Country profile
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis
North America · Latin America and the Caribbean · Americas
KN · KNA
- Capital
- Basseterre
- Population
- 51,320
- Area
- 261 km²
- Democracy index
- 88
- Regime type
- Robust Democracy
Events
Ballots from Saint Kitts and Nevis
The latest elections, referendums, and opinion polls from Saint Kitts and Nevis. Community totals are not official results.
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Classification
Democracy profile
The score and regime label are assigned by Porto Voto using our in-house democracy index and classification framework, not ratings from governments or external agencies.
Democracy index
88/100
Regime type
Robust Democracy
Saint Kitts and Nevis maintains a stable parliamentary democracy characterized by the peaceful transfer of power, an independent judiciary, and consistent respect for fundamental civil liberties. The nation adheres to constitutional standards that ensure free and fair multi party elections, and political competition is conducted within a mature institutional framework that minimizes systemic polarization. While the small size of the electorate presents unique logistical challenges for governance, the country consistently demonstrates transparency in its public administration and a commitment to the rule of law. Civil society remains active, and there is a high degree of protection for freedom of expression and the press, which collectively support a strong and resilient democratic environment that remains among the most stable in the region.
Last evaluation:
How we classify regimes →World Factbook
Country background
A concise introduction to Saint Kitts and Nevis, together with notes on how power and law are organized, to put local ballots in context.
Carib Indians occupied the islands of the West Indies for hundreds of years before the British and French began settlement in 1623. During the 17th century, Saint Kitts became the premier base for British and French expansion into the Caribbean. The French ceded the territory to the UK in 1713.
At the turn of the 18th century, Saint Kitts was the richest British Crown Colony per capita in the Caribbean, a result of the sugar trade. Although small in size and separated by only 3 km (2 mi) of water, Saint Kitts and Nevis were viewed and governed as different states until the late-19th century, when the British forcibly unified them along with the island of Anguilla. In 1967, the island territory of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla became an associated state of the UK with full internal autonomy.
The island of Anguilla rebelled and was allowed to secede in 1971. The remaining islands achieved independence in 1983 as Saint Kitts and Nevis. In 1998, a referendum on Nevis to separate from Saint Kitts fell short of the necessary two-thirds majority.