Seychelles: Fact file
Updated November 2010
| Name | Republic of the Seychelles |
| Area | 455.3 sq km |
| Capital | Victoria |
| Boundaries | Indian Ocean (archipelago) |
| Population | 0.85 million, 2010 est (UN Statistics Division 2009a) |
| Natural pop growth | 0.47%, 2005-2010 est (UN Statistics Division 2009b) |
| Urbanisation | 53.8%, 2007 est (UN Statistics Division undated) |
| Life expectancy at birth | Female 77.7 yrs, male 68.9 yrs, 2007 (National Statistics Bureau 2008, 11) |
| Infant mortality | 10.7/1000, 2007 (National Statistics Bureau 2008, 11) |
| HIV/AIDS prevalence | no data |
| Adult literacy rate | 92%; 2003-2008 est (UN Statistics Division 2010a) |
| Military expenditure | 1.5% of GDP; 2008 (UN Statistics Division 2010b) |
| Health expenditure | 6.3% of GDP; 2006 (UN Statistics Division 2008) |
| Legal system | French Civil Code, English common law (Bar Association of Seychelles Undated) |
| Independence | 29 June 1976 from UK |
| GDP | US$0.833 billion, 2008 est (UN Statistics Division 2010c) |
| GDP per capita | US$11,044, 2008 est (UN Statistics Division 2009g) |
| GDP growth rate | 2.8%, 2008 est (UN Statistics Division 2010d) |
| Main exports | Sea food, refined petroleum, chemicals (Frame 2008, 1026) |
| Currency | 100 cents = 1 Seychelles rupee |
| Unemployment | 1.9%, Dec 2008 (Michel 2008) |
| Inflation rate | 25.3%, 2008 (UN Statistics Division 2010e) |
| External debt ratio | 29.5% of GDP, 2009 (IMF 2010, 95) |
| Roads | 498 km, 478 tarred (Frame 2008, 1022) |
| Rail | None (Frame 2008, 1022) |
| Airports | 7 paved, 1 international (Victoria) (Frame 2008, 170) |
| Ethnic groups | African, European, Indian and Chinese (Frame 2008, 1018) |
| Languages | Official: English, French, Seselwa (Creole) (Lewis 2009) |
| Religion | Roman Catholic 82%, Anglican 6%, remainder mainly Protestant (US Department of State 2010) |
References
BAR ASSOCIATION OF SEYCHELLES UNDATED "Seychelles Legal System", [www] http://www.bas.sc/seychelles-legal-system [opens new window] (accessed 23 Nov 2010).
FRAME, I 2008 (ed) Africa South of the Sahara 2008, Routledge.
IMF 2010 Regional Economic Outlook: Sub-Saharan Africa, October, [www] http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/reo/2010/AFR/eng/pdf/sreo1010.pdf, [PDF document, opens new window] (accessed 23 Nov 2010).
LEWIS, M P (ed) 2009 "Languages of Seychelles" IN Ethnologue: Languages of the World, sixteenth edition, [www] http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=SC [opens new window] (accessed 23 Nov 2010).
MICHEL, JA 2008 "State of the Nation Speech 2008 by Seychelles President J.A. Michel (12/02/2008)", [www] http://www.polity.org.za/article/state-of-the-nation-speech-2008-by-seychelles-president-ja-michel-12022008-2008-02-12 [opens new window] (accessed 23 Nov 2010).
NATIONAL STATISTICS BUREAU 2008 Seychelles in Figures, [www] http://www.virtualseychelles.sc/index.php?option=com_phocadownload&view=category&id=3:statistical-information&download=19:seychelles-in-figures-2008-edition&Itemid=90 [PDF document, opens new window] (accessed 18 Mar 2010).
UN STATISTICS DIVISION 2009a "Total population, both sexes combined" IN UNdata, 18 Jun, [www] http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?q=Population&d=PopDiv&f=variableID%3a12 [opens new window] (accessed 23 Nov 2010).
UN STATISTICS DIVISION 2009b "Population growth rate" IN UNdata, 18 Jun, [www] http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?q=Population&d=PopDiv&f=variableID%3a47 [opens new window] (accessed 23 Nov 2010).
UN STATISTICS DIVISION 2009e "Infant mortality rate" IN UNdata, [www] http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?q=MExico&d=PopDiv&f=variableID%3A77%3BcrID%3A484 [opens new window] (accessed 23 Nov 2010).
UN STATISTICS DIVISION 2009f "Adult HIV/AIDS prevalence rate" IN UNdata, [www] http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?q=HIV%2fAIDS+prevalence&d=SOWC&f=inID%3a73 [opens new window] (accessed 23 Nov 2010).
UN STATISTICS DIVISION 2009g "Per capita GDP at current prices" IN UNdata, [www] http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?q=GDP&d=SNAAMA&f=grID%3a101%3bcurrID%3aUSD%3bpcFlag%3a1 [opens new window] (accessed 23 Nov 2010).
UN STATISTICS DIVISION 2010a "Adult literacy rate" IN UNdata, 14 Ju, [www] http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?q=Adult+literacy&d=SOWC&f=inID%3a74 [opens new window] (accessed 23 Nov 2010).
UN STATISTICS DIVISION 2010b "Military expenditure" IN UNdata, 12 Feb, [www] http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?q=GDP&d=WDI&f=Indicator_Code%3AMS.MIL.XPND.GD.ZS [opens new window] (accessed 23 Nov 2010).
UN STATISTICS DIVISION 2010c "GDP" IN UNdata, 12 Feb, [www] http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?q=GDP&d=WDI&f=Indicator_Code%3aNY.GDP.MKTP.CD [opens new window] (accessed 23 Nov 2010).
UN STATISTICS DIVISION 2010d "GDP growth" IN UNdata, 12 Feb, [www] http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?q=GDP&d=WDI&f=Indicator_Code%3aNY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG [opens new window] (accessed 23 Nov 2010).
UN STATISTICS DIVISION 2010e "Inflation, GDP deflator" IN UNdata, 12 Feb, [www] http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?q=Inflation&d=WDI&f=Indicator_Code%3aNY.GDP.DEFL.KD.ZG [opens new window] (accessed 23 Nov 2010).
UN STATISTICS DIVISION 2010f "Total expenditure on health as percentage of gross domestic product" IN UNdata, 19 Nov, [www] http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?q=health+expenditure&d=WHO&f=MEASURE_CODE%3aWHS7_143 [opens new window] (accessed 23 Nov 2010).
UN STATISTICS DIVISION UNDATED "Seychelles", [www] http://data.un.org/CountryProfile.aspx?crName=Seychelles [opens new window] (accessed 23 Nov 2010).
US DEPARTMENT OF STATE 2010 "Seychelles" IN International Religious Freedom Report 2010, [www] http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2010/148718.htm [opens new window] (accessed 23 Nov 2010).
