Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Seychelles: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna grade (MCC, ranked #147 of 195).
Seychelles is a presidential republic in archipelago in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar. The country's capital is Victoria; it covers 455 sq km. Independence: 29 June 1976 (from the UK). Terrain: Mahe Group is volcanic with a narrow coastal strip and rocky, hilly interior; others are relatively flat coral atolls, or elevated reefs; sits atop the submarine Mascarene Plateau. Climate: tropical marine; humid; cooler season during southeast monsoon (late May to September); warmer season during northwest monsoon (March to May). Population: 98,000 (2024 estimate). Population growth: +0.53% per year. Median age: 39.2 years. Life expectancy: 76.6 years (2024 est.). Languages: Seychellois …
| Capital | Victoria |
|---|---|
| Population | 98,187 (2024 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $3.549 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $29,200 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 3.5% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 0.3% |
| Public debt | 63.6% of GDP (2017 est.) |
| Exports | $2.375 billion (2023 est.) |
| Imports | $2.437 billion (2023 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 76.6 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 39.2 |
| Urbanization | 58.8% of total population (2023) |
| Government | presidential republic |
| Independence | 29 June 1976 (from the UK) |
| Languages | Seychellois Creole (official) 89.1%, English (official) 5.1%, French (official) 0.7%, other 3.8%, unspecified 1.4% (2010 est.) |
MCC · 41/100 — The Magna grade is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — five dimensions, 100+ indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
An uneventful quarter, recorded without embellishment: no breakthrough to celebrate, no setback to mourn.
The longer forces — demographics, trade routes, regional balances — kept doing what they do, and the country rode them steadily.
Patrick Herminie — President. President Patrick HERMINIE (since 26 October 2025)
Seychelles maintains 9 embassies and 0 consulates abroad, hosts 12 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN New York, AU Addis Ababa. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 9 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 0 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 12 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York, AU Addis Ababa |
Source: Consular Affairs Center, Diplomatic and Consular Networks Database and Rankings, January 2026 (Zenodo, CC BY 4.0). https://zenodo.org/records/18109976
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 491 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 16 + 6 heliports (registration prefix S7) |
| Major seaports | Victoria |
Seychelles International Airport (SEZ) — Victoria; Praslin Island Airport (PRI) — Praslin Island.
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28); theodora.com CIA mirror (CIA World Factbook Transportation section), scraped 2026-10-02
| Political system | presidential republic |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
MCC · 41 Ranked #147 of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Seychelles.
