British Virgin Islands - Country Profile

The Health in the Americas+ country and territory profiles are based on the interagency indicators available as of the dates referenced. In some cases, the values of the indicators may differ from the most recent data available in the country.

Environmental and social determinants of health

In 2000 the total population of Virgin Islands (British) was 20 241 inhabitants; by 2024 this figure had risen to 39 471, representing a 95.0% increase. Regarding the country’s demographic profile, in 2024 people over 65 years of age accounted for 9.6% of the total population, an increase of 5.0 percentage points compared to the year 2000. In 2024, there were 111.2 women per 100 men and 66.4 older people (65 years or older) per 100 children under 15 years of age, as can be seen in the country’s population pyramids, distributed by age group and sex (Figure 1). Considering the population between 15 and 64 years of age to be potentially active (i.e., potential participants in the labor force), this group represented 75.9% of the total population of the country in 2024 ( 29 953 people). When we add these figures to the potentially passive population ( 5 720 under 15 years of age and 3 799 over 65 years of age), the result is a dependency ratio of 31.8 potentially passive people per 100 potentially active people. This ratio was 44.4 in 2000.

Life expectancy at birth in 2024 was 77.4 years, higher than the average for the Region of the Americas and 2.6 years higher that in 2000 (74.8).

Figure 1. Population pyramids of the Virgin Islands (British), years 2000 and 2024

The unemployment rate in 2022 was 6.2% for the total population. The literacy rate was 96.9% in 2010 (96.3% for men and 97.2% for women).

Digital coverage

In 2017, 77.7% of the population had an internet connection, representing a considerable increase from 2002, when 18.9% of the population had an internet connection.

Health situation

Maternal and child health

Between 2011 and 2022, infant mortality in Virgin Islands (British) decreased from 6 to 3.69 deaths per 1000 live births, a decrease of 38.5% (Figure 4). The percentage of low-weight births (less than 2500 g) increased from 10.8% to 12.0% between 2005 and 2022.

Regarding the immunization strategy, measles vaccination coverage was 73% in 2022, a decrease of 26 percentage points from 2000.

The maternal mortality ratio for 2017 was estimated at zero deaths per 100 000 live births. In relation to fertility, it is estimated that in 2024 women had an average of 1.0 children throughout their reproductive lives. In the specific case of adolescent fertility, there was a 68.3% decrease, from 47.7 live births per 1000 women aged 15 to 19 years in 2000 to 15.1 in 2024. In 2022, 100.0% of births were attended by skilled birth personnel.

Figure 2. Infant mortality per 1000 live births, 2011–2022

Communicable diseases

In 2020, there were 3.9 new cases of tuberculosis per 100 000 population in the British Virgin Islands.

In 2022, the estimated human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection incidence rate (new diagnoses) was 5.2 per 100 000 population.

Noncommunicable diseases and risk factors

In 2010, the reported prevalence of arterial hypertension (high blood pressure) among people aged 18 years or older was 8.2. The prevalence of diabetes mellitus which stood at 8.7% in 2021.

Mortality

The crude mortality rate was 4.72 per 1000 population in 2017, an increase of 27% compared to 2010 (3.71 deaths per 1000 population).

The sources of the interagency indicators used in this profile can be found in this table.

For the latest data on health indicators for the Region of the Americas, be sure to visit the PAHO Core Indicators portal.