Cayman Islands
Introduction
Background
The Cayman Islands were colonized from Jamaica by the British during the 18th and 19th centuries and were administered by Jamaica 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.
Visit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic.
Geography
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
Geographic coordinates
19 30 N, 80 30 W
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean
Area - comparative
1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries
total: 0 km
Coastline
160 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
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
Elevation
highest point: 1 km SW of The Bluff on Cayman Brac 50 m
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
Natural resources
fish, climate and beaches that foster tourism
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.)
Population distribution
majority of the population resides on Grand Cayman
Natural hazards
hurricanes (July to November)
Geography - note
important location between Cuba and Central America
People and Society
Population
65,483 (2023 est.)
note: most of the population lives on Grand Cayman
Nationality
noun: Caymanian(s)
adjective: Caymanian
Ethnic groups
mixed 40%, White 20%, African descent 20%, expatriates of various ethnic groups 20%
Languages
English (official) 90.9%, Spanish 4%, Filipino 3.3%, other 1.7%, unspecified 0.1% (2010 est.)
Religions
Protestant 67.8% (includes Church of God 22.6%, Seventh Day Adventist 9.4%, Presbyterian/United Church 8.6%, Baptist 8.3%, Pentecostal 7.1%, non-denominational 5.3%, Anglican 4.1%, Wesleyan Holiness 2.4%), Roman Catholic 14.1%, Jehovah's Witness 1.1%, other 7%, none 9.3%, unspecified 0.7% (2010 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years: 17.48% (male 5,761/female 5,684)
15-64 years: 66.48% (male 21,271/female 22,261)
65 years and over: 16.04% (2023 est.) (male 4,792/female 5,714)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 32.6
youth dependency ratio: 22.3
elderly dependency ratio: 10.4
potential support ratio: 9.6 (2021)
Median age
total: 40.5 years
male: 39.7 years
female: 41.2 years (2020 est.)
Net migration rate
12.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)
note: major destination for Cubans trying to migrate to the US
Population distribution
majority of the population resides on Grand Cayman
Urbanization
urban population: 100% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 1.13% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population
35,000 GEORGE TOWN (capital) (2018)
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 (2023 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total: 7.47 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 9.04 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 82.25 years
male: 79.57 years
female: 84.98 years (2023 est.)
Gross reproduction rate
0.9 (2023 est.)
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.)
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.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
51.4% (2023 est.)
Literacy
total population: 98.9% NA
male: 98.7% NA
female: 99% (2021) NA
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
total: 13.8%
male: 16.4%
female: 11.4% (2015 est.)
Environment
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)
Climate
tropical marine; warm, rainy summers (May to October) and cool, relatively dry winters (November to April)
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.)
Urbanization
urban population: 100% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 1.13% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Air pollutants
carbon dioxide emissions: 0.55 megatons (2016 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.)
Government
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
Government type
parliamentary democracy; self-governing overseas territory of the UK
Dependency status
overseas territory of the UK
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)
Administrative divisions
6 districts; Bodden Town, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, East End, George Town, North Side, West Bay
Independence
none (overseas territory of the UK)
National holiday
Constitution Day, the first Monday in July (1959)
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
Legal system
English common law and local statutes
Citizenship
see United Kingdom
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor Martyn ROPER (since 29 October 2018)
head of government: Premier Wayne PANTON (since 21 April 2021)
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
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 on 2025)
election results: percent of vote by party - independent 79.1%, PPM 19.6%; seats by party - independent 12, PPM 7; composition of elected members - men 15, women 4, percent of women 21.1%; ex-officio members - men 2
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
Political parties and leaders
Cayman Islands Peoples Party or CIPP [Ezzard MILLER]
People's Progressive Movement or PPM [Roy McTAGGART]
International organization participation
Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU
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
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
National symbol(s)
green sea turtle
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)
Economy
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
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$4.599 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars
$4.516 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars
$4.788 billion (2019 est.)
Real GDP growth rate
1.84% (2021 est.)
-5.68% (2020 est.)
3.87% (2019 est.)
Real GDP per capita
$67,500 (2021 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars
$67,100 (2020 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars
$72,400 (2019 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$2.25 billion (2008 est.)
Credit ratings
Moody's rating: Aa3 (1997)
note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 0.3% (2017 est.)
industry: 7.4% (2017 est.)
services: 92.3% (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption: 62.3% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 14.5% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 22.1% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 0.1% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 65.4% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -64.2% (2017 est.)
Agricultural products
vegetables, fruit; livestock; turtle farming
Industries
tourism, banking, insurance and finance, construction, construction materials, furniture
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture: 1.9%
industry: 19.1%
services: 79% (2008 est.)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
total: 13.8%
male: 16.4%
female: 11.4% (2015 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA
Budget
revenues: $874.5 million (2017 est.)
expenditures: $766.6 million (2017 est.)
Fiscal year
1 April - 31 March
Current account balance
-$763.556 million (2020 est.)
-$646.843 million (2019 est.)
-$927.544 million (2018 est.)
Exports
$3.652 billion (2020 est.)
$4.205 billion (2019 est.)
$3.959 billion (2018 est.)
note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.
Exports - partners
Netherlands 82%, Spain 11% (2019)
Exports - commodities
recreational boats, aircraft, ships, gold, refined petroleum, natural gas (2021)
Imports
$2.507 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$2.743 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$2.518 billion (2018 est.)
Imports - partners
Netherlands 56%, United States 18%, Italy 8%, Switzerland 5% (2019)
Imports - commodities
recreational boats, ships, gold, refined petroleum, cars (2019)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$216.8 million (31 December 2020 est.)
$183.5 million (31 December 2019 est.)
$162.074 million (31 December 2018 est.)
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.)
Energy
Electricity access
electrification - total population: 100% (2020)
Electricity
installed generating capacity: 174,000 kW (2020 est.)
consumption: 655.165 million kWh (2019 est.)
exports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)
imports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 40 million kWh (2019 est.)
Electricity generation sources
fossil fuels: 97.6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
solar: 2.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Coal
production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
Petroleum
total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 5,500 bbl/day (2019 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)
Natural gas
production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
808,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 808,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
Energy consumption per capita
175.578 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
country comparison to the world: 25Communications
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: 150 (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)
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 users
total: 55,148 (2021 est.)
percent of population: 81.1% (2021 est.)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
total: 3,200 (2020 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 49 (2020 est.)
Transportation
National air transport system
number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 6
Airports - with paved runways
3
note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
Airports - with unpaved runways
1
note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control
Merchant marine
total: 139
by type: bulk carrier 29, container ship 3, general cargo 1, oil tanker 20, other 86 (2022)
Ports and terminals
major seaport(s): Cayman Brac, George Town
cruise port(s): George Town, Grand Cayman
Military and Security
Military and security forces
no regular military forces; Royal Cayman Islands Police Service
Military - note
defense is the responsibility of the UK