Most Vincentians are the descendants of African slaves brought to the island to work on plantations. There also are a few white descendants of English colonists, as well as some East Indians, Carib Indians, and a sizable minority of mixed race. The country's official language is English, but a French patois may be heard on some of the Grenadine Islands . St. Vincent has a high rate of emigration. With extremely high unemployment and under-employment, population growth remains a major problem.

Population: 115,461 (July 2000 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 30% (male 17,868; female 17,263)
15-64 years: 63% (male 37,377; female 35,623)
65 years and over: 7% (male 3,144; female 4,186) (2000 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.43% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 18.25 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 6.21 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: -7.75 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 17.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.3 years
male: 70.6 years
female: 74.06 years (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.11 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Saint Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s)
adjective: Saint Vincentian or Vincentian

Ethnic groups: black 66%, mixed 19%, East Indian 6%, Carib Amerindian 2%

Religions: Anglican 47%, Methodist 28%, Roman Catholic 13%, Seventh-day Adventist, Hindu, other Protestant

Languages: English, French patois

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 96%
male: 96%
female: 96% (1970 est.)

See also : Saint Vincent and the Grenadines