CARICOM CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (CCDP)

National Census Report 2001, St. Vincent and the Grenadines6.8 Main Source of LightingElectricity from public supply was the main source of lighting used in St. Vincent and theGrenadines in 2001. Overall, 24 326 or 79.71 per cent of households used this source. The use ofelectricity as the main source of lighting has increased by 33.86 per cent in the 1991/2001-intercensal period. During that period, there was an expansion of rural electrification, particularlyin Georgetown, Sandy Bay and Canaouan in South Grenadines.In 1991 only two per cent of the households in Sandy Bay used public electricity compared to67.68 per cent in 2001. South Grenadines' usage increased from 15.9 to 79.87 per cent, while inGeorgetown households with public electricity increased from 45.8 per cent to 69.34 per cent.Although Sandy Bay and Georgetown have had electricity expansion, the percentage ofhouseholds with this source of lighting is still the lowest in addition to Northern Grenadinescompared to the other administrative divisions. North Grenadines had one of the lowestpercentage uses of public electricity with 68.39 per cent following Sandy Bay. The usage ofpublic electricity in all the other administrative divisions was above 72 per cent.Following electricity, the next main source of lighting in St. Vincent and the Grenadines in 2001was kerosene. However, only 12.80 per cent of households used this source of lighting. SandyBay (26.21per cent) and Georgetown (23.43 per cent) had the highest percentage of householdsthat used this source of lighting. Nevertheless, these rates are lower compared to 1991, which isthe result of the electrification expansion that occurred there during the 1990s. Less than one percent of households reported that they had no source of lighting, a decrease as compared to 1991.81