Introduction

Geography

People and Society

Environment

Government

Economy

Energy

Communications

Transportation

Military

Terrorism

Transnational Issues

Introduction
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.

Geography
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

comparison ranking: total 225

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.)

arable land: 0% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

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 and Society
Population
total: 19,416 (2024 est.)

male: 9,107

female: 10,309

comparison rankings: total 219; male 219; female 219

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.)

note: data represent population by ethnic origin

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)

2024 population pyramid:

This is the population pyramid for Anguilla. A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends. <br/><br/>For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page.
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: 37.1 years (2024 est.)

male: 34.8 years

female: 39 years

comparison ranking: total 83

Population growth rate
1.74% (2024 est.)

comparison ranking: 53

Birth rate
11.8 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

comparison ranking: 154

Death rate
4.7 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

comparison ranking: 204

Net migration rate
10.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

comparison ranking: 9

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: 3 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

male: 3.9 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 2.1 deaths/1,000 live births

comparison ranking: total 208

Life expectancy at birth
total population: 82.6 years (2024 est.)

male: 80 years

female: 85.3 years

comparison ranking: total population 26

Total fertility rate
1.72 children born/woman (2024 est.)

comparison ranking: 157

Gross reproduction rate
0.85 (2024 est.)

Drinking water source
improved:

total: 97.5% of population

Physician density
1.51 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)
46.1% (2023 est.)

Education expenditure
2.5% of GDP (2022 est.)

10.3% national budget (2024 est.)

comparison ranking: Education expenditure (% GDP) 174

Environment
Environmental issues
inadequate potable water

Climate
tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds

Land use
agricultural land: 0% (2022 est.)

arable land: 0% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)

forest: 61.1% (2022 est.)

other: 38.9% (2022 est.)

Urbanization
urban population: 100% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 0.47% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Government
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

Administrative divisions
none (overseas territory of the UK)

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

Anguilla's coat of arms
National anthem(s)
title: "God Bless Anguilla"

lyrics/music: Alex RICHARDSON

history: local anthem, adopted 1981
_____

title: "God Save the King"

lyrics/music: unknown

history: official anthem, as an overseas UK territory

Economy
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)
$362.499 million (2024 est.)
$345.238 million (2023 est.)
$336.924 million (2022 est.)

note: data in 2015 dollars

comparison ranking: 213

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

note: data in 2015 dollars

comparison ranking: 77

GDP (official exchange rate)
$452.73 million (2024 est.)

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

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

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

comparison ranking: 92

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.)

note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

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

note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.

comparison ranking: 212

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

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

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

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

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

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

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

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Exchange rates
East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates:
2.7 (2024 est.)
2.7 (2023 est.)
2.7 (2022 est.)
2.7 (2021 est.)
2.7 (2020 est.)

Energy
Electricity access
electrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Communications
Telephones - fixed lines
total subscriptions: 6,000 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 38 (2021 est.)

comparison ranking: total subscriptions 198

Telephones - mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 26,000 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 170 (2021 est.)

comparison ranking: total subscriptions 212

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.)

comparison ranking: total 195

Transportation
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
VP-A

Airports
1 (2025)

comparison ranking: 225

Merchant marine
total: 2 (2023)

by type: other 2

comparison ranking: total 176

Military and Security
Military - note
defense is the responsibility of the UK