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Cayman Islands
Cayman Islands, See : Flags, Maps
Cayman Islands (Central America and Caribbean)
Introduction :: Cayman Islands
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.
Geography ::Cayman Islands
Geography
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
comparison ranking: total 210
Area - comparative
1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
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% (2018 est.)
arable land: 0.8% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 2.1% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 8.3% (2018 est.)
forest: 52.9% (2018 est.)
other: 35.9% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land
NA
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 and Society
Population
total: 66,653
male: 32,379
female: 34,274 (2024 est.)
comparison rankings: female 203; male 204; total 204
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.)
note: data represent population by country of birth
Languages
English (official) 88.8%, Spanish 3.9%, Filipino 3.8%, other 2.8%, unspecified 0.7% (2021 est.)
note: data represent main language spoken at home
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)
2023 population pyramid:
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 32.6
youth dependency ratio: 22.3
elderly dependency ratio: 10.4
potential support ratio: 9.6 (2021)
Median age
total: 41.2 years (2024 est.)
male: 40.3 years
female: 42 years
comparison ranking: total 51
Population growth rate
1.75% (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 51
Birth rate
11.5 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 158
Death rate
6.1 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 149
Net migration rate
12.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 5
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.)
total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030
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: 7.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
male: 8.8 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.7 deaths/1,000 live births
comparison ranking: total 154
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 82.5 years (2024 est.)
male: 79.8 years
female: 85.2 years
comparison ranking: total population 27
Total fertility rate
1.82 children born/woman (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 136
Gross reproduction rate
0.9 (2024 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate
NA
Drinking water source
improved: urban: 97.4% of population
total: 97.4% of population
unimproved: urban: 2.6% of population
total: 2.6% of population (2015 est.)
Current health expenditure
NA
Physician density
NA
Sanitation facility access
improved: urban: 95.6% of population
total: 95.6% of population
unimproved: urban: 4.4% of population
total: 4.4% of population (2015 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
NA
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
51.4% (2023 est.)
Education expenditures
2.1% of GDP (2019)
comparison ranking: 185
Literacy
total population: 98.9% NA
male: 98.7% NA
female: 99% (2021) NA
Environment
Environment - current issues
no natural freshwater resources; drinking water supplies are met by reverse osmosis desalination plants and rainwater catchment; trash washing up on the beaches or being deposited there by residents; no recycling or waste treatment facilities; deforestation (trees being cut down to create space for commercial use)
Climate
tropical marine; warm, rainy summers (May to October) and cool, relatively dry winters (November to April)
Land use
agricultural land: 11.2% (2018 est.)
arable land: 0.8% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 2.1% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 8.3% (2018 est.)
forest: 52.9% (2018 est.)
other: 35.9% (2018 est.)
Urbanization
urban population: 100% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 1.13% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030
Revenue from forest resources
0% of GDP (2018 est.)
comparison ranking: 199
Revenue from coal
0% of GDP (2018 est.)
comparison ranking: 127
Air pollutants
carbon dioxide emissions: 0.55 megatons (2016 est.)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually: 60,000 tons (2014 est.)
municipal solid waste recycled annually: 12,600 tons (2013 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 21% (2013 est.)
Government
Country name
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Cayman Islands
etymology: the islands' name comes from the native Carib word "caiman," describing the marine crocodiles living there
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: named after English King GEORGE III (1738-1820)
Administrative divisions
6 districts; Bodden Town, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, East End, George Town, North Side, West Bay
Independence
none (overseas territory of the UK)
National holiday
Constitution Day, the first Monday in July (1959)
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)
amendments: amended 2016, 2020
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 Juliana O'CONNOR-CONNOLLY (since 15 November 2023)
cabinet: Cabinet selected from the Parliament and appointed by the governor on the advice of the premier
elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition appointed premier by the governor
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); note - appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)
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
International organization participation
Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU
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
Flag description
a blue field with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Caymanian coat of arms centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms includes a crest with a pineapple, representing the connection with Jamaica, and a turtle, representing Cayman's seafaring tradition, above a shield bearing a golden lion, symbolizing Great Britain, below which are three green stars (representing the three islands) surmounting white and blue wavy lines representing the sea; a scroll below the shield bears the motto HE HATH FOUNDED IT UPON THE SEAS
National symbol(s)
green sea turtle
National anthem
name: "Beloved Isle Cayman"
lyrics/music: Leila E. ROSS
note: adopted 1993; served as an unofficial anthem since 1930; as an overseas territory of the United Kingdom, in addition to the local anthem, "God Save the King" is official (see United Kingdom)
Economy
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)
$5.705 billion (2023 est.)
$5.467 billion (2022 est.)
$5.199 billion (2021 est.)
note: data in 2021 dollars
comparison ranking: 179
Real GDP growth rate
4.36% (2023 est.)
5.16% (2022 est.)
4.9% (2021 est.)
note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
comparison ranking: 68
Real GDP per capita
$78,100 (2023 est.)
$76,400 (2022 est.)
$74,200 (2021 est.)
note: data in 2021 dollars
comparison ranking: 11
GDP (official exchange rate)
$7.139 billion (2023 est.)
note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2% (2017 est.)
-0.63% (2016 est.)
-2.35% (2015 est.)
note: annual % change based on consumer prices
comparison ranking: 36
Credit ratings
Moody's rating: Aa3 (1997)
note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 0.5% (2022 est.)
industry: 8.2% (2022 est.)
services: 85.4% (2022 est.)
note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
comparison rankings: services 13; industry 205; agriculture 199
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption: 62.3% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 2.6% (2020 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 22.1% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 0.1% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 59.6% (2020 est.)
imports of goods and services: -45.8% (2020 est.)
note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
Agricultural products
vegetables, fruit; livestock; turtle farming
Industries
tourism, banking, insurance and finance, construction, construction materials, furniture
Industrial production growth rate
3.45% (2022 est.)
note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
comparison ranking: 93
Unemployment rate
(2008)
(2004)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
total: 13.8% (2015 est.)
male: 16.4%
female: 11.4%
comparison ranking: total 100
Remittances
0.14% of GDP (2023 est.)
0.19% of GDP (2022 est.)
0.17% of GDP (2021 est.)
note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Budget
revenues: $874.5 million (2017 est.)
expenditures: $766.6 million (2017 est.)
Taxes and other revenues
38.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
comparison ranking: 11
Current account balance
-$647.271 million (2022 est.)
-$794.205 million (2021 est.)
-$827.492 million (2020 est.)
note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
comparison ranking: 127
Exports
$5.019 billion (2022 est.)
$4.138 billion (2021 est.)
$3.951 billion (2020 est.)
note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
comparison ranking: 140
Exports - partners
Malta 30%, Norway 22%, Seychelles 16%, Grenada 8%, US 5% (2022)
note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Exports - commodities
ships, aircraft, refined petroleum, natural gas, broadcasting equipment (2022)
note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
Imports
$3.3 billion (2022 est.)
$2.808 billion (2021 est.)
$2.51 billion (2020 est.)
note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
comparison ranking: 163
Imports - partners
US 47%, Italy 19%, Turkey 7%, Germany 6%, Switzerland 4% (2022)
note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Imports - commodities
ships, refined petroleum, diamonds, cars, gold (2022)
note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$234 million (2023 est.)
$225.4 million (2022 est.)
$228.3 million (2021 est.)
note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
comparison ranking: 177
Exchange rates
Caymanian dollars (KYD) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
0.833 (2023 est.)
0.833 (2022 est.)
0.833 (2021 est.)
0.833 (2020 est.)
0.833 (2019 est.)
Energy
Electricity access
electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Electricity
installed generating capacity: 175,000 kW (2022 est.)
consumption: 697.351 million kWh (2022 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 2.117 million kWh (2022 est.)
comparison rankings: transmission/distribution losses 6; consumption 166; installed generating capacity 176
Electricity generation sources
fossil fuels: 96.9% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
solar: 3.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Petroleum
refined petroleum consumption: 5,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
718,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 718,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
comparison ranking: total emissions 179
Energy consumption per capita
144.845 million Btu/person (2022 est.)
comparison ranking: 29
Communications
Telephones - fixed lines
total subscriptions: 36,000 (2021 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 53 (2021 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 163
Telephones - mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 100,000 (2021 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 147 (2021 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 194
Telecommunication systems
general assessment: the telecom sector has seen a decline in subscriber numbers (particularly for prepaid mobile services the mainstay of short term visitors) and revenue; fixed and mobile broadband services are two areas that have benefited from the crisis as employees and students have resorted to working from home; one area of the telecom market that is not prepared for growth is 5G mobile; governments, regulators, and even the mobile network operators have shown that they have not been investing in 5G opportunities at the present time; network expansion and enhancements remain concentrated around improving LTE coverage (2021)
domestic: 53 per 100 fixed-line and 150 per 100 mobile-cellular (2021)
international: country code - 1-345; landing points for the Maya-1, Deep Blue Cable, and the Cayman-Jamaica Fiber System submarine cables that provide links to the US and parts of Central and South America; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)
Broadcast media
4 TV stations; cable and satellite subscription services offer a variety of 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: 81.1% (2021 est.)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
total: 3,200 (2020 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 49 (2020 est.)
comparison ranking: total 191
Transportation
National air transport system
number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 6
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
VP-C
Airports
3 (2024)
comparison ranking: 188
Heliports
5 (2024)
Roadways
total: 785 km
paved: 785 km (2007)
comparison ranking: total 190
Merchant marine
total: 130 (2023)
by type: bulk carrier 29, container ship 3, general cargo 1, oil tanker 20, other 77
comparison ranking: total 77
Ports
total ports: 2 (2024)
large: 0
medium: 0
small: 0
very small: 2
ports with oil terminals: 2
key ports: Cayman Brac, Georgetown
Military and Security
Military and security forces
no regular military forces; Royal Cayman Islands Police Service
Military - note
defense is the responsibility of the UK
Transnational Issues
Illicit drugs
major offshore financial center vulnerable to drug trafficking money laundering
