,963 | $2,130,856,443 | 4.89% |
Economic Statistics of Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Gross domestic product |
$2.55B
2024 |
172/197 |
| GDP growth |
4.89%
2023-2024 |
112/196 |
| GDP per capita |
$14,182
2024 |
70/197 |
| GDP per capita, PPP |
$27,567
2024 |
75/197 |
| Government debt |
$1.91B
2024 |
158/185 |
| Debt-to-GDP ratio |
74.5%
2025 |
48/185 |
| Government debt per person |
$10,604
2024 |
57/185 |
| Average annual personal income after taxes |
$10,481
2025 |
72/197 |
| Income share by richest 10% |
34.1%
2015 |
23/169 |
| Income share by poorest 10% |
2.1%
2015 |
134/169 |
| Government expenditure, % of GDP |
25%
2025 |
123/195 |
| Consumer prices inflation |
-0.11%
2023-2024 |
186/195 |
| Unemployment rate |
10.1%
2024 |
37/196 |
| Population |
180421
|
178/197 |
Saint Lucia's GDP per capita
Saint Lucia has a GDP per capita of $14,182, ranking 70/197, a GDP per capita based on purchasing power parity (PPP) of $27,567, ranking 75/197, and a median annual after tax income of $10,481, ranking 72/197.
| Year | Current $ | |
|---|---|---|
| GDP per capita | GDP per capita, PPP | |
| 1980 | $1,428 | - |
| 1981 | $1,605 | - |
| 1982 | $1,489 | - |
| 1983 | $1,576 | - |
| 1984 | $1,979 | - |
| 1985 | $2,202 | - |
| 1986 | $2,591 | - |
| 1987 | $2,819 | - |
| 1988 | $3,182 | - |
| 1989 | $3,565 | - |
| 1990 | $4,205 | $6,951 |
| 1991 | $4,399 | $7,127 |
| 1992 | $4,760 | $7,753 |
| 1993 | $4,765 | $7,865 |
| 1994 | $4,892 | $8,041 |
| 1995 | $5,148 | $8,222 |
| 1996 | $5,244 | $8,490 |
| 1997 | $5,282 | $8,456 |
| 1998 | $5,673 | $8,965 |
| 1999 | $5,883 | $9,214 |
| 2000 | $5,880 | $9,314 |
| 2001 | $5,570 | $9,106 |
| 2002 | $5,568 | $9,205 |
| 2003 | $6,059 | $9,707 |
| 2004 | $6,495 | $10,610 |
| 2005 | $6,863 | $10,818 |
| 2006 | $7,611 | $11,758 |
| 2007 | $7,964 | $12,199 |
| 2008 | $8,517 | $12,969 |
| 2009 | $8,251 | $12,600 |
| 2010 | $8,674 | $12,718 |
| 2011 | $9,129 | $13,471 |
| 2012 | $9,260 | $13,443 |
| 2013 | $9,577 | $14,010 |
| 2014 | $10,045 | $14,403 |
| 2015 | $10,335 | $14,353 |
| 2016 | $10,638 | $15,307 |
| 2017 | $11,333 | $16,131 |
| 2018 | $11,643 | $17,433 |
| 2019 | $11,794 | $18,710 |
| 2020 | $8,411 | $14,912 |
| 2021 | $10,459 | $19,101 |
| 2022 | $13,104 | $24,599 |
| 2023 | $13,555 | $25,975 |
| 2024 | $14,182 | $27,567 |
Saint Lucia's government spending, deficit, and chart
This chart shows Saint Lucia's government spending, budget balance, and debt over time, each expressed as a share of GDP.
Over the past 41 years, Saint Lucia recorded a fiscal deficit in 35 years — average annual deficit equal to -2.12% of GDP. In 2024, government spending reached $618M (25% of GDP), with a deficit of -2.15%.
The national debt reached $1.91B, ranking 158th out of 185 countries by total size, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 74.5%, ranking 48th.
| Year | % of GDP | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Government spending | Government debt | Government deficit/surplus | |
| 1985 | 20.4% | 17.1% | -1.5% |
| 1986 | 21.1% | 17.2% | -1.61% |
| 1987 | 19.9% | 19.6% | 0.56% |
| 1988 | 18.2% | 18.6% | 2.02% |
| 1989 | 19% | 18.1% | 0.89% |
| 1990 | 16.7% | 17% | 0.29% |
| 1991 | 18.4% | 19.8% | -0.43% |
| 1992 | 18.4% | 22.2% | -0.66% |
| 1993 | 21.8% | 22.9% | -0.26% |
| 1994 | 19.1% | 23.8% | -0.02% |
| 1995 | 19.2% | 22.9% | -0.13% |
| 1996 | 18.9% | 24.1% | -0.58% |
| 1997 | 19.5% | 27.2% | -1.13% |
| 1998 | 18.8% | 29.4% | 2.25% |
| 1999 | 20.9% | 28.9% | 1.62% |
| 2000 | 20.7% | 32.5% | -1.16% |
| 2001 | 22.1% | 38.1% | -3.08% |
| 2002 | 23.6% | 48.8% | -3.1% |
| 2003 | 22.9% | 45.6% | -3.23% |
| 2004 | 22.9% | 49.6% | -2.63% |
| 2005 | 26% | 51.9% | -6.18% |
| 2006 | 24.7% | 48.6% | -5.07% |
| 2007 | 22.6% | 49.1% | -1.62% |
| 2008 | 22.2% | 46.7% | -0.72% |
| 2009 | 24.5% | 51% | -2.67% |
| 2010 | 26% | 53% | -4.17% |
| 2011 | 27% | 55.2% | -5.38% |
| 2012 | 28% | 60.8% | -7.62% |
| 2013 | 25.4% | 62.1% | -4.84% |
| 2014 | 23.6% | 62.4% | -3.08% |
| 2015 | 23.7% | 61.1% | -2.35% |
| 2016 | 23% | 61.3% | -0.79% |
| 2017 | 23.3% | 60.4% | -1.14% |
| 2018 | 23.2% | 60.5% | -1.03% |
| 2019 | 25.1% | 62.1% | -3.51% |
| 2020 | 35.2% | 100.8% | -12.1% |
| 2021 | 27.5% | 87.1% | -5.1% |
| 2022 | 22.9% | 74.1% | -1.67% |
| 2023 | 24.4% | 75.6% | -2.65% |
| 2024 | 24.2% | 74.8% | -1.31% |
| 2025 | 25% | 74.5% | -2.15% |
Inflation rate by year
Over the past 20 years, Saint Lucia has had an average annual inflation rate of 1.96%. In 2024, inflation was -0.11%. The bar chart below shows consumer price inflation by year.
| Year | Inflation |
|---|---|
| 1966 | 2.48% |
| 1967 | 3.21% |
| 1968 | 3.97% |
| 1969 | 2.25% |
| 1970 | 13.4% |
| 1971 | 8.39% |
| 1972 | 7.88% |
| 1973 | 13.4% |
| 1974 | 34.2% |
| 1975 | 17.7% |
| 1976 | 9.67% |
| 1977 | 8.87% |
| 1978 | 10.9% |
| 1979 | 9.39% |
| 1980 | 19.5% |
| 1981 | 15.1% |
| 1982 | 4.61% |
| 1983 | 1.47% |
| 1984 | 1.21% |
| 1985 | 1.42% |
| 1986 | 2.19% |
| 1987 | 7.02% |
| 1988 | 0.83% |
| 1989 | 4.37% |
| 1990 | 4.27% |
| 1991 | 6.15% |
| 1992 | 5.14% |
| 1993 | 0.85% |
| 1994 | 2.82% |
| 1995 | 5.63% |
| 1996 | 0.92% |
| 1997 | -0.006% |
| 1998 | 3.2% |
| 1999 | 3.5% |
| 2000 | 3.71% |
| 2001 | 5.31% |
| 2002 | -0.26% |
| 2003 | 1.03% |
| 2004 | 1.46% |
| 2005 | 3.9% |
| 2006 | 2.4% |
| 2007 | 2.82% |
| 2008 | 5.55% |
| 2009 | -0.16% |
| 2010 | 3.25% |
| 2011 | 2.77% |
| 2012 | 4.18% |
| 2013 | 1.47% |
| 2014 | 3.52% |
| 2015 | -0.98% |
| 2016 | -3.08% |
| 2017 | 0.1% |
| 2018 | 1.94% |
| 2019 | 0.54% |
| 2020 | -1.76% |
| 2021 | 2.41% |
| 2022 | 6.38% |
| 2023 | 4.07% |
| 2024 | -0.11% |
Balance of trade
|
Saint Lucia
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
Current account balance
|
-$64.1M
2024 |
82/189 |
| Current account balance, % of GDP |
-2.52%
2024 |
108/189 |
| Goods imports |
$848M
2024 |
166/188 |
| Goods exports |
$137M
2024 |
171/188 |
| Service imports |
$598M
2024 |
155/188 |
| Service exports |
$1.46B
2024 |
117/188 |
| Exports of goods and services, % of GDP |
19%
2025 |
152/193 |
Saint Lucia's top 10 trading partners
Saint Lucia's biggest trading partner accounting for 39.4%% of all exports and imports is the United States, with a trade balance between the two of -$193M — Saint Lucia exports $18.9M worth of goods and services to the United States and imports $212M.
Below is the list of the top 10 trade partners of Saint Lucia.
| Rank | Country | Trade value | Share of total trade | Export to | Import from | Top export to | Top import from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
United States
|
$231M | 39.4% | $18.9M | $212M | Precious metals & jewellery | Machinery & equipment |
| 2 |
Trinidad
|
$83.3M | 14.2% | $8.12M | $75.1M | Processed food, beverages & tobacco | Raw materials & minerals |
| 3 |
United Kingdom
|
$40M | 6.83% | $6.05M | $33.9M | Raw agricultural goods | Machinery & equipment |
| 4 |
China
|
$32M | 5.46% | $0 | $32M | Animal & marine products | Machinery & equipment |
| 5 |
Barbados
|
$17.2M | 2.94% | $5.57M | $11.7M | Processed food, beverages & tobacco | Processed food, beverages & tobacco |
| 6 |
Japan
|
$15.2M | 2.59% | $0 | $15.2M | Animal & marine products | Machinery & equipment |
| 7 |
France
|
$14.6M | 2.5% | $3.38M | $11.2M | Processed food, beverages & tobacco | Machinery & equipment |
| 8 |
Canada
|
$11.3M | 1.93% | $213K | $11.1M | Raw agricultural goods | Animal & marine products |
| 9 |
Guyana
|
$9.29M | 1.59% | $4.66M | $4.63M | Chemicals & pharma | Raw agricultural goods |
| 10 |
Saint Vincent
|
$8.34M | 1.42% | $3.29M | $5.05M | Machinery & equipment | Raw agricultural goods |
Saint Lucia's top 10 exports
|
Saint Lucia
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Transport & tourism services | $1.09B | 115/188 |
| Business & finance services | $29.6M | 149/188 |
| Processed food, beverages & tobacco | $20.1M | 154/192 |
| IT & IP services | $12.8M | 151/183 |
| Machinery & equipment | $10.2M | 163/193 |
| Raw agricultural goods | $9.4M | 159/193 |
| Precious metals & jewellery | $6.65M | 136/190 |
| Chemicals & pharma | $5.46M | 154/193 |
| Raw materials & minerals | $5.34M | 172/193 |
| Textiles & consumer goods | $3.71M | 157/193 |
Saint Lucia's top 10 imports
|
Saint Lucia
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Business & finance services | $293M | 128/188 |
| Transport & tourism services | $137M | 172/188 |
| Machinery & equipment | $129M | 177/193 |
| Raw materials & minerals | $83.7M | 174/193 |
| Processed food, beverages & tobacco | $80.2M | 174/193 |
| Chemicals & pharma | $59.6M | 174/193 |
| Textiles & consumer goods | $41.4M | 176/193 |
| Animal & marine products | $39.7M | 163/193 |
| Raw agricultural goods | $28.3M | 180/193 |
| Metals | $24.9M | 178/193 |
Economic freedom indices
|
Saint Lucia
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Economic freedom | 67 | 53/197 |
| Property rights | 69.5 | 52/182 |
| Government integrity | 59 | 52/182 |
| Judicial effectiveness | 74.6 | 52/182 |
| Tax burden | 78.6 | 95/181 |
| Government spending | 82.5 | 52/180 |
| Fiscal health | 74.3 | 82/181 |
| Business freedom | 73.8 | 57/182 |
| Labor freedom | 64.9 | 34/182 |
| Monetary freedom | 76.6 | 22/180 |
| Trade freedom | 60 | 149/181 |
| Investment freedom | 50 | 122/181 |
| Financial freedom | 40 | 125/181 |
Saint Lucia's economic freedom by year
Saint Lucia is ranked 47/180 for economic freedom with a score of 67, compared to 37/178 and a score of 68.8 in 2009.
| Year | Index | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economic freedom | Judicial effectiveness | Tax burden | Government spending | Fiscal health | |
| 2009 | 68.8 | - | 74 | 68.5 | - |
| 2010 | 70.5 | - | 73.2 | 71.4 | - |
| 2011 | 70.8 | - | 74.4 | 71.4 | - |
| 2012 | 71.3 | - | 74.1 | 67.7 | - |
| 2013 | 70.4 | - | 76.9 | 63.6 | - |
| 2014 | 70.7 | - | 75.7 | 63.6 | - |
| 2015 | 70.2 | - | 77.7 | 65.8 | - |
| 2016 | 70 | - | 76.9 | 70.6 | - |
| 2017 | 65 | 68.8 | 76.4 | 71.6 | 53.8 |
| 2018 | 67.6 | 69.2 | 75.5 | 72.4 | 67.7 |
| 2019 | 68.7 | 63.8 | 76.2 | 79.3 | 81.3 |
| 2020 | 68.2 | 62.6 | 76.9 | 80.6 | 83.8 |
| 2021 | 67.5 | 66.3 | 76.9 | 83.2 | 86.2 |
| 2022 | 64.3 | 76.9 | 77.5 | 78.7 | 50.1 |
| 2023 | 60.7 | 58.9 | 77.8 | 73.4 | 3 |
| 2024 | 62.2 | 74.4 | 77.3 | 76.8 | 28.8 |
| 2025 | 67 | 74.6 | 78.6 | 82.5 | 74.3 |
More economic indicators
|
Saint Lucia
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Services, % of GDP |
75.9%
2024 |
11/191 |
| Industry, % of GDP |
9.75%
2024 |
183/194 |
| Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, % of GDP |
1.13%
2024 |
170/193 |
|
GNI, Atlas method
|
$2.3B
2024 |
173/194 |
| GNI per capita, PPP |
$25,160
2024 |
74/191 |
| Total reserves including gold |
$406M
2024 |
162/177 |
|
Net foreign direct investment
|
-$187M
2024 |
80/188 |
|
Net inflows of foreign direct investment
|
$179M
2024 |
140/193 |
|
Net outflows of foreign direct investment
|
-$8.14M
2024 |
169/187 |
|
Servicing debt to the IMF, % of GNI
|
3.07%
2023 |
75/119 |
| Poverty at national poverty lines |
25%
2016 |
73/176 |
Compare countries by 7 more topics
GDP per capita map
GDP per capita
Relevant pages:
Saint Lucia topic pages:
Economy comparisons
The current account balance is the sum of net trade in goods and services, net earnings from cross-border investments, and net transfer payments. It reflects a country's economic transactions with the rest of the world and is a fundamental component of the balance of payments. A surplus indicates that a country exports more than it imports, while a deficit shows the opposite.
Gross National Income (GNI) measures a country's total income. It encompasses income earned by residents, businesses, and foreign sources, defined as employee compensation and investment profits. GNI adds product taxes not included elsewhere and subtracts subsidies. It accounts for income from residents working abroad but excludes earnings from foreigners within the country.
A negative value for Net Foreign Direct Investment indicates a country is a net receiver of investments, as foreign inflows exceed outflows after Balance of Payments adjustments. A positive value indicates a net provider, with outflows exceeding inflows. Inflows are credits (increasing foreign claims on domestic assets), while outflows are debits (increasing domestic assets abroad).
Foreign direct investment (FDI, net inflows) shows how much capital foreign investors bring into a country after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of overseas companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in the reporting country. A positive number means more capital entered the country than was withdrawn, while a negative number means foreign investors pulled out more than they invested.
Foreign direct investment (FDI, net outflows) shows how much capital residents of a country invest abroad after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of domestic companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in other countries. A positive number means more capital was invested abroad than withdrawn, while a negative number means residents pulled back more than they invested.
Principal and interest payments to the IMF in currency, goods, or services on long-term debt expressed as a share of GNI.