2018 Edition

Background

The island was uninhabited when first settled by the British in 1627. African slaves worked the sugar plantations established on the island until 1834 when slavery was abolished. The economy remained heavily dependent on sugar, rum, and molasses production through most of the 20th century. The gradual introduction of social and political reforms in the 1940s and 1950s led to complete independence from the UK in 1966. In the 1990s, tourism and manufacturing surpassed the sugar industry in economic importance.

Area

land

430 sq km

total

430 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area Comparative

2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

tropical; rainy season (June to October)

Coastline

97 km

Elevation

0 m lowest point: Atlantic Ocean

note

336 highest point: Mount Hillaby

Environment Current Issues

pollution of coastal waters from waste disposal by ships; soil erosion; illegal solid waste disposal threatens contamination of aquifers

Environment International Agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Geographic Coordinates

13 10 N, 59 32 W

Geography Note

easternmost Caribbean island

Irrigated Land

50 sq km (2012)

Land Boundaries

0 km

Land Use

arable land: 25.6% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 2.3% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 4.7% (2011 est.)

agricultural land

32.6% (2011 est.)

forest

19.4% (2011 est.)

other

48% (2011 est.)

Location

Caribbean, island in the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela

Map References

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime Claims

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural Hazards

infrequent hurricanes; periodic landslides

Natural Resources

petroleum, fish, natural gas

Population Distribution

most densely populated country in the eastern Caribbean; approximately one-third live in urban areas

Terrain

relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region

Age Structure

0-14 years

17.8% (male 26,084 /female 26,090)

15-24 years

12.53% (male 18,236 /female 18,479)

25-54 years

43.69% (male 63,829 /female 64,249)

55-64 years

13.62% (male 18,888 /female 21,043)

65 years and over

12.36% (male 14,705 /female 21,528) (2018 est.)

Birth Rate

11.6 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Children Under The Age Of 5 Years Underweight

3.5% (2012)

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate

59.2% (2012)

Death Rate

8.6 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Dependency Ratios

elderly dependency ratio

21.3 (2015 est.)

potential support ratio

4.7 (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

50.4 (2015 est.)

youth dependency ratio

29.1 (2015 est.)

Drinking Water Source

improved: urban: 99.7% of population

rural: 99.7% of population

total: 99.7% of population

unimproved: urban: 0.3% of population

rural: 0.3% of population

total: 0.3% of population (2015 est.)

Education Expenditures

5.1% of GDP (2016)

Ethnic Groups

black 92.4%, mixed 3.1%, white 2.7%, East Indian 1.3%, other 0.2%, unspecified 0.3% (2010 est.)

Health Expenditures

7.5% of GDP (2014)

Hiv Aids Adult Prevalence Rate

1.6% (2017 est.)

Hiv Aids Deaths

<100 (2017 est.)

Hiv Aids People Living With Hiv Aids

2,700 (2017 est.)

Hospital Bed Density

5.8 beds/1,000 population (2014)

Infant Mortality Rate

female

8.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

male

11.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

total

10 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

English (official), Bajan (English-based creole language, widely spoken in informal settings)

Life Expectancy At Birth

female

78.1 years (2018 est.)

male

73.3 years (2018 est.)

total population

75.7 years (2018 est.)

Major Infectious Diseases

note

active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus

Major Urban Areas Population

89,000 BRIDGETOWN (capital) (2018)

Maternal Mortality Rate

27 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

Median Age

female

40.1 years (2018 est.)

male

37.8 years

total

38.9 years

Nationality

adjective

Barbadian or Bajan (colloquial)

noun

Barbadian(s) or Bajan (colloquial)

Net Migration Rate

-0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate

23.1% (2016)

Population

293,131 (July 2018 est.)

Population Growth Rate

0.26% (2018 est.)

Religions

Protestant 66.4% (includes Anglican 23.9%, other Pentecostal 19.5%, Adventist 5.9%, Methodist 4.2%, Wesleyan 3.4%, Nazarene 3.2%, Church of God 2.4%, Baptist 1.8%, Moravian 1.2%, other Protestant 0.9%), Roman Catholic 3.8%, other Christian 5.4% (includes Jehovah's Witness 2.0%, other 3.4%), Rastafarian 1%, other 1.5%, none 20.6%, unspecified 1.2% (2010 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

improved: urban: 96.2% of population (2015 est.)

rural: 96.2% of population (2015 est.)

total: 96.2% of population (2015 est.)

unimproved: urban: 3.8% of population (2015 est.)

rural: 3.8% of population (2015 est.)

total: 3.8% of population (2015 est.)

School Life Expectancy Primary To Tertiary Education

female

17 years (2011)

male

14 years (2011)

total

15 years (2011)

Sex Ratio

0-14 years

1 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

15-24 years

0.99 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

25-54 years

0.99 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

55-64 years

0.88 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

65 years and over

0.66 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

at birth

1.01 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

total population

0.94 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

1.68 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Unemployment Youth Ages 15 24

female

31.5% (2016 est.)

male

27.9% (2016 est.)

total

29.6% (2016 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.2% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

urban population

31.1% of total population (2018)

Administrative Divisions

11 parishes and 1 city*; Bridgetown*, Christ Church, Saint Andrew, Saint George, Saint James, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Lucy, Saint Michael, Saint Peter, Saint Philip, Saint Thomas

Capital

geographic coordinates

13 06 N, 59 37 W

name

Bridgetown

note

etymology: named after a bridge constructed over the swampy area (known as the Careenage) around the Constitution River that flows through the center of Bridgetown

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

5 years

Constitution

amendments

proposed by Parliament; passage of amendments to constitutional sections such as citizenship, fundamental rights and freedoms, and the organization and authorities of the branches of government requires two-thirds majority vote by the membership of both houses of Parliament; passage of other amendments only requires a majority vote of both houses; amended several times, last in 2010 (2018)

history

adopted 22 November 1966, effective 30 November 1966 (2018)

Country Name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Barbados

etymology

the name derives from the Portuguese "as barbadas," which means "the bearded ones" and can refer either to the long, hanging roots of the island's bearded fig trees or to the alleged beards of the native Carib inhabitants

Diplomatic Representation From The Us

chief of mission

Ambassador Linda S. TAGLIALATELA (since 1 February 2016) note - also accredited to Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

embassy

Wildey Business Park, Wildey, St. Michael BB 14006, Barbados

FAX

[1] (246) 431-0179

mailing address

P. O. Box 302, Bridgetown BB 11000; (Department Name) Unit 3120, DPO AA 34055

telephone

[1] (246) 227-4000

Diplomatic Representation In The Us

chancery

2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Selwin Charles HART (since 18 January 2017)

consulate(s) general

Miami, New York

FAX

[1] (202) 332-7467

telephone

[1] (202) 939-9200

Executive Branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister

chief of state

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Sandra MASON (since 8 January 2018)

elections/appointments

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

head of government

Prime Minister Mia MOTTLEY (since 25 May 2018)

Flag Description

three equal vertical bands of ultramarine blue (hoist side), gold, and ultramarine blue with the head of a black trident centered on the gold band; the band colors represent the blue of the sea and sky and the gold of the beaches; the trident head represents independence and a break with the past (the colonial coat of arms contained a complete trident)

Government Type

parliamentary democracy (Parliament) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

Independence

30 November 1966 (from the UK)

International Law Organization Participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International Organization Participation

ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial Branch

highest courts

Supreme Court (consists of the High Court with 8 justices) and the Court of Appeal (consists of the High Court chief justice and president of the court and 4 justices; note - in 2005, Barbados acceded to the Caribbean Court of Justice as the final court of appeal, replacing that of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London

judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the governor-general on the recommendation of the prime minister and opposition leader of Parliament; other justices appointed by the governor-general on the recommendation of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission, a 5-member independent body consisting of the Supreme Court chief justice, the commission head, and governor-general appointees recommended by the prime minister; justices serve until mandatory retirement at age 65

subordinate courts

Magistrates' Courts

Legal System

English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts

Legislative Branch

description

bicameral Parliament consists of:Senate (21 seats; members appointed by the governor general - 12 on the advice of the Prime Minister, 2 on the advice of the opposition leader, and 7 at the discretion of the governor general) House of Assembly (30 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)

election results

House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - BLP 74.6%, DLP 22.6%, other 2.8%; seats by party - BLP 30

elections

House of Assembly - last held on 24 May 2018 (next to be held in 2023)

note

tradition dictates that the election is held within 5 years of the last election, but constitutionally it is 5 years from the first seating of Parliament plus a 90-day grace period

National Anthem

lyrics/music

Irving BURGIE/C. Van Roland EDWARDS

name

The National Anthem of Barbados

note

adopted 1966; the anthem is also known as "In Plenty and In Time of Need"

National Holiday

Independence Day, 30 November (1966)

National Symbol S

Neptune's trident, pelican, Red Bird of Paradise flower (also known as Pride of Barbados); national colors: blue, yellow, black

Political Parties And Leaders

Bajan Free Party [Alex MITCHELL]Barbados Integrity Movement [Neil HOLDER]Barbados Labor Party or BLP [Mia MOTTLEY]Democratic Labor Party or DLP [Freundel STUART]People’s Democratic Congress [Mark ADAMSON]People's Empowerment Party or PEP [David COMISSIONG]Solutions Barbados [Grenville PHILLIPS II]United Progressive Party or UPP [Lynette EASTMOND]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture Products

sugarcane, vegetables, cotton

Budget

expenditures

1.664 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

1.466 billion (2013 est.) (2017 est.)

Budget Surplus Or Deficit

-4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Central Bank Discount Rate

7% (2017)

7% (31 December 2016)

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

8.1% (31 December 2017 est.)

8.05% (31 December 2016 est.)

Current Account Balance

-$189 million (2017 est.)

-$206 million (2016 est.)

Debt External

$4.49 billion (2010 est.)

$668 million (2003 est.)

Economy Overview

Barbados is the wealthiest and one of the most developed countries in the Eastern Caribbean and enjoys one of the highest per capita incomes in the region. Historically, the Barbadian economy was dependent on sugarcane cultivation and related activities. However, in recent years the economy has diversified into light industry and tourism. Offshore finance and information services are important foreign exchange earners, boosted by being in the same time zone as eastern US financial centers and by a relatively highly educated workforce. Following the 2008-09 recession, external vulnerabilities such as fluctuations in international oil prices have hurt economic growth, raised Barbados' already high public debt to GDP ratio - which stood at 105% of GDP in 2016 - and cut into its international reserves.

Exchange Rates

Barbadian dollars (BBD) per US dollar -

2 (2017 est.)

2 (2016 est.)

2 (2015 est.)

2 (2014 est.)

2 (2013 est.)

note

the Barbadian dollar is pegged to the US dollar

Exports

$485.4 million (2017 est.)

$516.9 million (2016 est.)

Exports Commodities

manufactures, sugar, molasses, rum, other foodstuffs and beverages, chemicals, electrical components

Exports Partners

US 38%, Trinidad and Tobago 10.2%, Guyana 5.5%, Jamaica 5%, China 4.8%, St. Lucia 4.6% (2017)

Fiscal Year

1 April - 31 March

Gdp Composition By End Use

exports of goods and services

31.6% (2017 est.)

government consumption

13.4% (2017 est.)

household consumption

84.2% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-47% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

17.6% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

0.2% (2017 est.)

Gdp Composition By Sector Of Origin

agriculture

1.5% (2017 est.)

industry

9.8% (2017 est.)

services

88.7% (2017 est.)

Gdp Official Exchange Rate

$4.99 billion (2017 est.) (2017 est.)

Gdp Per Capita Ppp

$18,600 (2017 est.)

$18,700 (2016 est.)

$18,300 (2015 est.)

note

data are in 2017 dollars

Gdp Purchasing Power Parity

$5.218 billion (2017 est.)

$5.227 billion (2016 est.)

$5.111 billion (2015 est.)

note

data are in 2017 dollars

Gdp Real Growth Rate

-0.2% (2017 est.)

2.3% (2016 est.)

2.2% (2015 est.)

Gross National Saving

7.2% of GDP (2017 est.)

11.8% of GDP (2016 est.)

10.8% of GDP (2015 est.)

Household Income Or Consumption By Percentage Share

highest 10%

NA

lowest 10%

NA

Imports

$1.52 billion (2017 est.)

$1.541 billion (2016 est.)

Imports Commodities

consumer goods, machinery, foodstuffs, construction materials, chemicals, fuel, electrical components

Imports Partners

US 38.5%, Trinidad and Tobago 14.6%, China 7.1%, UK 4.7% (2017)

Industrial Production Growth Rate

2.4% (2017 est.)

Industries

tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export

Inflation Rate Consumer Prices

4.4% (2017 est.)

1.5% (2016 est.)

Labor Force

144,000 (2017 est.)

Labor Force By Occupation

agriculture

10%

industry

15%

services

75% (1996 est.)

Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares

$4.495 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$4.571 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$4.366 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

Population Below Poverty Line

NA

Public Debt

157.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

149.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

$264.5 million (31 December 2017 est.)

$341.8 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Broad Money

$2.47 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$2.381 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Domestic Credit

$6.184 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$5.871 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Narrow Money

$2.47 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$2.381 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Taxes And Other Revenues

29.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

10.1% (2017 est.)

9.9% (2016 est.)

Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Consumption Of Energy

1.76 million Mt (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Exports

674 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Production

1,000 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Proved Reserves

2.534 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity Access

electrification - rural areas

80% (2012)

electrification - total population

91% (2012)

electrification - urban areas

100% (2012)

population without electricity

29,149 (2012)

Electricity Consumption

990 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Exports

0 kWh (2017 est.)

Electricity From Fossil Fuels

93% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity From Hydroelectric Plants

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Nuclear Fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Other Renewable Sources

7% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity Imports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Installed Generating Capacity

269,000 kW (2016 est.)

Electricity Production

1.01 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Natural Gas Consumption

19.82 million cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Imports

5.653 million cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Production

14.16 million cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Proved Reserves

141.6 million cu m (1 January 2018 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Consumption

11,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Imports

10,630 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

31 (2017 est.)

total

89,340 (2017 est.)

Broadcast Media

government-owned Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) operates the lone terrestrial TV station; CBC also operates a multi-channel cable TV subscription service; roughly a dozen radio stations, consisting of a CBC-operated network operating alongside privately owned radio stations (2009)

Internet Country Code

.bb

Internet Users

percent of population

79.5% (July 2016 est.)

total

231,883 (July 2016 est.)

Telephone System

domestic

fixed-line teledensity of roughly 48 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone density about 116 per 100 persons (2017)

general assessment

island-wide automatic telephone system; telecom sector across the Caribbean region remains one of the key growth areas; numerous competitors licensed, but small and localized (2017)

international

country code - 1-246; landing point for the East Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) submarine cable with links to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad; satellite earth stations - 1 (Intelsat - Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Trinidad and Saint Lucia (2016)

Telephones Fixed Lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

48 (2017 est.)

total subscriptions

139,645 (2017 est.)

Telephones Mobile Cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

116 (2017 est.)

total subscriptions

337,791 (2017 est.)

Airports

1 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

over 3,047 m

1 (2017)

total

1 (2017)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

8P (2016)

Merchant Marine

by type

bulk carrier 18, general cargo 71, oil tanker 2, other 21 (2017)

total

112 (2017)

Pipelines

33 km gas, 64 km oil, 6 km refined products (2013)

Ports And Terminals

major seaport(s)

Bridgetown

Roadways

paved

1,700 km (2015)

total

1,700 km (2015)

Military Branches

Royal Barbados Defense Force: Troops Command, Barbados Coast Guard (2011)

Military Note

the Royal Barbados Defense Force includes a land-based Troop Command and a small Coast Guard; the primary role of the land element is island defense against external aggression; the Command consists of a single, part-time battalion with a small regular cadre deployed throughout the island; the cadre increasingly supports the police in patrolling the coastline for smuggling and other illicit activities

Military Service Age And Obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service, or earlier with parental consent; no conscription (2013)

Disputes International

Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago abide by the April 2006 Permanent Court of Arbitration decision delimiting a maritime boundary and limiting catches of flying fish in Trinidad and Tobago's exclusive economic zonejoins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which permits Venezuela to extend its Economic Exclusion Zone/continental shelf over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea

Illicit Drugs

one of many Caribbean transshipment points for narcotics bound for Europe and the US; offshore financial center