Saint Kitts and Nevis - 65.15
57
A stagnating island reliant on donations
Saint Kitts and Nevis is unique among Caribbean Island nations in few respects other than the fact that it does not require its residents to have healthcare. While citizens of the islands that meet certain requirements are exempted from all healthcare costs, other citizens of the islands are not required to have health insurance. In most, if not all other respects, Saint Kitts and Nevis is remarkably not unique compared to other Caribbean islands. They struggle with a slow and incompetent government, moderate levels of corruption, and an uncertain future in trying times for small countries.
Human Rights - 65
Saint Kitts and Nevis has functionally abolished the death penalty; it carried out its last execution in 2008. The country’s prison system held 180 inmates at a capacity of 160, and facilities lacked amenities but generally met human rights standards. Due to court system backlogs, pretrial detainees often spent months or years in pretrial detention. Homosexuality is illegal for men and legal for women, though this law goes unenforced. Abortion is legal to preserve the physical health of a woman.
Democracy - 77
Saint Kitts and Nevis is a commonwealth democracy, limiting its score to 95. The governor-general is appointed by the Queen, and the prime minister is appointed by the governor-general and approved by the parliament. 11/14 parliament seats are directly elected (eight by Kittitians, three by Nevisians) and three are approved by the governor-general (two appointed by the prime minister and one by the leader of the opposition). Elections in Saint Kitts and Nevis are poorly managed. The 2015 elections saw an eleventh-hour dispute over districting and an accusation of incompetence against the Electoral Commission. This allegation was not entirely unfounded, as the Electoral Commission took an unreasonable amount of time to count votes. Furthermore, Saint Kitts and Nevis has no campaign finance legislation whatsoever. Elections have been dominated by Team Unity and the Saint Kitts and Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) since independence, but party formation and participation is not restricted. LGBT Kittitians and Nevisians are disenfranchised.
Freedom - 88
Defamation is a criminal offense that goes generally unenforced, but some journalists still self-censor. Personal possession of cannabis is punishable by only an ECD50 fine. Public use is punishable by an ECD1000 fine, but personal drug possession or use is not punishable by jail time. Saint Kitts and Nevis may issue gun ownership permits for semi-automatic rifles and handguns but there are very few guns in Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Economy - 59
Health - 72
Saint Kitts and Nevis has a life expectancy of 71 years and an infant mortality rate of 1.29%. 22.9% of Kittitian-Nevisians are obese and 2.6% are malnourished. Saint Kitts and Nevis does not have a universal healthcare system and Kittitian-Nevisian citizens are not required to have health insurance. Kittitian-Nevisians that meet certain requirements are exempted from all healthcare costs. One hospital on Saint Kitts and one on Nevis provide high-quality healthcare. 98% of Kittitian-Nevisians have access to clean, running water. Saint Kitts and Nevis has minor problems with Hepatitis A and B and Yellow Fever.
Corruption - 45
The citizenship-by-investment program in Saint Kitts and Nevis is rife with abuse. Funds are regularly misused and misappropriated. The citizenship-by-investment program is not vetted whatsoever and Saint Kitts and Nevis is accused of harboring foreign criminals. Two Team Unity assemblymen have been indicted in a corruption scandal wherein they were accused of misappropriating $460,000 from a client. Petty corruption is common in public services, which often must be bribed into action.
Competency - 45
The government is failing to provide for the people. The government is also failing to repeal or enforce unused laws. Elections in Saint Kitts and Nevis are also poorly managed.
Future - 50
The Kittitian-Nevisian economy took a major hit due to COVID and it is unclear when it will recover.
Actions Abroad - 37
Saint Kitts and Nevis’ citizenship-by-investment program is not vetted whatsoever and has drawn ire from the United States, United Kingdom, and European Union. Saint Kitts and Nevis is a tax haven. Saint Kitts and Nevis recognizes the independence of Taiwan from China in exchange for large amounts of foreign aid. Saint Kitts and Nevis is generally isolationist. Saint Kitts and Nevis received a ten-point penalty for its tax haven status.
1.4% of Kittitian-Nevisians live below the international poverty line and 24.5% live below the national poverty line. 5.5% of Kittitians and Nevisians are unemployed. Saint Kitts and Nevis has a high economic disparity. The minimum wage in Saint Kitts and Nevis is $3.33 per hour. Saint Kitts and Nevis has no universal healthcare system and Kittitian-Nevisians are not required to have health insurance. Kittitian-Nevisians that meet certain requirements are exempted from all healthcare costs. One hospital on Saint Kitts and one on Nevis provide high quality healthcare. The Kittitian-Nevisian economy shrunk 10.7% in 2020 and grew 1.9% in 2019.