St Lucia
Lesser Antilles
Caribbean
The newest of the five Caribbean CBI programmes (since 2015): an English-speaking volcanic island offering a donation or real-estate route to a second passport, with no tax on foreign income or capital gains.
52
Overall score
Moderate · Penalty applied · 87% data coverage
Language
EnglishCurrency
XCDCitizenship
~4–6 months (by investment)Personal tax
10–30%Cost of living
$1,300 / mo (single)Rules change often. Confirm any immigration, tax or legal decision with a qualified professional.
Score breakdown
56
Access
17%42Residence12%
88Citizenship and passport5%
62
Earning power
25%57Salary and work12%
67Buying power13%
64
Business and wealth
20%80Taxes7%
54Business8%
56Investment5%
52
Daily life
25%52Quality of life18%
52Education7%
78
Rights and institutions
13%90Freedom6%
68Rule of law7%
Severe safety risk (33) cut the overall score from 61 to 52.
Pros
- Multiple flexible investment options
- No capital-gains or wealth tax
- English-speaking; dual citizenship allowed
Cons
- Small economy & job market
- Limited universities
- Hurricane exposure
Best for
Second-passport seekersRemote workersTax planners
Score profile
Access
Residence
42
Citizenship
97
Passport
70
Earning power
Salary & work
57
Buying power
67
Cost of living
68
Economy
72
Business and wealth
Taxes
80
Personal tax
45
Corporate tax
14
Business
54
Investment
56
Wealth building
62
Daily life
Safety
33
Healthcare
69
Environment
93
Infrastructure–
Education
52
HDI
75
Rights and institutions
Freedom
90
Rule of law
68
Access
Residence
Openness to residents
42Limited
Migrant stock4.5% of population (2024)
Regulatory quality0.18 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Main pathways
Citizenship by InvestmentDon't-Stop-Working remote visaReal-estate ownership
| Student | Limited local sector. |
|---|---|
| Work | Work permits available; small market. |
| Self-employed | Company formation straightforward; foreign income untaxed. |
| Permanent | CBI grants citizenship directly. |
Citizenship
Citizenship accessibility
97Excellent
| Years required | ~4–6 months via Citizenship by Investment |
|---|---|
| Dual allowed | Yes |
| Language | None |
| Residence | No physical-residence requirement for the investment route |
| Notes | National Economic Fund donation (from ~US$240k) or approved real estate; due diligence required. |
Passport
Passport power
70Good
138 / 198
Mobility
#37
Global rank
Yes
Biometric
- Visa-free100
- On arrival34
- eTA4
- Visa required60
Placeholder estimates for 2024 to 2025. Check entry rules with each destination before travelling.
Earning power
Salary & work
Labour-market strength
57Moderate
Output per worker$48,000 PPP (2024)
Unemployment9.5% (2025)
Participation68.3% of 15+ (2025)
Mean monthly earnings of employees
Overall$559 · $760 PPP (2016)
Tech (IT & comms)$523 · $711 PPP (2016)
| Freelance | Suited to foreign-source remote income |
|---|---|
| Job market | Tourism-led economy plus CBI revenue. |
Buying power
Purchasing power score
67Good
GNI / person$26,180 PPP (2025)
Price level59 (US = 100) (2025)
Income inequality43.7 Gini (2015)
Inflation2.0% / yr (2025)
Cost of living
Affordability
68Good
Price level59 (US = 100) (2025)
| Rent | $700–1,200 (1BR) |
|---|---|
| Monthly | $1,300 |
| Cities | Castries, Gros Islet, Soufrière |
Economy
Economic strength
72Good
Output & income
GDP$2.7B (2025)
GDP / person$14,746 (2025)
GNI / person$26,180 PPP (2025)
GDP growth3.9% / yr (2024)
Stability & labour
Inflation2.0% / yr (2025)
Unemployment9.5% (2025)
Output per worker$48,000 PPP (2024)
Sector composition
Agriculture1.7% of GDP (2025)
Industry10.7% of GDP (2025)
Services73.8% of GDP (2025)
Main industries
TourismAgriculture (bananas)Citizenship-by-investmentFinancial servicesLight manufacturing
Top exports
BananasBeer & beveragesTourism services
| Type | Upper-middle-income, tourism-led |
|---|---|
| Key sectors | Tourism, Agriculture, CBI programme revenue |
| Summary | A tourism-dependent Eastern Caribbean economy with bananas and citizenship-by-investment as key earners. |
| Currency | East Caribbean dollar (pegged to the US dollar) |
Business and wealth
Taxes
Tax friendliness
80Excellent
| Personal | 10–30% on local income; foreign income untaxed |
|---|---|
| Corporate | 30% |
| Capital gains | 0% |
| Dividends | 0% for residents |
| Exit tax | None |
| Foreign companies | No CFC regime |
Personal tax
Personal tax
45Moderate
| Personal | 10–30% on local income; foreign income untaxed |
|---|---|
| Freelance | Foreign-source income untaxed |
| Capital gains | 0% |
| Dividends | 0% for residents |
| Exit tax | None |
Corporate tax
Corporate tax
14Low
| Corporate | 30% |
|---|---|
| Capital gains | 0% |
| Dividends | 0% for residents |
| Foreign companies | No CFC regime |
Business
Business friendliness
54Moderate
Regulation & bureaucracy
Regulatory quality0.18 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Government effectiveness0.27 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Operating rules
| Foreign company | Yes: full foreign ownership; IBC regime |
|---|---|
| Local company | Quick formation via agents |
| Freelance | Foreign-source income untaxed |
Investment
Investing environment
56Moderate
Private credit52% of GDP (2025)
| Capital gains | 0% capital-gains tax |
|---|---|
| Dividends | Data not available yet |
| ETFs & funds | Data not available yet |
| Wealth tax | None |
| Brokers | Via international brokers |
| Foreign access | Data not available yet |
| Tax-advantaged | Data not available yet |
Wealth building
Wealth accumulation
62Moderate
Salary & work
57Moderate
Business
54Moderate
Investment
56Moderate
Tax friendliness
80Excellent
Cost of living
68Good
Daily life
Safety
Safety & stability
33Limited
Institutions & stability
Control of corruption0.45 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Political stability1.04 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Check current government travel and security advice before relocating.
Healthcare
Healthcare score
69Good
Outcomes
Life expectancy72.8 years (2024)
Under-5 mortality17.2 per 1,000 births (2024)
Capacity & resourcing
Physicians4.23 per 1,000 (2020)
Hospital beds1.09 per 1,000 (2022)
Health spending$1,228 PPP / person (2023)
System & costs
| System | Public + private; complex cases referred abroad |
|---|---|
| Insurance | International insurance recommended |
| Average cost | International cover advisable |
Environment
Environment score
93Excellent
Environmental pressure
PM2.5 exposure10.4 μg/m³ annually (2023)
Water stress14.3% (2022)
Infrastructure
Infrastructure score
–Data not available
Digital infrastructure
Internet use68.2% (2024)
Internet resilience45 / 100 (2026)
Fixed speed75 / 100 download index (2026)
Mobile speed70 / 100 download index (2026)
Sources: World Bank World Development Indicators · Internet Society Pulse Internet Resilience Index
Education
Education score
52Moderate
Attainment
Expected schooling12.7 years (2023)
Mean schooling8.6 years (2023)
Participation & investment
Tertiary enrolment15% gross (2023)
Education spending3.8% of GDP (2024)
| Tuition | Limited local options |
|---|---|
| Public university | Small sector; most study abroad |
| Languages | English |
| Student work | Limited |
HDI
Human development score
75Good
HDI0.748 (2023)
Knowledge
Expected schooling12.7 years (2023)
Mean schooling8.6 years (2023)
Rights and institutions
Freedom
Freedom score
90Excellent
| Freedom in the World | 90 / 100 (Free) |
|---|
Sources
Rule of law
Rule of law score
68Good
| Rule of Law percentile | 68 / 100 |
|---|
Sources
Resources
Official references
St Lucia CIP Unitcipsaintlucia.comInland Revenue Departmentird.gov.lcUNDP Human Development Report 2025hdr.undp.orgInternet Society Pulse Internet Resilience Indexpulse.internetsociety.orgWorld Bank World Development Indicatorsdata.worldbank.orgILOSTAT (International Labour Organization)ilostat.ilo.org
Quick links
Data is illustrative. Not legal or tax advice.