British Virgin Islands: Country Reports

♦ Facts

BVI and China’s Partnership

• BVI was the second largest investor in China from 2006 to 2012
• US $7.72 billion of inward foreign direct investment from BVI into China in 2012
• Two-fifths of all BVI business companies were located in China, including Hong Kong and Macau
• 75% of Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index was made up of companies with direct linkages to the BVI
• Mainland Chinese and Hong Kong companies accounted for more than 40 per cent of the US $1.5 trillion in assets mediated through the BVI
• US $608 billion outward investment in 2015 mediated via BVI business companies from China and Hong Kong
• The investment mediated by BVI companies supported around 2.2 million jobs worldwide in 2015, with mainland China and Hong Kong accounting for nearly 40 per cent of these

2017 Trade Surplus 0.00% of GDP

3 Main Export commodities:

1. Rum
2. Fresh fish and fruits,
3. Gravel and sand

3 Main Import commodities:

1. Automobiles
2. Food stuffs
3. Building materials and machinery

2019 GDP $1.028 Billion, GDP per Capita $34,200, up by 1.8% since 2015

IFC’s Provides $43 Million Financing to Fenglin in First Guangxi Province Investment (the holding company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands and two foreign-owned Chinese companies)

President: Andrew Fahie

WHO participation:

• PAHO/WHO requesting an initial US $3.5 million from donors to cover short-term health care and other needs for the population in the Bahamas affected by Hurricane Dorian
• Highlighted that scientific innovation has led to significant progress against HIV/AIDS.
• Voluntary unpaid blood donation systems, the best way to ensure universal access to an adequate supply of safe blood for transfusions.

2019 Population 30,030

Capital : Road Town 15,000 population

• 0-14 years: 16.59% (male 3,060/female 3,142)
• 15-24 years: 12.53% (male 2,240/female 2,445)
• 25-54 years: 48.27% (male 8,424/female 9,620)
• 55-64 years: 12.51% (male 2,261/female 2,416)
• 65 years and over: 10.09% (male 1,808/female 1,965) (2020 est.)

♦ Telecom Subs

• Footprint Media Holdings (BVI)
• Digicel (BVI) Limited

♦ Communications

*TELEPHONES

• Total subscriptions: 6,222
• Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 17 (2018 est.)
• Country comparison to the world: 202 (main lines in use compares the total number of main telephone lines in use).

*MOBILE CELLULAR

• Total subscriptions: 39,954
• Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 112 (2018 est.)
• Country comparison to the world: 206 (mobile cellular compares the total number of mobile cellular telephone subscribers).

♦ Investment Opportunities in The BVI Telecom Sector

• The British Virgin Islands telecom market is evolving rapidly with Long Term Evolution (LTE) rapid expansion and slowdown in 2G and 3G services
• Mobile connectivity, cloud services and smartphones.
• British Virgin Islands market also trends on sales, tariffs, packages, infrastructure, technologies, regulations and companies

♦ Education Related 

Education System

♦ Energy

Electricity production: 126.3 million kWh (2016 est.)

• Collected from industry reports, national surveys, and international sources:

• Electricity – consumption: 117.5 million kWh (2016 est.)
• Electricity – exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
• Electricity – imports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
• Electricity – installed generating capacity: 45,200 kW (2016 est.)
• Electricity – from fossil fuels: 97% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
• Electricity – from other renewable sources: 3% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

PRODUCT PORTFOLIO