Virgin Islands

Unincorporated Organized Territory Of The US With Local Self-GovernmentPop104KGDP (PPP)$4.9BCP0.0→Beta

Virgin Islands

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Overview

Background: The Danes secured control over the southern Virgin Islands of Saint Thomas, Saint John, and Saint Croix during the 17th and early 18th centuries. Sugarcane, produced by African slave labor, drove the islands' economy during the 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1917, the US purchased the Danish holdings, which had been in economic decline since the abolition of slavery in 1848. In 2017, Hurricane Irma passed over the northern Virgin Islands of Saint Thomas and Saint John and inflicted severe damage to structures, roads, the airport on Saint Thomas, communications, and electricity. Less than two weeks later, Hurricane Maria passed over the island of Saint Croix in the southern Virgin Islands, inflicting considerable damage with heavy winds and flooding rains.

Geography

Area

Land: 346 sq km
Water: 1,564 sq km
Total: 1,910 sq km

Climate: subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season September to November
Terrain: mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little flat land

Land Use

Other: 32.4% (2023 est.)
Forest: 58.2% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: 9.4% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 2.6% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 0.6% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 6.3% (2023 est.)

Location: Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico
Coastline: 188 km

Elevation

Lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
Highest point: Crown Mountain 474 m

Irrigated land: 1 sq km (2012)
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean

Land Boundaries

Total: 0 km

Maritime Claims

Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards: several hurricanes in recent years; frequent and severe droughts and floods; occasional earthquakes
Geography note: important location along the Anegada Passage, a key shipping lane for the Panama Canal; Saint Thomas has one of the best natural deepwater harbors in the Caribbean
Natural resources: pleasant climate, beaches foster tourism
Area comparative: twice the size of Washington, D.C.
Geographic coordinates: 18 20 N, 64 50 W
Population distribution: overall population density throughout the islands is relatively low, but concentrations appear around Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas and Christiansted on St. Croix

People & Society

Languages: English 71.6%, Spanish or Spanish Creole 17.2%, French or French Creole 8.6%, other 2.5% (2010 est.)
Religions: Protestant 65.5%, Roman Catholic 27.1%, other Christians 2.2%, other 1.5%, none 3.7% (2010 est.)

Sex Ratio

At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0 14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15 64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.9 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female

Birth rate: 10.88 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate: 9.43 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Median Age

Male: 42.1 years
Total: 43.4 years (2025 est.)
Female: 43.9 years

Population

Male: 49,195
Total: 103,792 (2025 est.)
Female: 54,597

Nationality

Noun: Virgin Islander(s) (US citizens)
Adjective: Virgin Islander

Urbanization

Urban population: 96.2% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: -0.11% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Age Structure

0 14 years: 18.7% (male 9,983/female 9,547)
15 64 years: 59.8% (male 29,519/female 32,899)
65 years and over: 21.5% (2024 est.) (male 10,018/female 12,411)

Ethnic groups: African-American or African descent 71.4%, White 13.3%, Indigenous 0.4%, Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander 0.1%, other 6.3%, mixed 7.5% (2020 est.)

Dependency Ratios

Total dependency ratio: 68 (2025 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 30.9 (2025 est.)
Potential support ratio: 2.7 (2025 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 37.1 (2025 est.)

Net migration rate: -7.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.95 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

Male: 8.3 deaths/1,000 live births
Total: 7.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
Female: 6.3 deaths/1,000 live births

Population growth rate: -0.58% (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate: 0.95 (2025 est.)
Population distribution: overall population density throughout the islands is relatively low, but concentrations appear around Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas and Christiansted on St. Croix

Life Expectancy at Birth

Male: 77.6 years
Female: 84.1 years
Total population: 80.7 years (2024 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

Improved: total: total: 99.1% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: total: total: 0.9% of population (2022 est.)

Major urban areas population: 52,000 CHARLOTTE AMALIE (capital) (2018)

Government

Flag: description: white field with a modified US coat of arms in the center between the large blue initials "V" and "I"; the coat of arms shows a yellow eagle holding an olive branch in its right talon and three arrows in its left, with a shield of seven red and six white vertical stripes below a blue panel

meaning: white is a symbol of purity, and the letters stand for the Virgin Islands

Capital

Name: Charlotte Amalie
Etymology: named in honor of Danish King CHRISTIAN V’s wife, Charlotte AMALIE of Hesse-Kassel, after the colony was established in 1672
Time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Geographic coordinates: 18 21 N, 64 56 W

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

Constitution

History: 22 July 1954 - the Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands functions as a constitution for this US territory

Country Name

Former: Danish West Indies
Etymology: in 1493, the islets, cays, and rocks around the major islands in the chain reminded explorer Christopher COLUMBUS of Saint Ursula and her 11,000 virgin followers (Santa Ursula y las Once Mil Virgenes), which over time was shortened to the Virgins (las Virgenes)
Abbreviation: VI
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Virgin Islands

Independence: none (territory of the US)
Legal system: US common law
Government type: unincorporated organized territory of the US with local self-government; republican form of territorial government with separate executive, legislative, and judicial branches

Judicial Branch

Highest court(s): Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands (consists of the chief justice and 2 associate justices)
Subordinate courts: Superior Court (Territorial Court renamed in 2004); US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (has appellate jurisdiction over the District Court of the Virgin Islands; it is a territorial court and is not associated with a US federal judicial district); District Court of the Virgin Islands
Judge selection and term of office: justices appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Virgin Islands Senate; justices serve initial 10-year terms and upon reconfirmation, during the extent of good behavior; chief justice elected to position by peers for a 3-year term

Executive Branch

Cabinet: Territorial Cabinet appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate
Chief of state: President Donald J. TRUMP (since 20 January 2025)
Election results: 2022: Albert BRYAN, Jr. reelected governor; percent of vote - Albert BRYAN, Jr. (Democratic Party) 56%, Kurt VIALET (independent) 38%

2018: Albert BRYAN, Jr. elected governor in the second round; percent of vote in first round - Albert BRYAN, Jr. (Democratic Party) 38.1%, Kenneth MAPP (independent) 33.5%, Adlah "Foncie" DONASTORG, Jr. (independent) 16.5%, other 11.9%; percent of vote in second round- Albert BRYAN, Jr. (Democratic Party) 54.5%, Kenneth MAPP (independent) 45.2%, other 0.3%
Head of government: Governor Albert BRYAN, Jr. (since 7 January 2019)
Most recent election date: 8 November 2022
Election/appointment process: president and vice president indirectly elected on the same ballot by an Electoral College of electors chosen from each state; president and vice president serve a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); under the US Constitution, residents of the Virgin Islands do not vote in elections for US president and vice president, but they can vote in the Democratic and Republican party presidential primary elections; governor and lieutenant governor directly elected on the same ballot by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term)
Expected date of next election: November 2026

National holiday: Transfer Day (from Denmark to the US), 31 March (1917)
Dependency status: unincorporated, organized territory of the US, with policy relations with the US federal government under the jurisdiction of the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior
Political parties: Democratic Party
Independent Citizens' Movement or ICM
Republican Party

Legislative Branch

Note: note: the Virgin Islands delegate to the US House of Representatives can vote when serving on a committee and when the House meets as the Committee of the Whole House, but not when legislation is submitted for a “full floor” House vote

National Anthem(s)

Title: "The Star-Spangled Banner"
History: official anthem, as a US territory
Lyrics/music: Francis Scott KEY/John Stafford SMITH

Administrative divisions: no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US government, but 3 islands are considered second-order: Saint Croix, Saint John, Saint Thomas
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (territory of the US)
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (territory of the US)
International organisations: AOSIS (observer), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UPU, WFTU (NGOs)

Economy

Budget

Revenues: $1.496 billion (2016 est.)
Expenditures: $1.518 billion (2016 est.)

Exports

Civica canonical (reconciled): $1.62 billion (2020 est.)

Note: note: GDP expenditure basis - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Exports 2020: $1.62 billion (2020 est.)
Exports 2021: $4.069 billion (2021 est.)
Exports 2022: $4.549 billion (2022 est.)

Imports

Civica canonical (reconciled): $3.184 billion (2020 est.)

Note: note: GDP expenditure basis - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Imports 2020: $3.184 billion (2020 est.)
Imports 2021: $4.057 billion (2021 est.)
Imports 2022: $5.058 billion (2022 est.)

Industries: tourism, watch assembly, rum distilling, construction, pharmaceuticals, electronics
Labor force: 47,200 (2024 est.)

Public Debt

Civica canonical (reconciled): 45.9% of GDP (2014 est.)

Public debt 2014: 45.9% of GDP (2014 est.)

Exchange rates: the US dollar is used
Economic overview: high-income, tourism-based American territorial economy; severe COVID-19 economic disruptions; major rum distillery; high public debt; sluggish reopening of large oil refinery; environmentally susceptible to hurricanes; many informal industries

Unemployment Rate

Civica canonical (reconciled): 12.1% (2024 est.)

Note: note: % of labor force seeking employment
Unemployment rate 2022: 13.1% (2022 est.)
Unemployment rate 2023: 12.4% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2024: 12.1% (2024 est.)

Exports partners: Haiti 14%, Guadeloupe 7%, Malaysia 7%, Martinique 7%, Barbados 7%, British Virgin Islands 5% (2019)
Imports partners: India 18%, Algeria 14%, South Korea 9%, Argentina 9%, Sweden 7%, Brazil 5% (2019)

Real GDP Per Capita

Civica canonical (reconciled): $46,500 (2022 est.)

Note: note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita 2020: $45,100 (2020 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2021: $46,900 (2021 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2022: $46,500 (2022 est.)

Real GDP Growth Rate

Note: note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
Real GDP growth rate 2020: -1.6% (2020 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2021: 3.7% (2021 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2022: -1.3% (2022 est.)

Agricultural products: fruit, vegetables, sorghum; Senepol cattle
Exports commodities: refined petroleum, jewelry, recreational boats, watches, rum (2019)
Imports commodities: refined petroleum, crude petroleum, rubber piping, jewelry, beer (2019)
GDP (official exchange rate): $4.672 billion (2022 est.)

GDP Composition, BY End Use

Note: note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
Household consumption: 68.9% (2022 est.)
Government consumption: 34.4% (2022 est.)
Investment in inventories: 15% (2016 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 7.5% (2016 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 97.4% (2022 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -108.3% (2022 est.)

Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Civica canonical (reconciled): $4.9 billion (2022 est.)

Note: note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020: $4.789 billion (2020 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021: $4.965 billion (2021 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $4.9 billion (2022 est.)

Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)

Male: 22% (2024 est.)
Note: note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
Total: 25.3% (2024 est.)
Female: 28.9% (2024 est.)

Energy

Coal

Exports: 4 metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum

Refined petroleum consumption: 16,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Electricity

Consumption: 618.819 million kWh (2023 est.)
Installed generating capacity: 326,000 kW (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 50.181 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity Access

Electrification total population: 100% (2022 est.)

Electricity Generation Sources

Solar: 2.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Fossil fuels: 97.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Communications

Internet Users

Percent of population: 64% (2017 est.)

Broadcast media: about a dozen TV stations, including 1 public TV station; multi-channel cable and satellite TV available; 24 radio stations
Internet country code: .vi

Telephones Fixed Lines

Total subscriptions: 76,000 (2021 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 88 (2022 est.)

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Total subscriptions: 79,100 (2022 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 92 (2022 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Total: 9,000 (2022 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 10 (2022 est.)

Transport

Ports

Large: 0
Small: 3
Medium: 0
Key ports: Charlotte Amalie, Christiansted, Cruz Bay, Frederiksted, Limetree Bay, Port Alucroix
Very small: 3
Total ports: 6 (2024)
Ports with oil terminals: 3

Airports: 2 (2025)
Heliports: 4 (2025)

Merchant Marine

Total: 2 (2023)
BY type: general cargo 1, other 1

Environment

Climate: subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season September to November

Land Use

Other: 32.4% (2023 est.)
Forest: 58.2% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: 9.4% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 2.6% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 0.6% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 6.3% (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Urban population: 96.2% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: -0.11% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Waste and Recycling

Municipal solid waste generated annually: 146,500 tons (2024 est.)

Environmental issues: lack of natural freshwater resources; protection of coral reefs; solid waste management; coastal development; increased boating and overfishing

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Total emissions: 2.378 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 2.378 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Military & Security

Military note: defense is the responsibility of the US
Military and security forces: US Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD); US Virgin Islands National Guard (VING)

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

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Sources: CIA World Factbook