Cayman Islands

Central America and Caribbean George Town

Population

66.7K

Area

264 km²

GDP

$7.14B

GDP Per Capita

$78,100

Pop. Density

252/km²

Background

The British colonized the Cayman Islands during the 18th and 19th centuries, and Jamaica -- also a British colony at the time -- administered the islands after 1863. In 1959, the islands became a territory within the Federation of the West Indies. When the Federation dissolved in 1962, the Cayman Islands chose to remain a British dependency. The territory has transformed itself into a significant offshore financial center.

Geography17

Location

Caribbean, three-island group (Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, Little Cayman) in Caribbean Sea, 240 km south of Cuba and 268 km northwest of Jamaica

Geographic coordinates

19 30 N, 80 30 W

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Area

total : 264 sq km
land: 264 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

1.5 times the size of Washington, D.C.

Land boundaries

total: 0 km

Coastline

160 km

Maritime claims

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

Climate

tropical marine; warm, rainy summers (May to October) and cool, relatively dry winters (November to April)

Terrain

low-lying limestone base surrounded by coral reefs

Elevation

highest point: 1 km SW of The Bluff on Cayman Brac 50 m
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m

Natural resources

fish, climate and beaches that foster tourism

Land use

agricultural land

11.2% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 0.8% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 2.1% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 8.3% (2023 est.)

forest

53% (2023 est.)

other

35.8% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land

Population distribution

majority of the population resides on Grand Cayman

Natural hazards

hurricanes (July to November)

Geography - note

important location between Cuba and Central America

People & Society23

Population

total: 66,653 (2024 est.)
male: 32,379
female: 34,274

Nationality

noun: Caymanian(s)
adjective: Caymanian

Ethnic groups

Cayman Islander 35.4%, Jamaican 24.8%, Filipino 5.5%, British 5.3%, American 5.2%, Honduran 4.2%, Canadian 3.3%, Indian 2.1%, Cuban 1.6%, Nicaraguan 1%, other 11.1%, unspecified 0.5% (2021 est.)

Languages

English (official) 88.8%, Spanish 3.9%, Filipino 3.8%, other 2.8%, unspecified 0.7% (2021 est.)

Religions

Protestant 60.8% (includes Church of God 19.5%, Seventh Day Adventist 8.7%, non-denominational 8.3%, Baptist 6.9%, Pentecostal 6.8%, Presbyterian/United Church 5.7%, Anglican 2.8%, Wesleyan Holiness 1.5%, Methodist 0.5%), Roman Catholic 13.6%, Hindu 1.7%, Jehovah's Witness 0.9%, other 4.8%, none 16.7%, unspecified 1.4% (2021 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 17.4% (male 5,845/female 5,767)
15-64 years: 65.9% (male 21,480/female 22,456)
65 years and over: 16.7% (2024 est.) (male 5,054/female 6,051)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 51.7 (2024 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 26.4 (2024 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 25.3 (2024 est.)
potential support ratio: 4 (2024 est.)

Median age

total: 41.3 years (2025 est.)
male: 40.3 years
female: 42 years

Population growth rate

1.71% (2025 est.)

Birth rate

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

Death rate

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

Net migration rate

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

Population distribution

majority of the population resides on Grand Cayman

Urbanization

urban population: 100% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 1.13% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas - population

35,000 GEORGE TOWN (capital) (2018)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 7.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
male: 8.8 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 82.5 years (2024 est.)
male: 79.8 years
female: 85.2 years

Total fertility rate

1.81 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.9 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: urban: 95.5% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total: total: 95.5% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban: urban: 4.5% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total: total: 4.5% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: urban: 93.5% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total: total: 93.5% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban: urban: 6.5% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total: total: 6.5% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP): 1.6% of GDP (2023 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget): 15% national budget (2019 est.)

Government22

Country name

conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Cayman Islands
etymology: Spanish explorers named the islands in the early 16th century, using the Carib word for marine crocodiles, caiman

Government type

parliamentary democracy; self-governing overseas territory of the UK

Dependency status

overseas territory of the UK

Capital

name: George Town (on Grand Cayman)
geographic coordinates: 19 18 N, 81 23 W
time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: originally named Hogstyes, the town was renamed in honor of English King GEORGE III (1738-1820) around 1800

Administrative divisions

6 districts; Bodden Town, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, East End, George Town, North Side, West Bay

Legal system

English common law and local statutes

Constitution

history: several previous; latest approved 10 June 2009, entered into force 6 November 2009 (The Cayman Islands Constitution Order 2009)

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 Jane OWEN (since 21 April 2023)
head of government: Premier André Martin EBANKS (since 6 May 2025)
cabinet: Cabinet selected from the Parliament and appointed by the governor on the advice of the premier
election/appointment process: the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the governor appoints the leader of the majority party or majority coalition as premier

Legislative branch

legislature name

Parliament

legislative structure

unicameral

number of seats

21 (directly elected and appointed)

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

4 years

most recent election date

4/14/2021

parties elected and seats per party

independent (12); PPM (7)

percentage of women in chamber

23.8%

expected date of next election

2025

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and at least 2 judges); Grand Court (consists of the court president and at least 2 judges)
judge selection and term of office: Court of Appeal and Grand Court judges appointed by the governor on the advice of the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, an 8-member independent body consisting of governor appointees, Court of Appeal president, and attorneys; Court of Appeal judges' tenure based on their individual instruments of appointment; Grand Court judges normally appointed until retirement at age 65 but can be extended until age 70
subordinate courts: Summary Court

Political parties

Cayman Islands Peoples Party or CIPP
People's Progressive Movement or PPM

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Diplomatic representation from the US

embassy: none (overseas territory of the UK); consular services provided through the US Embassy in Jamaica

International organization participation

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

Independence

none (overseas territory of the UK)

National holiday

Constitution Day, the first Monday in July (1959)

Flag

description: a blue field with the UK flag in the upper-left quadrant and the Caymanian coat of arms centered on the right half of the flag; the coat of arms has a pineapple, a turtle, a shield with a golden lion and three green stars, and a scroll below the shield with the motto HE HATH FOUNDED IT UPON THE SEAS

meaning: the pineapple represents ties to Jamaica; the turtle represents the Caymans' seafaring tradition; the lion symbolizes Great Britain; the green stars represent the three islands; the white and blue wavy lines on the coat of arms represent the sea

National symbol(s)

green sea turtle

National coat of arms

the Queen of England approved the Cayman Islands' coat of arms -- which was designed with input from the public -- in 1958; the shield features the lion of England and three green stars that symbolize the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman; the green turtle stands for the islands’ seafaring history, the rope under it for the thatch-rope industry, and the pineapple for historical ties with Jamaica; the motto comes from Psalms 24, acknowledging the Caymans’ Christian heritage

National anthem(s)

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

Economy21

Economic overview

dominant offshore banking territory; services sector accounts for over 85% of economic activity; recently adopted a fiscal responsibility framework to combat tax evasion and money laundering; large tourism sector; does not have any welfare system; high standard of living

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $5.705 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $5.467 billion (2022 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021: $5.199 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2023: 4.4% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 5.2% (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2021: 4.9% (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2023: $78,100 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2022: $76,400 (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2021: $74,200 (2021 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$7.139 billion (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017: 2% (2017 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2016: -0.6% (2016 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2015: -2.3% (2015 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 0.5% (2022 est.)
industry: 8.2% (2022 est.)
services: 85.4% (2022 est.)

Agricultural products

vegetables, fruit; livestock; turtle farming

Industries

tourism, banking, insurance and finance, construction, construction materials, furniture

Industrial production growth rate

3.4% (2022 est.)

Remittances

Remittances 2023: 0.2% of GDP (2023 est.)
Remittances 2022: 0.2% of GDP (2022 est.)
Remittances 2021: 0.2% of GDP (2021 est.)

Budget

revenues: $874.5 million (2017 est.)
expenditures: $766.6 million (2017 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2023: -$712.684 million (2023 est.)
Current account balance 2022: -$749.482 million (2022 est.)
Current account balance 2021: -$794.205 million (2021 est.)

Exports

Exports 2023: $4.6 billion (2023 est.)
Exports 2022: $4.215 billion (2022 est.)
Exports 2021: $3.542 billion (2021 est.)

Exports - partners

UK 40%, Cyprus 21%, Germany 9%, Grenada 8%, Italy 5% (2023)

Exports - commodities

aircraft, ships, refined petroleum, natural gas, broadcasting equipment (2023)

Imports

Imports 2023: $3.444 billion (2023 est.)
Imports 2022: $3.287 billion (2022 est.)
Imports 2021: $2.808 billion (2021 est.)

Imports - partners

Germany 30%, USA 29%, Italy 20%, Turkey 5%, China 5% (2023)

Imports - commodities

ships, refined petroleum, cars, furniture, jewelry (2023)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023: $234 million (2023 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022: $225.4 million (2022 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021: $228.3 million (2021 est.)

Exchange rates

Currency

Caymanian dollars (KYD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2024

0.833 (2024 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

0.833 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

0.833 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

0.833 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

0.833 (2020 est.)

Energy5

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)

Electricity

installed generating capacity: 176,000 kW (2023 est.)
consumption: 698.767 million kWh (2023 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 2.117 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels: 96.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
solar: 3.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
wind: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption: 5,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023: 143.149 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Communications6

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 36,000 (2021 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 50 (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 99,737 (2022 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 139 (2022 est.)

Broadcast media

4 TV stations; cable and satellite subscription services offer  international programming; government-owned Radio Cayman operates 2 networks broadcasting on 5 stations; 10 privately owned radio stations operate alongside Radio Cayman

Internet country code

.ky

Internet users

percent of population: 81% (2017 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 40,000 (2022 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 56 (2022 est.)

Transportation5

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

VP-C

Airports

3 (2025)

Heliports

5 (2025)

Merchant marine

total: 130 (2023)
by type: bulk carrier 29, container ship 3, general cargo 1, oil tanker 20, other 77