Description
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are a distinct group of 39 States and 18 Non-UN Members/Associate Members of the Regional Commissions that face unique social, economic and environmental vulnerabilities. SIDS were recognized as a special case both for their environment and development at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. The challenges facing SIDS include small populations, limited resources and susceptibility to natural disasters and climate change.
SIDS at a Glance
Countries
38Population (2024)
65M1% of World GDP
Youth population 15-24 years
12M18% of SIDS Population
GDP Growth Rate
$8,9202% of World GDP
GDP
$8,9203% of World GDP
Social equity and inclusion
Education
Education completion rate (primary, lower secondary, upper secondary)
Literacy rate (youth)
92%SIDS
86%World
Gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education by sex
42% Female
35% Male
38%SIDS
40%World
Health
Maternal mortality ratio
Under-5 mortality rate
Coverage of essential health services
65%SIDS
80%World
Life expectancy at birth
74Female (yrs)
69Male (yrs)
SIDS
71 yrs
World
73.3 yrs
0%50%100%
Obesity prevalence among adults
Health expenditure as share of household spending
18%SIDS
12%World
Labor market
Unemployment rate
Proportion of informal employment
55%SIDS
60%World
Proportion of youth (aged 15–24 years) not in education, employment or training
25% Female
18% Male
22%SIDS
15%World
Women empowerment
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments and local governments
Proportion of women in managerial positions
Vulnerability and social protection
Population below international poverty line
Proportion of population covered by social protection floors/systems
Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity
Access to safely managed drinking water
Access to safely managed sanitation services
Economic profile
ODA to SIDS
Weighted average tariffs
Productive Capacities Index
Debt service ratio
14.2%
SIDS average (2024)World average: 6.2%
SIDS share of world merchandise exports
Export value (USD)
0.4%
Share of world exports (2024)Export structure (%)
Proportion of medium and high-tech industry value added in total value added
Tourism direct GDP as a proportion of total GDP and in growth rate
12.5%
Tourism GDP growth (2024)Sustainable fisheries as a proportion of GDP
E-commerce sales as a percentage of total retail sales
Environmental sustainability
Renewable energy capacity
Total official development assistance for biodiversity
Proportion of domestic and industrial wastewater flows safely treated
35%SIDS
56%World
Coverage of protected areas in relation to marine areas
22%SIDS
8%World
Shocks and resilience
Total official development assistance for disaster risk reduction
Countries that adopt and implement national disaster risk reduction strategies in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030
28of 39
72% of SIDS have adopted DRR strategies11 SIDS still without national strategies
By region (adopted / total SIDS in region)
Caribbean (16)
12 / 16
Pacific (14)
10 / 14
Atlantic/Indian Ocean (7)
4 / 7
South-East Asia (2)
2 / 2
Direct economic loss attributed to disasters in relation to global GDP
Deaths, missing persons and directly affected persons attributed to disasters
Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources
45%SIDS
18%World
Science, innovation and technology
Proportion of individuals using the Internet
Singapore95%
Bahrain92%
Trinidad and Tobago82%
Mauritius78%
Jamaica75%
Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP
Mobile data price as % of GNI per capita
3.8%SIDS
2.3%World
Mobile network coverage by technology
5G
18%
4G
72%
3G
88%
2G
95%
Researchers per million inhabitants
Patent applications
342total
< 0.01% of world patent filingsWorld total: ~3.4 million (2024)
SIDS trend (2018–2024)
Global partnership
Government revenue as a percentage of GDP, by source
Net official development assistance to SIDS
ODA disbursements (USD)
$4.8B
Total ODA to SIDS (2024)Foreign direct investment (FDI), net inflows
Singapore68000%
Bahrain4200%
Trinidad and Tobago1800%
Jamaica1200%
Mauritius800%