Cayman Islands

Parliamentary DemocracyPop67KGDP (PPP)$5.7BCP0.0→Beta

Cayman Islands

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Overview

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.

Geography

Area

Land: 264 sq km
Water: 0 sq km
Total: 264 sq km

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

Land Use

Other: 35.8% (2023 est.)
Forest: 53% (2023 est.)
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.)

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
Coastline: 160 km

Elevation

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

Irrigated land: NA
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean

Land Boundaries

Total: 0 km

Maritime Claims

Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards: hurricanes (July to November)
Geography note: important location between Cuba and Central America
Natural resources: fish, climate and beaches that foster tourism
Area comparative: 1.5 times the size of Washington, D.C.
Geographic coordinates: 19 30 N, 80 30 W
Population distribution: majority of the population resides on Grand Cayman

People & Society

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.)

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
Total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female

Birth rate: 11.41 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate: 6.24 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Median Age

Male: 40.3 years
Total: 41.3 years (2025 est.)
Female: 42 years

Population

Male: 32,379
Total: 66,653 (2024 est.)
Female: 34,274

Nationality

Noun: Caymanian(s)
Adjective: Caymanian

Urbanization

Urban population: 100% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 1.13% annual rate of change (2020-25 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)

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.)

Dependency Ratios

Total dependency ratio: 51.7 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 26.4 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 4 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 25.3 (2024 est.)

Net migration rate: 11.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.81 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Drinking Water Source

Improved: total: total: 95.5% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: urban: urban: 95.5% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: total: total: 4.5% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: urban: urban: 4.5% of population (2022 est.)

Education Expenditure

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

Infant Mortality Rate

Male: 8.8 deaths/1,000 live births
Total: 7.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
Female: 5.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Population growth rate: 1.71% (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate: 0.9 (2025 est.)
Population distribution: majority of the population resides on Grand Cayman

Life Expectancy at Birth

Male: 79.8 years
Female: 85.2 years
Total population: 82.5 years (2024 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

Improved: total: total: 93.5% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: urban: urban: 93.5% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: total: total: 6.5% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: urban: urban: 6.5% of population (2022 est.)

Major urban areas population: 35,000 GEORGE TOWN (capital) (2018)

Government

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

Capital

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Citizenship: see United Kingdom

Constitution

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

Country Name

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

Independence: none (overseas territory of the UK)
Legal system: English common law and local statutes
Government type: parliamentary democracy; self-governing overseas territory of the UK

Judicial Branch

Note: note: appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)
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) 
Subordinate courts: Summary Court
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

Executive Branch

Cabinet: Cabinet selected from the Parliament and appointed by the governor on the advice of the premier
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)
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

National holiday: Constitution Day, the first Monday in July (1959)
Dependency status: overseas territory of the UK
Political parties: Cayman Islands Peoples Party or CIPP
People's Progressive Movement or PPM

Legislative Branch

Term in office: 4 years
Number of seats: 21 (directly elected and appointed)
Legislature name: Parliament
Scope of elections: full renewal
Legislative structure: unicameral
Most recent election date: 4/14/2021
Expected date of next election: 2025
Percentage of women in chamber: 23.8%
Parties elected and seats per party: independent (12); PPM (7)

National Anthem(s)

Title: "God Save the King"
History: official anthem, as an overseas UK territory
Lyrics/music: unknown

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
Administrative divisions: 6 districts; Bodden Town, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, East End, George Town, North Side, West Bay
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 organisations: Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU

Economy

Budget

Revenues: $874.5 million (2017 est.)
Expenditures: $766.6 million (2017 est.)

Exports

Civica canonical (reconciled): $3.542 billion (2021 est.)

Note: note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Exports 2021: $3.542 billion (2021 est.)
Exports 2022: $4.215 billion (2022 est.)
Exports 2023: $4.6 billion (2023 est.)

Imports

Civica canonical (reconciled): $2.808 billion (2021 est.)

Note: note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Imports 2021: $2.808 billion (2021 est.)
Imports 2022: $3.287 billion (2022 est.)
Imports 2023: $3.444 billion (2023 est.)

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

Remittances

Note: note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Remittances 2021: 0.2% of GDP (2021 est.)
Remittances 2022: 0.2% of GDP (2022 est.)
Remittances 2023: 0.2% of GDP (2023 est.)

Exchange Rates

Currency: Caymanian dollars (KYD) per US dollar -
Exchange rates 2020: 0.833 (2020 est.)
Exchange rates 2021: 0.833 (2021 est.)
Exchange rates 2022: 0.833 (2022 est.)
Exchange rates 2023: 0.833 (2023 est.)
Exchange rates 2024: 0.833 (2024 est.)

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
Exports partners: UK 40%, Cyprus 21%, Germany 9%, Grenada 8%, Italy 5% (2023)
Imports partners: Germany 30%, USA 29%, Italy 20%, Turkey 5%, China 5% (2023)

Real GDP Per Capita

Civica canonical (reconciled): $78,100 (2023 est.)

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

Real GDP Growth Rate

Note: note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
Real GDP growth rate 2021: 4.9% (2021 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 5.2% (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2023: 4.4% (2023 est.)

Agricultural products: vegetables, fruit; livestock; turtle farming
Exports commodities: aircraft, ships, refined petroleum, natural gas, broadcasting equipment (2023)
Imports commodities: ships, refined petroleum, cars, furniture, jewelry (2023)

Current Account Balance

Note: note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
Current account balance 2021: -$794.205 million (2021 est.)
Current account balance 2022: -$749.482 million (2022 est.)
Current account balance 2023: -$712.684 million (2023 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate): $7.139 billion (2023 est.)

Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)

Civica canonical (reconciled): 2% (2017 est.)

Note: note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2015: -2.3% (2015 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2016: -0.6% (2016 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017: 2% (2017 est.)

Industrial production growth rate: 3.4% (2022 est.)

Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Civica canonical (reconciled): $5.705 billion (2023 est.)

Note: note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021: $5.199 billion (2021 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $5.467 billion (2022 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $5.705 billion (2023 est.)

Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold

Note: note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021: $228.3 million (2021 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022: $225.4 million (2022 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023: $234 million (2023 est.)

GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin

Note: note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
Industry: 8.2% (2022 est.)
Services: 85.4% (2022 est.)
Agriculture: 0.5% (2022 est.)

Energy

Petroleum

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

Electricity

Consumption: 698.767 million kWh (2023 est.)
Installed generating capacity: 176,000 kW (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 2.117 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity Access

Electrification total population: 100% (2022 est.)

Energy Consumption Per Capita

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

Electricity Generation Sources

Wind: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Solar: 3.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Fossil fuels: 96.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Communications

Internet Users

Percent of population: 81% (2017 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

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.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Total: 40,000 (2022 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 56 (2022 est.)

Transport

Ports

Large: 0
Small: 0
Medium: 0
Key ports: Cayman Brac, Georgetown
Very small: 2
Total ports: 2 (2024)
Ports with oil terminals: 2

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

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: VP-C

Environment

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

Land Use

Other: 35.8% (2023 est.)
Forest: 53% (2023 est.)
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.)

Urbanization

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

Waste and Recycling

Municipal solid waste generated annually: 60,000 tons (2024 est.)

Environmental issues: no natural freshwater resources; trash washing up or being deposited on beaches; no recycling or waste-treatment facilities; deforestation

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Total emissions: 737,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 737,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Military & Security

Military note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
Military and security forces: no regular military forces; Royal Cayman Islands Police Service

Transnational Issues

Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons

Refugees: 65 (2024 est.)

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Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Cayman Islands — vintage 2026-Q1: Cayman Islands factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/cayman-islands

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Sources: CIA World Factbook