Trinidad and Tobago

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 376,771 (2020 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 27 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

6 free-to-air TV networks, 2 of which are state-owned; 24 subscription providers (cable and satellite); over 36 radio frequencies (2019)

Internet country code

.tt

Internet users

total: 1.185 million (2021 est.) percent of population: 79% (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

general assessment: excellent international service; good local service; broadband access; expanded FttP (Fiber to the Home) markets; LTE launch; regulatory development; major growth in mobile telephony and data segments which attacks operation investment in fiber infrastructure; moves to end roaming charges (2020) domestic: fixed-line is 21 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular teledensity 131 per 100 persons (2022) international: country code - 1-868; landing points for the EC Link, ECFS, Southern Caribbean Fiber, SG-SCS and Americas II submarine cable systems provide connectivity to US, parts of the Caribbean and South America; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Barbados and Guyana (2020)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 326,000 (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 21 (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 1.999 million (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 131 (2022 est.)

Agricultural products

chicken, fruits, coconuts, citrus fruits, plantains, maize, eggs, oranges, tomatoes, bananas (2022) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Budget

revenues: $5.698 billion (2019 est.) expenditures: $7.822 billion (2019 est.) note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Credit ratings

Moody's rating: Ba1 (2017) Standard & Poors rating: BBB- (2020) note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Current account balance

$5.382 billion (2022 est.) $2.695 billion (2021 est.) -$1.356 billion (2020 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Economic overview

high-income Caribbean economy; major hydrocarbon exporter; key tourism and finance sectors; high inflation and growing public debt; long foreign currency access delays; large foreign reserves and sovereign wealth fund

Exchange rates

Trinidad and Tobago dollars (TTD) per US dollar - 6.75 (2023 est.) 6.754 (2022 est.) 6.759 (2021 est.) 6.751 (2020 est.) 6.754 (2019 est.)

Exports

$17.584 billion (2022 est.) $11.542 billion (2021 est.) $6.44 billion (2020 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

ammonia, natural gas, crude petroleum, acyclic alcohols, fertilizers (2022) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

US 35%, Belgium 6%, Morocco 5%, Spain 4%, Brazil 4% (2022) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP (official exchange rate)

$28.14 billion (2023 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 78.9% (2017 est.) government consumption: 16.4% (2017 est.) investment in fixed capital: 19.8% (2021 est.) exports of goods and services: 45.4% (2017 est.) imports of goods and services: -48.7% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 1.1% (2022 est.) industry: 48.9% (2022 est.) services: 47.8% (2022 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Imports

$10.694 billion (2022 est.) $8.636 billion (2021 est.) $6.785 billion (2020 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, iron ore, cars, plastic products, excavation machinery (2022) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

US 40%, China 9%, Italy 7%, Brazil 4%, Canada 3% (2022) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

3.18% (2022 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

petroleum and petroleum products, liquefied natural gas, methanol, ammonia, urea, steel products, beverages, food processing, cement, cotton textiles

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4.63% (2023 est.) 5.83% (2022 est.) 2.06% (2021 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

681,000 (2023 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Population below poverty line

20% (2014 est.)

Public debt

41.8% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$43.681 billion (2023 est.) $42.781 billion (2022 est.) $42.157 billion (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP growth rate

2.1% (2023 est.) 1.48% (2022 est.) -1.04% (2021 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP per capita

$28,500 (2023 est.) $27,900 (2022 est.) $27,600 (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

Remittances

0.63% of GDP (2023 est.) 0.68% of GDP (2022 est.) 0.96% of GDP (2021 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$6.256 billion (2023 est.) $6.832 billion (2022 est.) $6.88 billion (2021 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Taxes and other revenues

16.55% (of GDP) (2019 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Unemployment rate

4.21% (2023 est.) 4.38% (2022 est.) 4.45% (2021 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 10.1% (2023 est.) male: 9.4% (2023 est.) female: 11.1% (2023 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Carbon dioxide emissions

35.415 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 4.257 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.) from consumed natural gas: 31.158 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Coal

consumption: 100 metric tons (2021 est.) imports: 200 metric tons (2022 est.)

Electricity

installed generating capacity: 2.522 million kW (2022 est.) consumption: 8.981 billion kWh (2022 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 427.688 million kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity access

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

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels: 99.9% of total installed capacity (2022 est.) solar: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Natural gas

production: 26.772 billion cubic meters (2022 est.) consumption: 15.913 billion cubic meters (2022 est.) exports: 10.878 billion cubic meters (2022 est.) proven reserves: 298.063 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

total petroleum production: 73,000 bbl/day (2023 est.) refined petroleum consumption: 32,000 bbl/day (2022 est.) crude oil estimated reserves: 242.982 million barrels (2021 est.)

Air pollutants

particulate matter emissions: 10.26 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.) carbon dioxide emissions: 43.87 megatons (2016 est.) methane emissions: 1.35 megatons (2020 est.)

Climate

tropical; rainy season (June to December)

Environment - current issues

water pollution from agricultural chemicals, industrial wastes, and raw sewage; widespread pollution of waterways and coastal areas; illegal dumping; deforestation; soil erosion; fisheries and wildlife depletion

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Land use

agricultural land: 10.6% (2018 est.) arable land: 4.9% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 4.3% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 1.4% (2018 est.) forest: 44% (2018 est.) other: 45.4% (2018 est.)

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0.05% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

3.84 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

municipal: 240 million cubic meters (2020 est.) industrial: 130 million cubic meters (202 est.) agricultural: 20 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 53.4% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.23% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually: 727,874 tons (2010 est.)

Area

total : 5,128 sq km land: 5,128 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Delaware

Climate

tropical; rainy season (June to December)

Coastline

362 km

Elevation

highest point: El Cerro del Aripo 940 m lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m mean elevation: 83 m

Geographic coordinates

11 00 N, 61 00 W

Geography - note

Pitch Lake, on Trinidad's southwestern coast, is the world's largest natural reservoir of asphalt

Irrigated land

70 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total: 0 km

Land use

agricultural land: 10.6% (2018 est.) arable land: 4.9% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 4.3% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 1.4% (2018 est.) forest: 44% (2018 est.) other: 45.4% (2018 est.)

Location

Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the outer edge of the continental margin measured from claimed archipelagic baselines

Natural hazards

outside usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms

Natural resources

petroleum, natural gas, asphalt

Population distribution

population on Trinidad is concentrated in the western half of the island, on Tobago in the southern half

Terrain

mostly plains with some hills and low mountains

Administrative divisions

9 regions, 3 boroughs, 2 cities, 1 ward regions: Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo, Diego Martin, Mayaro/Rio Claro, Penal/Debe, Princes Town, Sangre Grande, San Juan/Laventille, Siparia, Tunapuna/Piarco borough: Arima, Chaguanas, Point Fortin cities: Port of Spain, San Fernando ward: Tobago

Capital

name: Port of Spain geographic coordinates: 10 39 N, 61 31 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: the name dates to the period of Spanish colonial rule (16th to late 18th centuries) when the city was referred to as "Puerto de Espana"; the name was anglicized following the British capture of Trinidad in 1797

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: yes citizenship by descent only: yes dual citizenship recognized: yes residency requirement for naturalization: 8 years

Constitution

history: previous 1962; latest 1976 amendments: proposed by Parliament; passage of amendments affecting constitutional provisions, such as human rights and freedoms or citizenship, requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the membership of both houses and assent of the president; passage of amendments, such as the powers and authorities of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government, and the procedure for amending the constitution, requires at least three-quarters majority vote by the House membership, two-thirds majority vote by the Senate membership, and assent of the president; amended many times, last in 2007

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Trinidad and Tobago conventional short form: Trinidad and Tobago etymology: explorer Christopher COLUMBUS named the larger island "La Isla de la Trinidad" (The Island of the Trinity) on 31 July 1498 on his third voyage; the tobacco grown and smoked by the natives of the smaller island or its elongated cigar shape may account for the "tobago" name, which is spelled "tobaco" in Spanish

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Candace A. BOND (since 8 December 2022) embassy: 15 Queen's Park West, Port of Spain mailing address: 3410 Port of Spain Place, Washington DC 20521-3410 telephone: (868) 622-6371 FAX: (868) 822-5905 email address and website: ptspas@state.gov https://tt.usembassy.gov/

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charg d'Affaires Venessa RAMHIT-RAMROOP (since 3 March 2024) chancery: 1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036-1975 telephone: [1] (202) 467-6490 FAX: [1] (202) 785-3130 email address and website: embdcinfo@foreign.gov.tt https://foreign.gov.tt/missions-consuls/tt-missions-abroad/diplomatic-missions/embassy-washington-dc-us/ consulate(s) general: Miami, New York

Executive branch

chief of state: President Christine KANGALOO (since 20 March 2023) head of government: Prime Minister Keith ROWLEY (since 9 September 2015) cabinet: Cabinet appointed from among members of Parliament elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by an electoral college of selected Senate and House of Representatives members for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 20 January 2023 (next to be held by February 2028); the president usually appoints the leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives as prime minister election results: 2023: Christine KANGALOO elected president by the electoral college on 20 January 2023; electoral college vote Christine KANGALOO (PNM) 48, Israel KHAN (UNC) 22 2018: Paula-Mae WEEKES (independent) elected president; ran unopposed and was elected without a vote; she was Trinidad and Tabago's first female head of state

Flag description

red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper hoist side to the lower fly side; the colors represent the elements of earth, water, and fire; black stands for the wealth of the land and the dedication of the people; white symbolizes the sea surrounding the islands, the purity of the country's aspirations, and equality; red symbolizes the warmth and energy of the sun, the vitality of the land, and the courage and friendliness of its people

Government type

parliamentary republic

Independence

31 August 1962 (from the UK)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, ACS, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club (associate), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Supreme Court of the Judicature (consists of a chief justice for both the Court of Appeal with 12 judges and the High Court with 24 judges); note - Trinidad and Tobago can file appeals beyond its Supreme Court to the Caribbean Court of Justice, with final appeal to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the president after consultation with the prime minister and the parliamentary leader of the opposition; other judges appointed by the Judicial Legal Services Commission, headed by the chief justice and 5 members with judicial experience; all judges serve for life with mandatory retirement normally at age 65 subordinate courts: Courts of Summary Criminal Jurisdiction; Petty Civil Courts; Family Court

Legal system

English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court

Legislative branch

description: bicameral Parliament consists of: Senate (31 seats; 16 members appointed by the ruling party, 9 by the president, and 6 by the opposition party; members serve 5-year terms;) House of Representatives (42 seats; 41 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and the house speaker - usually designated from outside Parliament; members serve 5-year terms) elections: Senate - last appointments on 28 August 2020 (next appointments in August 2025) House of Representatives - last held on 10 August 2020 (next to be held in 2025) election results: Senate - percent by party - NA; seats by party - PNM 16, UNC 6, independent 9; composition - men 19, women 13, percentage women 40.6% House of Representatives - percent by party - NA; seats by party - PNM 23, UNC 19; composition - men 30, women 12, percentage women 28.6%; total Parliament percentage women 33.8% note: Tobago has a unicameral House of Assembly (19 seats; 15 assemblymen directly elected by simple majority vote and 4 appointed councilors - 3 on the advice of the chief secretary and 1 on the advice of the minority leader; members serve 4-year terms)

National anthem

name: "Forged From the Love of Liberty" lyrics/music: Patrick Stanislaus CASTAGNE note: adopted 1962; song originally created to serve as an anthem for the West Indies Federation; adopted by Trinidad and Tobago following the Federation's dissolution in 1962

National holiday

Independence Day, 31 August (1962)

National symbol(s)

scarlet ibis (bird of Trinidad), cocrico (bird of Tobago), Chaconia flower; national colors: red, white, black

Political parties

People's National Movement or PNM United National Congress or UNC Tobago People s Party or Tobago

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

First colonized by the Spanish, Trinidad and Tobago came under British control in the early 19th century. The emancipation of enslaved people in 1834 disrupted the twin islands' sugar industry. Contract workers arriving from India between 1845 and 1917 augmented the labor force, which boosted sugar production as well as the cocoa industry. The discovery of oil on Trinidad in 1910 added another important export that remains the country's dominant industry. Trinidad and Tobago attained independence in 1962. The country is one of the most prosperous in the Caribbean, thanks largely to petroleum and natural gas production and processing. The government is struggling to reverse a surge in violent crime.

Military - note

the TTDF's primary responsibilities are conducting border and maritime security, including air and maritime surveillance, assisting civil authorities in times of crisis or disaster, providing search and rescue services, port security, and supporting civil law enforcement, particularly in countering gang-related crime and trafficking of narcotics and other illicit goods; the Police Service maintains internal security (2024)

Military and security forces

Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force (TTDF): Trinidad and Tobago Regiment (Army/Land Forces), Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard, Trinidad and Tobago Air Guard, Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force Reserves Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) (2024) note: the Ministry of National Security oversees both the TTDF and the TTPS

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 5,000 TTDF personnel (2024)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the TTDF's ground force inventory consists of light weapons, while the Coast Guard and Air Guard field mostly secondhand equipment from a mix of countries, including Australia, China, Italy, the Netherlands, the UK, and the US (2024)

Military expenditures

1% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.1% of GDP (2022 est.) 1% of GDP (2021 est.) 1% of GDP (2020 est.) 1% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-25 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women (some age variations between services, reserves); no conscription (2024)

Age structure

0-14 years: 18.7% (male 134,508/female 129,180) 15-64 years: 67.2% (male 481,606/female 465,150) 65 years and over: 14.1% (2024 est.) (male 92,146/female 106,376)

Alcohol consumption per capita

total: 5.81 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 2.92 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 0.16 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 2.65 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 0.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

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

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current health expenditure

7.3% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

48.6% (2023 est.)

Death rate

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

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 43.7 youth dependency ratio: 29.3 elderly dependency ratio: 16.8 potential support ratio: 7.4 (2021 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: NA rural: NA total: 100% of population unimproved: urban: NA rural: NA total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

Education expenditures

4.1% of GDP (2020 est.)

Ethnic groups

East Indian 35.4%, African descent 34.2%, mixed - other 15.3%, mixed - African/East Indian 7.7%, other 1.3%, unspecified 6.2% (2011 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.8 (2024 est.)

Hospital bed density

3 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Infant mortality rate

total: 15.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.) male: 17.1 deaths/1,000 live births female: 13 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

English (official), Trinidadian Creole English, Tobagonian Creole English, Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Trinidadian Creole French, Spanish, Chinese

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 76.5 years (2024 est.) male: 74.6 years female: 78.4 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99.2% female: 98.7% (2015)

Major urban areas - population

545,000 PORT-OF-SPAIN (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

27 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

total: 38.5 years (2024 est.) male: 38 years female: 39 years

Nationality

noun: Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s) adjective: Trinidadian, Tobagonian note: Trinbagonian is used on occasion to describe a citizen of the country without specifying the island of origin

Net migration rate

-0.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

18.6% (2016)

Physician density

4.48 physicians/1,000 population (2019)

Population

total: 1,408,966 male: 708,260 female: 700,706 (2024 est.)

Population distribution

population on Trinidad is concentrated in the western half of the island, on Tobago in the southern half

Population growth rate

0.1% (2024 est.)

Religions

Protestant 32.1% (Pentecostal/Evangelical/Full Gospel 12%, Baptist 6.9%, Anglican 5.7%, Seventh Day Adventist 4.1%, Presbyterian/Congregational 2.5%, other Protestant 0.9%), Roman Catholic 21.6%, Hindu 18.2%, Muslim 5%, Jehovah's Witness 1.5%, other 8.4%, none 2.2%, unspecified 11.1% (2011 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: NA rural: NA total: 99.9% of population unimproved: urban: NA rural: NA total: 0.1% of population (2020 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.63 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 53.4% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.23% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Illicit drugs

a transit point for drugs destined for Europe, North America, and the rest of the Caribbean; drug trafficking organizations use the country s proximity to Venezuela, its porous borders, vulnerabilities at ports of entry, a limited law enforcement capacity and resources, and corruption

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 36,218 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum, are recognized as refugees, or have received alternative legal stay) (2023)

Airports

3 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

9Y

Merchant marine

total: 102 (2023) by type: general cargo 1, other 101

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020) inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 19 annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 2,525,130 (2018) annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 41.14 million (2018) mt-km

Pipelines

257 km condensate, 11 km condensate/gas, 1,567 km gas, 587 km oil (2013)

Ports

total ports: 10 (2024) large: 0 medium: 1 small: 4 very small: 5 ports with oil terminals: 8 key ports: Galeota Point Terminal, Point Lisas Industrial Port, Point Lisas Port, Pointe-a-Pierre, Port of Spain