Anguilla

Central America and Caribbean The Valley

Population

19.4K

Area

91 km²

GDP

$452.73M

GDP Per Capita

$31,000

Pop. Density

213/km²

Quick Facts

Currency

$Eastern Caribbean dollar(XCD)

Calling Code

+1264

Timezone

UTC-04:00

Languages

English

Driving Side

left

Demonym

Anguillian

Background

English settlers from Saint Kitts first colonized Anguilla in 1650. Great Britain administered the island until the early 19th century, when -- against the wishes of the inhabitants -- Anguilla was incorporated into a single British dependency along with Saint Kitts and Nevis. Several attempts at separation failed. In 1971, two years after a revolt, Anguilla was finally allowed to secede; this arrangement was formally recognized in 1980, when Anguilla became a separate British dependency. In 2017, Hurricane Irma caused extensive damage on the island, particularly to communications and residential and business infrastructure.

Geography17

Location

Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico

Geographic coordinates

18 15 N, 63 10 W

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Area

total : 91 sq km
land: 91 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

about one-half the size of Washington, D.C.

Land boundaries

total: 0 km

Coastline

61 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Climate

tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds

Terrain

flat and low-lying island of coral and limestone

Elevation

highest point: Crocus Hill 73 m
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m

Natural resources

salt, fish, lobster

Land use

agricultural land

0% (2022 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)

forest

61.1% (2022 est.)

other

38.9% (2022 est.)

Irrigated land

0 sq km (2020)

Population distribution

most of the population is concentrated in The Valley in the center of the island; settlement is fairly uniform in the southwest, but rather sparse in the northeast

Natural hazards

frequent hurricanes and other tropical storms (July to October)

Geography - note

the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles

People & Society23

Population

total: 19,416 (2024 est.)
male: 9,107
female: 10,309

Nationality

noun: Anguillan(s)
adjective: Anguillan

Ethnic groups

African/Black 85.3%, Hispanic 4.9%, mixed 3.8%, White 3.2%, East Indian/Indian 1%, other 1.6%, unspecified 0.3% (2011 est.)

Languages

English (official)

Religions

Protestant 73.2% (includes Anglican 22.7%, Methodist 19.4%, Pentecostal 10.5%, Seventh Day Adventist 8.3%, Baptist 7.1%, Church of God 4.9%, Presbyterian 0.2%, Brethren 0.1%), Roman Catholic 6.8%, Jehovah's Witness 1.1%, other Christian 10.9%, other 3.2%, unspecified 0.3%, none 4.5% (2011 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 20.8% (male 2,056/female 1,992)
15-64 years: 67.5% (male 5,958/female 7,147)
65 years and over: 11.7% (2024 est.) (male 1,093/female 1,170)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 48.2 (2024 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 30.9 (2024 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 17.3 (2024 est.)
potential support ratio: 5.8 (2024 est.)

Median age

total: 37.5 years (2025 est.)
male: 34.8 years
female: 39 years

Population growth rate

1.71% (2025 est.)

Birth rate

11.69 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Death rate

4.76 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Net migration rate

10.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Population distribution

most of the population is concentrated in The Valley in the center of the island; settlement is fairly uniform in the southwest, but rather sparse in the northeast

Urbanization

urban population: 100% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.47% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas - population

1,000 THE VALLEY (capital) (2018)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.83 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.93 male(s)/female
total population: 0.88 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 2.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
male: 3.9 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 2.1 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 82.6 years (2024 est.)
male: 80 years
female: 85.3 years

Total fertility rate

1.72 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.85 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: total: total: 97.5% of population

Physician density

1.51 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP): 2.5% of GDP (2022 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget): 10.3% national budget (2024 est.)

Government21

Country name

conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Anguilla
etymology: in 1493, Christopher COLUMBUS named the island Anguilla, meaning "eel" in Spanish, because of the island's elongated shape

Government type

parliamentary democracy (House of Assembly); self-governing overseas territory of the UK

Dependency status

overseas territory of the UK

Capital

name: The Valley
geographic coordinates: 18 13 N, 63 03 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: name may derive from the capital's location among several hills

Legal system

common law based on the English model

Constitution

history: several previous; latest 1 April 1982

Citizenship

see United Kingdom

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor Julia CROUCH (since 11 September 2023)
head of government: Premier Cora RICHARDSON-HODGE (since 27 February 2025)
cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from among elected members of the House of Assembly
election/appointment process: the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the governor usually appoints the leader of the majority party or majority coalition as premier

Legislative branch

legislature name

House of Assembly

legislative structure

unicameral

number of seats

11 (7 directly elected, 2 appointed, 2 ex-officio members)

electoral system

plurality/majority

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

5 years

most recent election date

6/29/2020

parties elected and seats per party

APM (7); AUF (4)

percentage of women in chamber

27.3%

Judicial branch

highest court(s): the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC is headquartered on St. Lucia and consists of the Court of Appeal -- headed by the chief justice and 4 judges -- and the High Court with 18 judges; the Court of Appeal travels to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts
judge selection and term of office: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the British monarch; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62
subordinate courts: Magistrate's Court; Juvenile Court

Political parties

Anguilla Progressive Movement or APM; (formerly Anguilla United Movement or AUM)
Anguilla United Front or AUF

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Diplomatic representation from the US

embassy: none (overseas territory of the UK); alternate contact is the US Embassy in Barbados [1] (246) 227-4000

International organization participation

Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), OECS, UNESCO (associate), UPU

Independence

none (overseas territory of the UK)

National holiday

Anguilla Day, 30 May (1967)

Flag

description: blue, with the UK flag in the upper-left quadrant and the Anguillan coat of arms centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms shows three orange dolphins in an interlocking circular design on a white background, with a turquoise-blue field below

meaning: the white on the coat of arms stands for peace; the blue base for the sea, faith, youth, and hope; and the three dolphins for endurance, unity, and strength

National symbol(s)

dolphin

National coat of arms

the Anguillan coat of arms features three interlocking dolphins jumping out of seawater; they represent endurance, unity, and strength, and their circular motion stands for continuity; the white background symbolizes peace and tranquility, and the turquoise-blue base represents the sea, as well as faith, youth, and hope

National anthem(s)

title: "God Save the King"
lyrics/music: unknown
history: official anthem, as an overseas UK territory

Economy15

Economic overview

small, tourism-dependent, territorial-island economy; very high public debt; COVID-19 crippled economic activity; partial recovery underway via tourism, benefitting from its high amount of timeshare residences; considering reopening oil refinery

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024: $362.499 million (2024 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $345.238 million (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $336.924 million (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2024: $31,000 (2024 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023: $28,900 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2022: $27,400 (2022 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$452.73 million (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 3% (2022 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021: 1.8% (2021 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020: -0.5% (2020 est.)

Agricultural products

small quantities of tobacco, vegetables; cattle raising

Industries

tourism, boat building, offshore financial services

Budget

revenues: $81.925 million (2017 est.)
expenditures: $72.352 million (2017 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2014: 20.8% of GDP (2014 est.)

Exports

Exports 2017: $7.9 million (2017 est.)
Exports 2016: $3.9 million (2016 est.)

Exports - partners

Chile 60%, Netherlands 8%, Brazil 5%, Hungary 4%, USA 4% (2023)

Exports - commodities

packaged medicine, garments, vehicle parts/accessories, vaccines, cars (2023)

Imports - partners

Chile 50%, USA 27%, Botswana 15%, Japan 1%, Dominican Republic 1% (2023)

Imports - commodities

poultry, copper ore, natural gas, refined petroleum, fish (2023)

Exchange rates

Currency

East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2024

2.7 (2024 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

2.7 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

2.7 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

2.7 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

2.7 (2020 est.)

Energy1

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Communications6

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 6,000 (2021 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 38 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 25,870 (2022 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 163 (2022 est.)

Broadcast media

1 private TV station; multi-channel cable TV subscription services are available; about 10 radio stations, one of which is government-owned (2024)

Internet country code

.ai

Internet users

percent of population: 81.6% (2021 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 5,000 (2018 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 35 (2018 est.)

Transportation3

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

VP-A

Airports

1 (2025)

Merchant marine

total: 2 (2023)
by type: other 2

Military & Security1

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK

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