The World's Best Sub-Custodians

ANNUAL SURVEY: THE WORLD'S BEST SUB-CUSTODIANS   Sub-Custodians Feeling The Heat   Global investing in turbulent times puts the spotlight on local safekeepers.   By Gordon Platt     As they seek to reassure investors that their assets in foreign ...

 
 
Source
Central bank

Eastern Caribbean Central Bank

International Reserves

USD 0.29 billion (2018)

International Monetary Fund (IMF), data retrieved October 2019

Gross Domestic Product - GDP

USD 1.9 billion (2018, estimate)

GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Intl$ 2.5 billion (2018, estimate)

Real GDP growth
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
2.1% 5% -1.5% 0.3% 4.1% -0.3% -2%
2014 2015 2016 2017* 2018*    
0% 0.3% 3.9% 3.7% 1%    

*Estimate

GDP per capita - current prices

USD 10,610.3 (2018, estimate)

GDP per capita - PPP

Intl$ 14,354.8 (2018, estimate)

GDP (PPP) - share of world total
1980 1990 2000 2010 2019*
0% 0% 0% 0% 0.002%

*Estimate

 
 
Source
GDP - composition by sector
  • agriculture: 2.1% 
  • industry: 9.7% 
  • services: 75.1%

(2018 estimate)

Gross domestic expenditure on R&D; (% of GDP)

N/A

 

Inflation
2015 2016 2017 2018* 2019*
-1% -3.1% 0.1% 2% 2.1%

*Estimate

Unemployment rate
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

*Estimate

Household saving rates

N/A

Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP)
2015 2016 2017 2018* 2019*
66.1% 66.2% 65.5% 64.3% 65.9%

*Estimate

Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP)
2015 2016 2017 2018* 2019*
-2.5% -1.5% -2.2% -1.4% -2.2%

*Estimate  

Government bond ratings

Standard & Poor's: N/A

Moody's: N/A

Standard & Poor's / Moody's

Market value of publicly traded shares
2016 2017 2018
N/A N/A N/A
Largest companies

N/A

 
 
Source
Current account balance

USD 0.1 billion (2018 estimate)

Current account balance by percentage of GDP

3.0 % (2018 estimate)

Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services)

36.3% (2016)

Shares in world total merchandising export

0.0005% (2018)

Shares in world total commercial services export

0.02% (2018)

Total exports

USD 1.1 billion (2018 estimate)

Export commodities

Bananas 41%, clothing, cocoa, avocados, mangoes, coconut oil (2010 est.)

Total imports

USD 972.5 million (2018 estimate)

 
 
Source
Import commodities

Food, manufactured goods, machinery and transportation equipment, chemicals, fuels

Exports - major partners

US 67.6%, UK 5.9%, Trinidad and Tobago 5.5% (2017)

Imports - major partners

US 53.3%, Trinidad and Tobago 10.8% (2017)

FDI inflows
2016 2017 2018
USD 129 million USD 131 million USD 135 million
FDI outflows
2016 2017 2018
USD 5.4 million USD 5.6 million USD 13.2 million
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser
2015 2016 2017 2018
N/A N/A N/A N/A
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014

N/A

(for a monthly update on M&A; click here )

Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015

N/A

(for a monthly update on M&A; click here )

Best countries for doing business

Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.

Overall ranking:

93 out of 190 countries

​Subcategories:
Starting a Business: 69 out of 190 countries
Dealing with Construction Permits: 38 out of 190 countries
Getting Electricity: 56 out of 190 countries
Registering Property: 107 out of 190 countries
Getting Credit: 165 out of 190 countries
Protecting Minority Investors: 79 out of 190 countries
Paying Taxes: 84 out of 190 countries
Trading across Borders: 93 out of 190 countries
Enforcing Contracts: 79 out of 190 countries
Resolving Insolvency: 131 out of 190 countries

Global competitiveness ranking

N/A

Index of Economic Freedom

Ranking: 38 / Score: 68.7 (Moderately free)

(100=totally free 0=totally repressed)

 
 
Source
Time zone

UTC-4

Total area

616 sq km

Capital

Castries

Currency

East Caribbean dollars (XCD)

Government type

Parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

Languages

 English (official), French patois

Religions

Roman Catholic 61.5%, Protestant 25.5% (includes Seventh Day Adventist 10.4%, Pentecostal 8.9%, Baptist 2.2%, Anglican 1.6%, Church of God 1.5%, other Protestant 0.9%), other Christian 3.4% (includes Evangelical 2.3% and Jehovah's Witness 1.1%), Rastafari

Total population
1990 2000 2010 2015* 2020*
0.13 million 0.16 million 0.17 million 0.17 million 0.18 million

*Estimate 

 
 
Source
Urban population as % of total population
1960 1980 2000 2018
21.5% 26.5% 27.8% 18.7%
Population median age

35.5 years 

Population growth rate

0.31% (2018 estimate)

Life expectancy

78.1 years (2018 estimate)

Literacy

N/A

% of population living on less than $3.10 a day

10.6% (last available estimate, 2016)

Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)

51.2 (last available estimate, 2016)

Freedom House rating

Free
Political Rights: 1
Civil Liberties: 1 (2019)
(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free rating)

Source
Total telephone subscribers as % of population

Fixed: 20.1% Mobile: 101.7% (2018)

(fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers)

Internet users as % of total population

50.82 % (2017)

Mercer Cost of living index

N/A

CO2 emissions

2.28 metric tons per capita (2014)

World's Best Subcustodian Banks