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
- Cayman Islands
- Name etymology
Spanish explorers named the islands in the early 16th century, using the Carib word for marine crocodiles, caiman
Sources:- The Cayman Islands Constitution Order 2009 ↗ - Legislation_gov_uk - The National Archives
- The World Factbook: Cayman 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
- Caymanians
- Official name:The Cayman Islands Constitution Order 2009 ↗ - Legislation_gov_uk - The National Archives
- Official name, Citizens:The World Factbook: Cayman Islands - CIA
- National anthem:nationalanthems.info ↗
Geography
- Location
- Total area
- 264 km²
- Land area
- 264 km²
- Water area
- 0.00 km²
- Land borders
- None
- Coastline
- 160 km
- Terrain
Low-lying limestone base surrounded by coral reefs - Highest point
- 50 m1 km SW of The Bluff on Cayman Brac
- Lowest point
- 0 mCaribbean Sea
- Climate
Tropical marine warm, rainy summers (May to October) and cool, relatively dry winters (November to April) - Avg. temperature
- 26.8 °C
- Avg. daily range
- 26 to 27.4 °C
- Annual precipitation
- 1,028 mm
Temperature °CMeanDaily rangePrecipitation mmMonthly climate normals Month Avg. high, °C Mean, °C Avg. low, °C Precipitation, mm January 25.9 25.2 24.6 38 February 25.8 25.2 24.6 21 March 26 25.4 24.8 24 April 26.8 26.2 25.6 26 May 27.6 26.9 26.1 106 June 28.3 27.7 27 103 July 28.9 28.2 27.4 66 August 29.1 28.4 27.4 96 September 28.9 28.1 27.1 149 October 28.2 27.5 26.6 219 November 27.3 26.7 26 124 December 26.6 25.9 25.3 56 Country-wide averages over 1991–2020.
Sources:- The World Factbook: Cayman Islands - CIA
- Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Weather
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- Land use2023
- Arable0.8%Perm. crops2.1%Pasture8.3%Forest53.0%Other35.8%
- Arable land
- 200 hectares (0.8%)
- Permanent crops
- 500 hectares (2.1%)
- Permanent meadows & pastures
- 2,000 hectares (8.3%)
- Forest
- 12,720 hectares (53.0%)
- Other land
- 8,580 hectares (35.8%)
Source:
- Location, Land borders, Coastline, Terrain, Highest point, Lowest point, Climate:The World Factbook: Cayman Islands - CIA
- Climate:Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Land use:FAOSTAT Land Use domain ↗ - FAO
Demographics
- Population change2026
- +1.78% per year+1,352 people/yearWorld Rank58thof 237
- Birth rate
- 10.9 per 1,000 population
- Death rate
- 5.0 per 1,000 population
- Net migration rate
- +11.5 per 1,000 population
- 2026
- 39.1 yearsWorld Rank74thof 237
- Age structure2026
- 0-14 years15.9%15-64 years74.0%65 years +10.1%
- Share aged 65 and over
- 10.1%
- Share aged under 18
- 19.1%
- Total dependency ratio
- 35
- Youth dependency ratio
- 22
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 14
- Sex ratio
- 1.01 male / female
MaleAgeFemalePopulation by age group, % of total population Age Male Female 80+ 0.7% 1.0% 70-79 2.0% 2.3% 60-69 5.0% 5.1% 50-59 8.1% 7.8% 40-49 9.2% 9.0% 30-39 8.6% 8.5% 20-29 5.8% 5.7% 10-19 5.3% 5.1% 0-9 5.5% 5.4% - 2026
- 0.60 below the replacement level for the Cayman Islands ()1.50 births per womanreplacement 2.10123World Rank167thof 237
- 0.73 daughters per woman0.27 below replacement, long-run each generation smaller than the lastreplacement 1.000.511.5
- 2026
- +5.9 per 1,000 populationfor every 1,000 people, 5.9 more births than deaths a year
- 2026
- +11.5 per 1,000 population
- Urbanization2026
- 100.0% live in cities77,196 urban residents
- Largest districts2023
- George Town, West Bay, Bodden Town, East EndRankDistrictPopulation (2023 estimate)1George Town41,6952West Bay18,7993Bodden Town17,1644East End2,5245North Side2,292Source:
- Economics and Statistics Office, Cayman Islands (2023 estimate), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff ↗
- Population distribution
- Majority of the population resides on Grand Cayman.
- Ethnic groups2021
- Figures count country of birth, not ethnicity.Cayman Islander35.4%Jamaican24.8%Filipino5.5%British5.3%American5.2%Honduran4.2%Canadian3.3%Indian2.1%Cuban1.6%Nicaraguan1.0%Other11.1%Unspecified0.5%
- Religions2021
- Protestant60.8%Roman Catholic13.6%Hindu1.7%Jehovah's Witness0.9%Other4.8%None16.7%Unspecified1.4%
- Protestant
- 60.8%
- 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%
Source:- The World Factbook: Cayman 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:Economics and Statistics Office, Cayman Islands (2023 estimate), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff ↗
- Population distribution, Ethnic groups, Religions:The World Factbook: Cayman Islands - CIA
Government & Administration
- Form of state
- Constitutional monarchyShared with the United Kingdom: the British monarch is head of state.Executive authority is vested in the monarch and exercised on the monarch's behalf by the Government, made up of the Governor, who is appointed by and serves at the monarch's pleasure, and the Cabinet (ss. 29, 43).
- System of government
- ParliamentaryThe Governor must appoint as Premier the elected member recommended by the majority; the Cabinet is collectively responsible to the Legislative Assembly, and the Governor, after consulting the Premier, may dissolve the Assembly (ss. 44, 49, 51, 84).
- Official websites
- Capital
- George Town34,921 people(2021)
- National holidays
- 13 days in 2026
- ThuJan 1New Year's Day
- MonJan 26National Heroes Day
- WedFeb 18Ash Wednesday
- FriApr 3Good Friday
- MonApr 6Easter Monday
- MonMay 4Emancipation Day
- MonMay 18Discovery Day
- MonJun 22King's Birthday
- MonJul 6Constitution Day
- MonNov 9Remembrance Day
- FriDec 25Christmas Day
- SatDec 26Boxing Day
- MonDec 28Boxing Day (observed)
Nationwide public holidays only, excluding regional, bank and government-only days.
- Time
- ESTEastern Standard TimeUTC−5
- Currency
- Cayman Islands Dollar (KYD)
- Entry requirements
- Official visa and entry information
- Calling code
- +1-345
- Internet TLD
- .ky
- ISO 3166-1 codes
- KY, CYM
- Infrastructure
- Heliports
- 5
- Aircraft registration prefix
- VP-C
Source:- The World Factbook: Cayman Islands - CIA
- Flag carrier
- Cayman AirwaysState-owned
- Form of state, System of government:The Cayman Islands Constitution Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/1379), Schedule 2: The Constitution of the Cayman Islands ↗ - The National Archives (United Kingdom)
- National holidays:Open World Holidays Framework (vacanza/holidays) ↗
- Infrastructure:The World Factbook: Cayman Islands - CIA
- Infrastructure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
Economy
- High income
- 2024
- Services86.5% of GDPIndustry7.6% of GDPAgriculture0.5% of GDPManufacturing0.9%part of industryThe shape of the economySource:
- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Trade2024
- Goods$268.6 million5.3%
- Services$4.8 billion94.7%
- Total exports
- $5 billion
- Change from 2023
- up 6.9 percent on the previous year6.9%
Sources:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- The World Factbook: Cayman Islands - CIA
- Industries
- tourism, banking, insurance and finance, construction, construction materials, furniture
- Income level, GDP by sector, Trade:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Trade, Industries:The World Factbook: Cayman Islands - CIA
Cost of Living
- Cost of living index
- Loading
- Monthly costs (excluding rent)
- Loading
- Rent
- Loading
- Buying an apartment
- Loading
Society
- Literacy2017
- 98.9% of adults
- Education expenditure2019
- 1.1% of GDP
- Share of government spending
- 15%
Source:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Internet users2017latest available
- 81.1% of the population
- Households with Internet access
- 81.2%
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Mobile subscriptions2017latest available
- 96,656
- Fixed telephone lines
- 34,768
- Fixed broadband
- 48.4 subscriptions per 100 people
Counts subscriptions, not people.
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Refugees hosted2025
- 56 people
- Asylum seekers
- 13
Source:- Refugee Data Finder ↗ - UN Refugee Agency
- Inbound tourists2022
- Official tourism site284,300 arrivalsdown 43% against 201943% below 2019World Rank114thof 139
- Per resident
- 4 arrivals per resident
- Same-day visitors
- 743,400 arrivals
- $843.4 million(2023)
- $376.1 million(2023)
- Hotel beds
- 18,067(2017, 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
- Literacy:UIS Data Browser ↗ - UNESCO Institute for Statistics
- Education expenditure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Internet users, Mobile subscriptions:ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Refugees hosted:Refugee Data Finder ↗ - UN Refugee Agency
- Inbound tourists:UN Tourism Data Dashboard ↗ - UN Tourism
Crime & Safety
- Travel advisory (US)
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- Homicide rate2020
- 4.4 per 100,000 peopleMedium by global standards
- Crime rates
- 1 offence category
Offence Per 100,000 Count Year Homicide (victims) 4.4 3 2020 A low figure can also mean weak recording.
Source:- UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
- Prison population2023
- 353.2 per 100,000 people
- Persons held
- 258
Source:- UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
- Homicide rate, Crime rates, Prison population:UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
Health
- Life expectancy2026
- 80.9 years
- Infant mortality2026
- 1.1 per 1,000 live births
- Life expectancy, Infant mortality:UN World Population Prospects ↗
Environment
- CO₂ emissions2024
- 0.37 Mt per yearup 3.5 percent on the previous year3.5% from 2023
- CO₂ per capita
- 5.6 t per personWorld Rank50thof 207
- Share of global CO₂
- < 0.01%
- Methane (CH₄)
- 0.03 Mt CO₂-eq
- Nitrous oxide (N₂O)
- 0.01 Mt CO₂-eq
- All greenhouse gases
- 0.41 Mt CO₂-eq
Source:- Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- 2024
- 11.3 µg/m³ of PM2.50.6 years of life expectancy lost against the WHO guidelineMost polluted123rdof 236
- WHO guideline
- 5 µg/m³
Source:- Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- Environmental issues
- no natural freshwater resources
- trash washing up or being deposited on beaches
- no recycling or waste-treatment facilities
- deforestation
Source:- The World Factbook: Cayman Islands - CIA
- 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: Cayman Islands - CIA
Food & Water
Energy
- Energy consumption2024
- Per capita
- 171.9 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 trade0.7 TWh generated per year
- Generation
- 0.7 TWh per year
- Consumption
- 0.7 TWh per year
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Oil, gas & coal
- No domestic productionconsumes 5,831 b/d in 2024Consumption20245,831 b/d
Oil imports and exports count crude oil only.
- Energy consumption, Electricity, Oil, gas & coal:International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration