Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Kitts and Nevis is a two-island federation in the Caribbean, a UN member state, and a parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy. This profile identifies its stable classification facts and explains how to verify the figures that change year to year. It does not replace a travel guide, a visa service, or a live data dashboard. Numbers shift; the sources and methods for finding the latest number do not.

Stable classification facts

The table below records statistical and administrative codes drawn from the United Nations Statistical Division (UNSD) M49 standard and the World Bank country API. These are identifiers, not political or territorial claims.

Field	Value	Source
UN M49 code	659	UN M49 standard
ISO alpha-2	KN	ISO 3166-1
ISO alpha-3	KNA	ISO 3166-1
UN region	Americas	UN M49
UN subregion	Latin America and the Caribbean	UN M49
UN membership	Member state	UN M49
World Bank capital field	Basseterre	World Bank country API

The UN M49 standard is the authoritative reference for country codes and regional groupings:

• UN M49 standard:

For economic and social indicators, the World Bank country API returns JSON data for Saint Kitts and Nevis and every other economy:

• World Bank country API:

When you read a figure, write down the source and the reference year. If you see “population: 47,000 (World Bank, 2023)”, you can compare it with the national statistical office’s latest census. The two numbers may differ because they use different definitions, dates, or estimation methods. Do not mix datasets without noting the source.

Government and political structure

Formal name: Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis, commonly shortened to Saint Kitts and Nevis.

Status: UN member state. This is a classification fact from the UN M49 standard; it does not imply any position on sovereignty, recognition, or territorial disputes.

Government type: Parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy. The British monarch is head of state, represented by a Governor-General. The prime minister is head of government. The federation is a Commonwealth realm. Nevis has its own assembly and substantial autonomy under the federal structure. Source: CIA World Factbook, latest edition.

Capital: Basseterre, on the island of Saint Kitts. The World Bank capital field lists Basseterre. The city is the seat of the federal government; the island of Nevis maintains its own assembly and a degree of self-governance. (World Bank country profile, reference year varies by data refresh.)

People, language and currency

Language: English is the language of government, education and daily life. The Constitution of Saint Christopher and Nevis (1983) designates English as the sole language for official purposes. Saint Kitts and Nevis Creole, a Lesser Antillean Creole, is widely spoken in informal settings. The CIA World Factbook (latest edition) lists English as the national language.

Currency: The Eastern Caribbean dollar (XCD), issued by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB). It has been pegged to the US dollar at ECabout $2.70 = USabout $1.00 since 1976. Because the peg is a fixed rate, exchange values are stable against the US dollar, but verify the prevailing rate from the ECCB before relying on it. The peg is a monetary arrangement, not a market forecast.

Population: Figures change annually. Use the UN World Population Prospects or the World Bank API rather than a static number. Always cite the source and reference year.

Economy and income classification

Tourism and international financial services are major sectors. The federation is a member of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) and uses the Eastern Caribbean dollar. GDP figures and income classifications change annually; see the World Bank and IMF for the latest data. The World Bank classifies the nation as an upper-middle-income economy (as of the most recent available classification year). For every economic indicator, name the source and the edition or reference year.

How to verify figures that change

Official statistics update on their own schedules, so any single number printed on a page can be outdated. The two primary sources for stable metadata are the UN M49 standard and the World Bank country API. For population figures, the UN Population Division updates estimates annually; the latest revision at time of writing is 2024. For economic indicators, the World Bank’s Development Indicators are typically published with a lag of one to two years; name the edition you use. For health data, the WHO Global Health Observatory is the standard source. For education and culture, use the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. For governance indicators, Freedom House and Transparency International publish annual scores with explicit methodology notes. For travel and visa requirements, use your own government’s travel advisory and the IATA Travel Centre.

Travel, safety and entry requirements

For entry requirements, visa policy and safety conditions, always consult your own government’s travel advisory and the government of Saint Kitts and Nevis. Do not rely on third-party summaries. Conditions change, and only a current advisory from an authority you trust can account for the latest developments.

Using statistics responsibly

All statistics should be cited to a named source and reference year. Population figures from different sources (UN, World Bank, national census) may differ due to different definitions and update schedules. Always compare figures from the same source and year. If a fact is not provided, do not make one up. For every changing figure, name the source and the year. Do not include personal opinions, testimonials, or first-hand experience.

Purpose

This profile answers the question “Saint Kitts and Nevis” by identifying the federation, its statistical classification, and the sources that hold current data. It does not replace a travel guide, a visa service, or a live data dashboard. Numbers change; the sources and methods for finding the current number do not.