No slaves in Saint-Barth?
Yes, alas! It's nicknamed the "Isle of Whites", yet we forget that slaves arrived with the French (used as labor for indigo cultivation). Gustavia, its ports and its roads were built during the Swedish period thanks to their efforts. At the beginning of the 18th century, at the height of the island's activity, there were 6,000 inhabitants on Saint-Barth, including 4,000 in Gustavia. Among them were 1,000 colonists, 2,000 slaves and 1,000 free men and women of color (freed slaves).
Immigration slowed down because the island is not very accessible
Very inaccessible, Saint-Barth has long suffered from drought and poor resources, as evidenced by its low population growth until the mid-1980s. Its remoteness and high cost of living have made it relatively impervious to immigration. Its social structure has long remained very family-oriented and traditional. More than half the island's inhabitants are native Saint-Barths. Although relatively sparsely populated, the island has tripled its population in thirty years (from 3,000 in 1982 to over 9,793 today). If population growth continues at this rate, it will double every twenty years.
Languages
French is the official language, but English is widely spoken. Among themselves, native St. Barths sometimes speak a kind of old "françois", a patois derived from the Breton or Norman origins of some 18th-century emigrants. In fact, there are two types, depending on whether you're in the Sous-le-Vent district (Flemish) or the Au vent district (Saline), where the language is Creole. Similarly, two varieties of Creole language can be heard on Saint-Barth. One, close to French, is spoken in the Vent-de-l'île neighborhoods; the other, identical to Guadeloupean Creole, is used in Gustavia. Such a variety of languages, in such a small space, is extremely rare, and also contributes to the sense of disorientation.
The population today
Nearly half of the island's resident population is the result of recent immigration, less than twenty years old. Two populations live side by side all year round: those who live here and those who come for the season... The island, where unemployment remains very low (less than 5%), has for some years been welcoming a foreign workforce, mainly from Europe. The foreign community accounts for 12% of Saint-Barthélemy's total population. Portuguese are the most numerous at almost 50%, followed by Americans (8%), Belgians (6%) and some thirty other nationalities. Unlike neighboring Saint-Martin, only 11% are from the Caribbean. With the onset of climatic phenomena (Irma in 2017), a construction workforce has settled on the island for the reconstruction.
