2024 Edition Primary

Background

The Siboney were the first people to inhabit the islands of Antigua and Barbuda in 2400 B.C., but the Arawaks populated the islands when Christopher COLUMBUS landed on his second voyage in 1493. Early Spanish and French settlements were succeeded by an English colony in 1667. Slavery, which provided labor on the sugar plantations on Antigua, was abolished in 1834. The islands became an independent state within the British Commonwealth of Nations in 1981. In 2017, Hurricane Irma passed over the island of Barbuda, devastating the island and forcing the evacuation of the population to Antigua. Almost all of the structures on Barbuda were destroyed and the vegetation stripped, but Antigua was spared the worst.

Area

land

443 sq km

note

note: includes Redonda, 1.6 sq km

total

443 sq km (Antigua 280 sq km; Barbuda 161 sq km)

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation

Coastline

153 km

Elevation

highest point

Mount Obama 402 m

lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 m

Geographic coordinates

17 03 N, 61 48 W

Geography - note

Antigua has a deeply indented shoreline with many natural harbors and beaches; Barbuda has a large western harbor

Irrigated land

1.3 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total

0 km

Land use

agricultural land

20.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 2.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 9% (2018 est.)

forest

18.8% (2018 est.)

other

60.8% (2018 est.)

Location

Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October); periodic droughts

Natural resources

NEGL; pleasant climate fosters tourism

Population distribution

the island of Antigua is home to approximately 97% of the population; nearly the entire population of Barbuda lives in Codrington

Terrain

mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands, with some higher volcanic areas

Age structure

0-14 years

21.8% (male 11,384/female 11,034)

15-64 years

67.6% (male 32,312/female 37,094)

65 years and over

10.5% (2024 est.) (male 4,615/female 6,195)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

2.97 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.41 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

4.55 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

11.88 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

3.95 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

14.9 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current health expenditure

5.6% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

31.5% (2023 est.)

Death rate

5.7 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

14.4

potential support ratio

7 (2020 est.)

total dependency ratio

40.9

youth dependency ratio

26.5

Drinking water source

improved: total

total: 96.7% of population

unimproved: total

total: 3.2% of population (2017 est.)

Education expenditures

3.8% of GDP (2021 est.)

Ethnic groups

African descent 87.3%, mixed 4.7%, Hispanic 2.7%, White 1.6%, other 2.7%, unspecified 0.9% (2011 est.)

note

note: data represent population by ethnic group

Gross reproduction rate

0.94 (2024 est.)

Hospital bed density

2.9 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Infant mortality rate

female

10.7 deaths/1,000 live births

male

16.4 deaths/1,000 live births

total

13.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

Languages

English (official), Antiguan Creole (an English-based creole)

Life expectancy at birth

female

80.5 years

male

76.1 years

total population

78.3 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling

female

99.4% (2015)

male

98.4%

total population

99%

Major urban areas - population

21,000 SAINT JOHN'S (capital) (2018)

Maternal mortality ratio

21 deaths/100,000 live births (2020)

Median age

female

35.7 years

male

31.9 years

total

33.9 years (2024 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Antiguan, Barbudan

noun

Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s)

Net migration rate

2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

18.9% (2016)

Physician density

2.76 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

Population

female

54,323 (2024 est.)

male

48,311

total

102,634

Population distribution

the island of Antigua is home to approximately 97% of the population; nearly the entire population of Barbuda lives in Codrington

Population growth rate

1.11% (2024 est.)

Religions

Protestant 68.3% (Anglican 17.6%, Seventh Day Adventist 12.4%, Pentecostal 12.2%, Moravian 8.3%, Methodist 5.6%, Wesleyan Holiness 4.5%, Church of God 4.1%, Baptist 3.6%), Roman Catholic 8.2%, other 12.2%, unspecified 5.5%, none 5.9% (2011 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: total

total: 91.7% of population

unimproved: total

total: 8.1% of population (2017 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

16 years (2012)

male

14 years

total

15 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.03 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.87 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.74 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.89 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.93 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.87% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

24.3% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

6 parishes and 2 dependencies*; Barbuda*, Redonda*, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mary, Saint Paul, Saint Peter, Saint Philip

Capital

etymology

named after Saint John the Apostle

geographic coordinates

17 07 N, 61 51 W

name

Saint John's

time difference

UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

yes

citizenship by descent only

yes

dual citizenship recognized

yes

residency requirement for naturalization

7 years

Constitution

amendments

proposed by either house of Parliament; passage of amendments to constitutional sections such as citizenship, fundamental rights and freedoms, the establishment, power, and authority of the executive and legislative branches, the Supreme Court Order, and the procedure for amending the constitution requires approval by at least two-thirds majority vote of the membership of both houses, approval by at least two-thirds majority in a referendum, and assent to by the governor general; passage of other amendments requires only two-thirds majority vote by both houses; amended 2009, 2011, 2018

history

several previous; latest presented 31 July 1981, effective 31 October 1981 (The Antigua and Barbuda Constitution Order 1981)

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Antigua and Barbuda

etymology

"antiguo" is Spanish for "ancient" or "old"; the island was discovered by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1493 and, according to tradition, named by him after the church of Santa Maria la Antigua (Old Saint Mary's) in Seville; "barbuda" is Spanish for "bearded" and the adjective may refer to the alleged beards of the indigenous people or to the island's bearded fig trees

Diplomatic representation from the US

embassy

the US does not have an embassy in Antigua and Barbuda; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Antigua and Barbuda

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

3216 New Mexico Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20016

chief of mission

Ambassador Sir Ronald SANDERS (since 17 September 2015)

consulate(s) general

Miami, New York

email address and website

embantbar@aol.comhttps://www.antigua-barbuda.org/Aghome01.htm

FAX

[1] (202) 362-5225

telephone

[1] (202) 362-5122

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister

chief of state

King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor General Rodney WILLIAMS (since 14 August 2014)

elections/appointments

the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the governor general

head of government

Prime Minister Gaston BROWNE (since 13 June 2014)

Flag description

red, with an inverted isosceles triangle based on the top edge of the flag; the triangle contains three horizontal bands of black (top), light blue, and white, with a yellow rising sun in the black band; the sun symbolizes the dawn of a new era, black represents the African heritage of most of the population, blue is for hope, and red is for the dynamism of the people; the "V" stands for victory; the successive yellow, blue, and white coloring is also meant to evoke the country's tourist attractions of sun, sea, and sand

Government type

parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

Independence

1 November 1981 (from the UK)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, ACS, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC - headquartered on St. Lucia - consists of the Court of Appeal - headed by the chief justice and 4 judges - and the High Court with 18 judges; the Court of Appeal is itinerant, travelling to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts; High Court judges reside in the member states, with 2 assigned to Antigua and Barbuda

judge selection and term of office

chief justice of Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court appointed by the His Majesty, King CHARLES III; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62

subordinate courts

Industrial Court; Magistrates' Courts

Legal system

common law based on the English model

Legislative branch

description

bicameral Parliament consists of:Senate (17 seats; members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister and leader of the opposition; members served 5-year terms)House of Representatives (19 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms; in addition, 1 ex-officio seat is allocated for the attorney general and 1 seat for the speaker of the House - elected by the House membership following its first post-election session)

election results

Senate - composition - men 10, women 7, percentage women 41.2%House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - ABLP 47.1%, UPP 45.2%, BPM 1.5%, independent 5.2%; seats by party - ABLP 9, UPP 6, BPM 1, independent 1; composition - men 17, women 1, percentage women 5.6%; total Parliament percentage women 22.9%

elections

Senate - last appointed on 17 February 2023 (next appointments in 2028)House of Representatives - last held on 18 January 2023 (next to be held in March 2028)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Novelle Hamilton RICHARDS/Walter Garnet Picart CHAMBERS

name

Fair Antigua, We Salute Thee

note

note: adopted 1967; as a Commonwealth country, in addition to the national anthem, "God Save the King" serves as the royal anthem (see United Kingdom)

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Antigua Naval Dockyard 

total World Heritage Sites

1 (cultural)

National holiday

Independence Day, 1 November (1981)

National symbol(s)

fallow deer; national colors: red, white, blue, black, yellow

Political parties

Antigua Labor Party or ABLPBarbuda People's Movement or BPMDemocratic National Alliance or DNAGo Green for Life or GGLUnited Progressive Party or UPP

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

tropical fruits, milk, mangoes/guavas, eggs, lemons/limes, pumpkins/squash, vegetables, sweet potatoes, cassava, yams (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Budget

expenditures

$266.044 million (2014 est.)

note

note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

revenues

$251.418 million (2014 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2021

-$287.548 million (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

-$296.147 million (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

-$262.098 million (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Economic overview

dual island-tourism and construction-driven economy; emerging “blue economy”; limited water supply and susceptibility to hurricanes limit activity; improving road infrastructure; friendly to foreign direct investment; looking at financial innovation in cryptocurrency and blockchain technologies

Exchange rates

Currency

East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2019

2.7 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

2.7 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

2.7 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

2.7 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

2.7 (2023 est.)

Exports

Exports 2021

$705.697 million (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$1.111 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$1.217 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

refined petroleum, ships, gas turbines, soybean meal, liquor (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

Suriname 28%, Poland 20%, Germany 13%, UK 8%, Barbados 5% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

54.7% (2022 est.)

government consumption

15.2% (2017 est.)

household consumption

53.5% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-62.9% (2022 est.)

investment in fixed capital

23.9% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

0.1% (2017 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

1.9% (2023 est.)

industry

19.4% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

services

67.8% (2023 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$2.033 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Imports

Imports 2021

$872.781 million (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$1.234 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$1.3 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, ships, engine parts, plastic products, cars (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

US 57%, China 7%, Spain 4%, Brazil 4%, Finland 3% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

3.89% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

tourism, construction, light manufacturing (clothing, alcohol, household appliances)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

2.06% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

7.53% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

5.07% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Public debt

Public debt 2017

86.8% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$2.376 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$2.603 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$2.703 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2021

8.19% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

9.52% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

3.86% (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2021

$25,500 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$27,800 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$28,700 (2023 est.)

Remittances

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2021

2.83% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

1.86% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

2.43% of GDP (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

note

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$367.512 million (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$396.506 million (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$364.367 million (2023 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

19.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2014

11% (2014 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from petroleum and other liquids

769,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

769,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Electricity

consumption

318.337 million kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

97,000 kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

37.847 million kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels

94.2% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar

5.8% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

114.469 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption

5,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

8 (2020 est.)

total

8,000 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

state-controlled Antigua and Barbuda Broadcasting Service (ABS) operates 1 TV station; multi-channel cable TV subscription services are available; ABS operates 1 radio station; roughly 15 radio stations, some broadcasting on multiple frequencies

Internet country code

.ag

Internet users

percent of population

96% (2021 est.)

total

89,280 (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line teledensity roughly 27 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity is about 200 per 100 persons (2021)

general assessment

the telecom sector has seen a decline in subscriber numbers (particularly for prepaid mobile services the mainstay of short term visitors) and revenue; fixed and mobile broadband services are two areas that have benefited from the crisis as employees and students have resorted to working from home; one area of the telecom market that is not prepared for growth is 5G mobile; governments, regulators, and even the mobile network operators have shown that they have not been investing in 5G opportunities at the present time; network expansion and enhancements remain concentrated around improving LTE coverage (2021)

international

country code - 1-268; landing points for the ECFS and Southern Caribbean Fiber submarine cable systems with links to other islands in the eastern Caribbean; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

29 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

27,000 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

197 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

184,000 (2021 est.)

Airports

3 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

V2

Heliports

2 (2024)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 24, container ship 109, general cargo 425, oil tanker 6, other 50

total

614 (2023)

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

290,000 (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

580,174 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

10

number of registered air carriers

1 (2020)

Ports

key ports

St. John's

medium

1

ports with oil terminals

1

total ports

1 (2024)

Roadways

paved

386 km

total

1,170 km

unpaved

784 km (2011)

Military - note

the ABDF’s responsibilities include providing for internal security and support to the police in maintaining law and order, interdicting narcotics smuggling, responding to natural disasters, and monitoring the country’s territorial waters and maritime resources; established in 1981 from colonial forces originally created in 1897, it is one of the world’s smallest militariesthe country has been a member of the Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS) since its creation in 1982; RSS signatories (Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) agreed to prepare contingency plans and assist one another, on request, in national emergencies, prevention of smuggling, search and rescue, immigration control, fishery protection, customs and excise control, maritime policing duties, protection of off-shore installations, pollution control, national and other disasters, and threats to national security (2024)

Military and security forces

Antigua and Barbuda Defense Force (ABDF): Antigua and Barbuda Regiment, Air Wing, Coast GuardRoyal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda (2024)

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 250 active military personnel (2024)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the ABDF's equipment inventory is limited to small arms, light weapons, and soft-skin vehicles; the Coast Guard maintains ex-US patrol vessels and some smaller boats (2024)

Military service age and obligation

18-23 years of age for voluntary military service for both men and women; no conscription (2023)

Illicit drugs

a transit point for cocaine and marijuana destined for North America, Europe, and elsewhere in the Caribbean; some local demand for cocaine and some use of synthetic drugs

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

0.56 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

0.22 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

8.3 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Climate

tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation

Environment - current issues

water management - a major concern because of limited natural freshwater resources - is further hampered by the clearing of trees to increase crop production, causing rainfall to run off quickly

Environment - international agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Land use

agricultural land

20.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 2.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 9% (2018 est.)

forest

18.8% (2018 est.)

other

60.8% (2018 est.)

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

50 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

1.8 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial

2.5 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

10 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.87% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

24.3% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

30,585 tons (2012 est.)