British Overseas Territory
Territory under British sovereignty that does not form part of the United Kingdom. It has its own constitution and government; the United Kingdom is responsible for defense and external relations.
Listed by the United Nations as a Non-Self-Governing Territory.
National Identity
- Official name
- Virgin Islands
- Name etymology
the islets, cays, and rocks surrounding the major islands reminded explorer Christopher COLUMBUS in 1493 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)
Sources:- 2007 No. 1678 - Caribbean and North Atlantich Territories - Virgin Islands Constitution Order 2007 ↗ - Government of the Virgin Islands
- The World Factbook: British Virgin Islands - CIA
- Coat of arms
- National flag
- National anthem
- God Save the KingThe national anthem of the United Kingdom.1:03
- Title
- God Save the King
- Lyrics
- English
1God save our gracious King, Long live our noble King, God save the King: Send him victorious, Happy and glorious, Long to reign over us: God save the King.
2O Lord, our God, arise, Scatter his enemies, And make them fall. Confound their politics, Frustrate their knavish tricks, On Thee our hopes we fix, God save us all.
3Thy choicest gifts in store, On him be pleased to pour; Long may he reign: May he defend our laws, And ever give us cause With heart and voice to sing God save the King
Source: - Citizens
- British Virgin Islanders
- Official name:2007 No. 1678 - Caribbean and North Atlantich Territories - Virgin Islands Constitution Order 2007 ↗ - Government of the Virgin Islands
- Official name, Citizens:The World Factbook: British Virgin Islands - CIA
- National anthem:nationalanthems.info ↗
Geography
- Location
- Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico
- Total area
- 151 km²
- Land area
- 151 km²
- Water area
- 0.00 km²
- Land borders
- None
- Coastline
- 80 km
- Terrain
Coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly - Highest point
- 521 mMount Sage
- Lowest point
- 0 mCaribbean Sea
- Climate
Subtropical humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds - Avg. temperature
- 26.2 °C
- Avg. daily range
- 25.4 to 26.8 °C
- Annual precipitation
- 961 mm
Temperature °CMeanDaily rangePrecipitation mmMonthly climate normals Month Avg. high, °C Mean, °C Avg. low, °C Precipitation, mm January 25.5 25 24.4 41 February 25.3 24.7 24.1 32 March 25.3 24.7 24.2 33 April 25.9 25.3 24.6 46 May 26.7 26.1 25.4 84 June 27.5 26.9 26.2 66 July 27.8 27.2 26.4 89 August 28.1 27.4 26.6 108 September 28.1 27.5 26.5 135 October 27.8 27.1 26.3 140 November 27.1 26.4 25.6 128 December 26.2 25.6 25 58 Country-wide averages over 1991–2020.
Sources:- The World Factbook: British Virgin Islands - CIA
- Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Weather
- Loading
- Land use2023
- Arable6.7%Perm. crops6.7%Pasture33.3%Forest66.5%
- Arable land
- 1,000 hectares (6.7%)
- Permanent crops
- 1,000 hectares (6.7%)
- Permanent meadows & pastures
- 5,000 hectares (33.3%)
- Forest
- 9,970 hectares (66.5%)
- Other land
- 0 hectares (0.0%)
Reported categories cover 113.1% of the land area.
Source:
- Location, Land borders, Coastline, Terrain, Highest point, Lowest point, Climate:The World Factbook: British Virgin Islands - CIA
- Climate:Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Land use:FAOSTAT Land Use domain ↗ - FAO
Demographics
- Population change2026
- +0.51% per year+204 people/yearWorld Rank139thof 237
- Birth rate
- 8.0 per 1,000 population
- Death rate
- 6.3 per 1,000 population
- Net migration rate
- +2.6 per 1,000 population
- 2026
- 39.1 yearsWorld Rank69thof 237
- Age structure2026
- 0-14 years13.8%15-64 years75.6%65 years +10.6%
- Share aged 65 and over
- 10.6%
- Share aged under 18
- 17.5%
- Total dependency ratio
- 32
- Youth dependency ratio
- 18
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 14
- Sex ratio
- 0.9 male / female
MaleAgeFemalePopulation by age group, % of total population Age Male Female 80+ 0.6% 0.9% 70-79 2.1% 2.6% 60-69 4.8% 5.2% 50-59 6.9% 7.9% 40-49 8.8% 10.5% 30-39 7.3% 8.9% 20-29 6.5% 6.7% 10-19 6.0% 5.8% 0-9 4.4% 4.2% - 2026
- 1.03 below the replacement level for the British Virgin Islands ()1.07 births per womanreplacement 2.10123World Rank227thof 237
- 0.51 daughters per woman0.49 below replacement, long-run each generation smaller than the lastreplacement 1.000.511.5
- 2026
- +1.8 per 1,000 populationfor every 1,000 people, 1.8 more births than deaths a year
- 2026
- +2.6 per 1,000 population
- Urbanization2026
- 58.3% live in 23,285 urban residents
- Largest places1991latest available
- Road TownRankPlacePopulation (1991 census)1Road Town6,330Source:
- Central Statistics Office, British Virgin Islands (1991 census), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff ↗
- Population distribution
- A fairly even distribution throughout the inhabited islands, with the largest islands of Tortola, Anegada, Virgin Gorda, and Jost Van Dyke having the largest populations.
- Ethnic groups2010
- African/Black76.3%Latino5.5%White5.4%Mixed5.3%Indian2.1%East Indian1.6%Other3.0%Unspecified0.8%
- Religions2010
- Protestant70.2%Roman Catholic8.9%Jehovah's Witness2.5%Hindu1.9%Other6.2%None7.9%Unspecified2.4%
- Protestant
- 70.2%
- Methodist
- 17.6%
- Church of God
- 10.4%
- Anglican
- 9.5%
- Seventh Day Adventist
- 9.0%
- Pentecostal
- 8.2%
- Baptist
- 7.4%
- New Testament Church of God
- 6.9%
- Other Protestant
- 1.2%
Source:- The World Factbook: British Virgin Islands - CIA
- Languages
- English
- Population, Population change, Median age, Age structure, Total fertility rate, Net reproduction rate, Natural change, Net migration rate:UN World Population Prospects ↗
- Urbanization:UN World Urbanization Prospects ↗
- Largest cities:Central Statistics Office, British Virgin Islands (1991 census), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff ↗
- Population distribution, Ethnic groups, Religions:The World Factbook: British Virgin Islands - CIA
Government & Administration
- Form of state
- Constitutional monarchyShared with the United Kingdom: the British monarch is head of state.A territory whose Constitution is a UK Order in Council; executive authority is vested in the monarch and exercised by a Governor who is appointed by and holds office at the monarch's pleasure (s. 1; ss. 35, 46).
- System of government
- ParliamentaryThe Governor appoints as Premier the elected member commanding a House of Assembly majority; the Cabinet is collectively responsible to the House, a majority lack-of-confidence vote removes the Premier, and the Governor may dissolve after consulting the Premier (ss. 47, 52, 53, 84).Source:
- Official websites
- Capital
- Road Town6,330 people(2010)
- National holidays
- 15 days in 2026
- ThuJan 1New Year's Day
- MonMar 2Lavity Stoutt's Birthday
- FriApr 3Good Friday
- MonApr 6Easter Monday
- MonMay 25Pentecost Monday
- FriJun 12Sovereign's Birthday
- MonJul 6Virgin Islands Day
- MonAug 3Emancipation Monday
- TueAug 4Emancipation Tuesday
- WedAug 5Emancipation Wednesday
- MonOct 19Heroes and Foreparents Day
- MonNov 23The Great March of 1949 and Restoration Day
- FriDec 25Christmas Day
- SatDec 26Boxing Day
- MonDec 28Boxing Day (observed)
Nationwide public holidays only, excluding regional, bank and government-only days.
- Time
- ASTAtlantic Standard TimeUTC−4
- Currency
- US Dollar (USD)
- Entry requirements
- Official visa and entry information
- Calling code
- +1-284
- Internet TLD
- .vg
- ISO 3166-1 codes
- VG, VGB
- Infrastructure
- Heliports
- 2
- Aircraft registration prefix
- VP-L
Source:- The World Factbook: British Virgin Islands - CIA
- Form of state, System of government:The Virgin Islands Constitution Order 2007 (S.I. 2007 No. 1678), Constitution of the Virgin Islands ↗ - The National Archives (United Kingdom)
- National holidays:Open World Holidays Framework (vacanza/holidays) ↗
- Infrastructure:The World Factbook: British Virgin Islands - CIA
- Infrastructure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
Economy
- High income
- Trade2023
- Industries
- tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore banking center
- Income level:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Trade, Industries:The World Factbook: British Virgin Islands - CIA
Cost of Living
Society
- Education expenditure2023
- 3.2% of GDP
- Share of government spending
- 11.1%
Source:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Internet users2017latest available
- 77.7% of the population
- Households with Internet access
- 72.4%
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Mobile subscriptions2017latest available
- 44,043
- Fixed telephone lines
- 9,544
- Fixed broadband
- 15.3 subscriptions per 100 people
Counts subscriptions, not people.
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Refugees hosted2025
- 5 people
- Asylum seekers
- 43
- Internally displaced persons
- 1,500(2017, latest available)All due to disasters
Sources:- Refugee Data Finder ↗ - UN Refugee Agency
- Global Internal Displacement Database ↗ - Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre
- Inbound tourists2022
- Official tourism site173,000 arrivalsdown 43% against 201943% below 2019World Rank117thof 139
- Per resident
- 4.5 arrivals per resident
- Same-day visitors
- 592,500 arrivals(2019, latest available)
- Visitor spending in the country
- $484 million(2015, latest available)
- Share of GDP
- 33.2% tourism direct GDP(2018, latest available)
Overnight arrivals by year2010 to 2022A tourist stays at least one night. Arrivals count trips, not people.
Source:- UN Tourism Data Dashboard ↗ - UN Tourism
- Education expenditure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Internet users, Mobile subscriptions:ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Refugees hosted:Refugee Data Finder ↗ - UN Refugee Agency
- Refugees hosted:Global Internal Displacement Database ↗ - Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre
- Inbound tourists:UN Tourism Data Dashboard ↗ - UN Tourism
Crime & Safety
- Travel advisory (US)
- Loading
- Prison population2018
- 412.6 per 100,000 people
- Persons held
- 143
Source:- UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
- Prison population:UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
Health
- Life expectancy2026
- 77.8 years
- Infant mortality2026
- 10.1 per 1,000 live births
- Life expectancy, Infant mortality:UN World Population Prospects ↗
Environment
- CO₂ emissions2024
- 0.09 Mt per yearup 3.5 percent on the previous year3.5% from 2023
- CO₂ per capita
- 2.7 t per personWorld Rank105thof 207
- Share of global CO₂
- < 0.01%
- Methane (CH₄)
- 0.01 Mt CO₂-eq
- Nitrous oxide (N₂O)
- 0 Mt CO₂-eq
- All greenhouse gases
- 0.11 Mt CO₂-eq
Source:- Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- 2024
- 2.7 µg/m³ of PM2.5Most polluted214thof 236
- WHO guideline
- 5 µg/m³
Source:- Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- Environmental issues
- limited natural freshwater resources
- water pollution from sewage and mining/industry waste
- coral reef preservation
- International agreements
- 1 of 20 landmark treaties in forceParty to 3 multilateral environmental agreements
Treaty Standing Joined Climate Paris Agreement not a party UN Framework Convention on Climate Change not a party Kyoto Protocol not a party Ozone layer Montreal Protocol not a party Vienna Convention (Ozone Layer) not a party Biodiversity Convention on Biological Diversity not a party CITES not a party Convention on Migratory Species (Bonn) not a party Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety not a party Nagoya Protocol not a party Land and heritage Ramsar Convention on Wetlands not a party World Heritage Convention not a party UN Convention to Combat Desertification in force 1997 Chemicals and waste Basel Convention not a party Rotterdam Convention (PIC) not a party Stockholm Convention (POPs) not a party Minamata Convention on Mercury not a party Oceans UN Convention on the Law of the Sea not a party High Seas Treaty (BBNJ) not a party MARPOL 73/78 not a party Source:- International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
- CO₂ emissions:Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- Air pollution:Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- Environmental issues:The World Factbook: British Virgin Islands - CIA
- International agreements:International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
Food & Water
Energy
- Energy consumption2024
- 0 EJ per yeartotal primary energy
- Per capita
- 71.9 GJ per person
- Share of world total
- < 0.01%
- Supply
- No meaningful productionproduces under 2% of what it consumes, 2024
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Electricity2024
- No electricity trade0.2 TWh generated per year
- Generation
- 0.2 TWh per year
- Consumption
- 0.2 TWh per year
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Oil, gas & coal
- No domestic productionconsumes 1,288 b/d in 2024Consumption20241,288 b/d
Oil imports and exports count crude oil only.
- Energy consumption, Electricity, Oil, gas & coal:International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration