Cayman Islands

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 3,200 (2020 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 49 (2020 est.)

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

total: 55,148 (2021 est.) percent of population: 81.1% (2021 est.)

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)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 36,000 (2021 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 53 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 100,000 (2021 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 147 (2021 est.)

Agricultural products

vegetables, fruit; livestock; turtle farming

Budget

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

Credit ratings

Moody's rating: Aa3 (1997) note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Current account balance

-$821.404 million (2021 est.) -$827.492 million (2020 est.) -$646.843 million (2019 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

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

Exchange rates

Caymanian dollars (KYD) per US dollar - 0.833 (2021 est.) 0.833 (2020 est.) 0.833 (2019 est.) 0.833 (2018 est.) 0.833 (2017 est.)

Exports

$4.054 billion (2021 est.) $3.951 billion (2020 est.) $4.205 billion (2019 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

ships, aircraft, refined petroleum, natural gas, broadcasting equipment (2022) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

Malta 30%, Norway 22%, Seychelles 16%, Grenada 8%, US 5% (2022) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP (official exchange rate)

$6.601 billion (2022 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

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

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

Imports

$2.743 billion (2021 est.) $2.51 billion (2020 est.) $2.743 billion (2019 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

ships, refined petroleum, diamonds, cars, gold (2022) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

US 47%, Italy 19%, Turkey 7%, Germany 6%, Switzerland 4% (2022) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

3.45% (2022 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2% (2017 est.) -0.63% (2016 est.) -2.35% (2015 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$5.467 billion (2022 est.) $5.199 billion (2021 est.) $4.956 billion (2020 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP growth rate

5.16% (2022 est.) 4.9% (2021 est.) -4.95% (2020 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP per capita

$79,600 (2022 est.) $76,300 (2021 est.) $73,600 (2020 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

Remittances

0.15% of GDP (2022 est.) 0.17% of GDP (2021 est.) 0.16% of GDP (2020 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$216.8 million (2020 est.) $183.5 million (2019 est.) $162.074 million (2018 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Taxes and other revenues

38.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 13.8% (2015 est.) male: 16.4% female: 11.4%

Carbon dioxide emissions

718,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 718,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (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.)

Electricity access

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

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels: 96.9% of total installed capacity (2022 est.) solar: 3.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

144.845 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption: 5,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions: 0.55 megatons (2016 est.)

Climate

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

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)

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.)

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0% of GDP (2018 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 (2014 est.) municipal solid waste recycled annually: 12,600 tons (2013 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 21% (2013 est.)

Area

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

Area - comparative

1.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

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

Coastline

160 km

Elevation

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

Geographic coordinates

19 30 N, 80 30 W

Geography - note

important location between Cuba and Central America

Irrigated land

NA

Land boundaries

total: 0 km

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.)

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

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

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

Natural hazards

hurricanes (July to November)

Natural resources

fish, climate and beaches that foster tourism

Population distribution

majority of the population resides on Grand Cayman

Terrain

low-lying limestone base surrounded by coral reefs

Administrative divisions

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

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)

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) amendments: amended 2016, 2020

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

Dependency status

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (overseas territory of the UK)

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

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

Government type

parliamentary democracy; self-governing overseas territory of the UK

Independence

none (overseas territory of the UK)

International organization participation

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

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

Legal system

English common law and local statutes

Legislative branch

description: unicameral Parliament (21 seats; 19 members directly elected by majority vote and 2 ex-officio members - the deputy governor and attorney general - appointed by the governor; members serve 4-year terms) elections: last held on 14 April 2021 (next to be held in 2025) election results: percent of vote by party - independent 79.1%, PPM 19.6%; elected seats by party - independent 12, PPM 7; ex-officio members 2; composition - men 16, women 5, percentage women 23.8%

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)

National holiday

Constitution Day, the first Monday in July (1959)

National symbol(s)

green sea turtle

Political parties

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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.

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Military and security forces

no regular military forces; Royal Cayman Islands Police Service

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)

Birth rate

11.5 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current health expenditure

NA

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

51.4% (2023 est.)

Death rate

6.1 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 32.6 youth dependency ratio: 22.3 elderly dependency ratio: 10.4 potential support ratio: 9.6 (2021)

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.)

Education expenditures

2.1% of GDP (2019)

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

Gross reproduction rate

0.9 (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

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

Life expectancy at birth

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

Literacy

total population: 98.9% NA male: 98.7% NA female: 99% (2021) NA

Major urban areas - population

35,000 GEORGE TOWN (capital) (2018)

Median age

total: 41.2 years (2024 est.) male: 40.3 years female: 42 years

Nationality

noun: Caymanian(s) adjective: Caymanian

Net migration rate

12.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Physician density

NA

Population

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

Population distribution

majority of the population resides on Grand Cayman

Population growth rate

1.75% (2024 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.)

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.)

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.)

Total fertility rate

1.82 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Urbanization

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

Illicit drugs

major offshore financial center vulnerable to drug trafficking money laundering

Airports

3 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

VP-C

Heliports

5 (2024)

Merchant marine

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

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020) inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 6

Ports

total ports: 2 (2024) large: 0 medium: 0 small: 0 very small: 2 ports with oil terminals: 2 key ports: Cayman Brac, Georgetown

Roadways

total: 785 km paved: 785 km (2007)