2019 Edition

Background

The island was uninhabited when first settled by the British in 1627. African slaves worked the sugar plantations established on the island, which initially dominated the Caribbean sugar industry. By 1720 Barbados was no longer a dominant force within the sugar industry, having been surpassed by the Leeward Islands and Jamaica. Slavery was abolished in 1834. The Barbadian 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

Highest Point

Mount Hillaby 336 m

Lowest Point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

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

Agricultural Land

32.6% (2016 est.)

Agricultural Land Arable Land

25.6% (2016 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Crops

2.3% (2016 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Pasture

4.7% (2016 est.)

Forest

19.4% (2016 est.)

Other

48% (2016 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)

Current Health Expenditure

7% (2016)

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 Rural

99.7% of population

Improved Total

99.7% of population

Improved Urban

99.7% of population

Unimproved Rural

0.3% of population

Unimproved Total

0.3% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

0.3% of population

Education Expenditures

4.7% of GDP (2017)

Ethnic Groups

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

HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate

1.5% (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS Deaths

<100 (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS People Living With HIV/AIDS

3,000 (2018 est.)

Hospital Bed Density

5.8 beds/1,000 population (2014)

Infant Mortality Rate

Female

8.9 deaths/1,000 live births

Male

11.1 deaths/1,000 live births

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

Male

73.3 years

Total Population

75.7 years (2018 est.)

Literacy

Definition

age 15 and over can read and write

Female

99.6% (2014)

Male

99.6%

Total Population

99.6%

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 (2017 est.)

Median Age

Female

40.1 years

Male

37.8 years

Total

38.9 years (2018 est.)

Nationality

Adjective

Barbadian or Bajan (colloquial)

Noun

Barbadian(s) or Bajan (colloquial)

Net Migration Rate

-0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate

23.1% (2016)

Physicians Density

2.49 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

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 Rural

96.2% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Total

96.2% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Urban

96.2% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Rural

3.8% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Total

3.8% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

3.8% of population (2015 est.)

School Life Expectancy Primary To Tertiary Education

Female

17 years (2011)

Male

14 years

Total

15 years

Sex Ratio

0 14 Years

1 male(s)/female

15 24 Years

0.99 male(s)/female

25 54 Years

0.99 male(s)/female

55 64 Years

0.9 male(s)/female

65 Years And Over

0.68 male(s)/female

At Birth

1.01 male(s)/female

Total Population

0.94 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

1.68 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Unemployment Youth Ages 15 24

Female

31.5% (2016 est.)

Male

27.9%

Total

29.6%

Urbanization

Rate Of Urbanization

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

Urban Population

31.2% of total population (2019)

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

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

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, W.I.

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 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

Senate - appointed; composition - men 16, women 5, percent of women 23.8% House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - BLP 74.6%, DLP 22.6%, other 2.8%; seats by party - BLP 30; composition - men 24, women 6, percent of women 20%; note - total Parliament percent of women 21.6%

Elections

Senate - last appointments on 5 June 2018 (next appointments NA) House of Assembly - last held on 24 May 2018 (next to be held in 2023)

National Anthem

Lyrics Music

Irving BURGIE/C. Van Roland EDWARDS

Name

The National Anthem of Barbados

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&rsquo;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

2017

7%

31 December 2016

7%

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

31 December 2016

8.05%

31 December 2017

8.1%

Current Account Balance

2016

-$206 million

2017

-$189 million

Debt External

2003

$668 million

2010

$4.49 billion

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

2013

2

2014

2

2015

2

2016

2

2017

2

Currency

Barbadian dollars (BBD) per US dollar -

Exports

2016

$516.9 million

2017

$485.4 million

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.)

GDP Per Capita Ppp

2015

$18,300

2016

$18,700

2017

$18,600

GDP Purchasing Power Parity

2015

$5.111 billion

2016

$5.227 billion

2017

$5.218 billion

GDP Real Growth Rate

2015

2.2%

2016

2.3%

2017

-0.2%

Gross National Saving

2015

10.8% of GDP

2016

11.8% of GDP

2017

7.2% of GDP

Imports

2016

$1.541 billion

2017

$1.52 billion

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

2016

1.5%

2017

4.4%

Labor Force

144,000 (2017 est.)

Labor Force By Occupation

Agriculture

10%

Industry

15%

Services

75% (1996 est.)

Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares

31 December 2010

$4.366 billion

31 December 2011

$4.571 billion

31 December 2012

$4.495 billion

Public Debt

2016

149.1% of GDP

2017

157.3% of GDP

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

31 December 2016

$341.8 million

31 December 2017

$264.5 million

Stock Of Broad Money

31 December 2016

$2.381 billion

31 December 2017

$2.47 billion

Stock Of Domestic Credit

31 December 2016

$5.871 billion

31 December 2017

$6.184 billion

Stock Of Narrow Money

31 December 2016

$2.381 billion

31 December 2017

$2.47 billion

Taxes And Other Revenues

29.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

2016

9.9%

2017

10.1%

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 (2018 est.)

Crude Oil Proved Reserves

2.534 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity Access

100% (2016)

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

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

Internet Country Code

.bb

Internet Users

Percent Of Population

79.5% (July 2016 est.)

Total

231,883

Telephone System

Domestic

fixed-line teledensity of roughly 48 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone density about 116 per 100 persons (2018)

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 (2018)

International

country code - 1-246; landing points for the ECFS and Southern Caribbean Fiber submarine cable with links to 15 other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad and Puerto Ricco; satellite earth stations - 1 (Intelsat - Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Trinidad and Saint Lucia (2019)

Telephones Fixed Lines

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

48 (2017 est.)

Total Subscriptions

139,645

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

116 (2017 est.)

Total Subscriptions

337,791

Airports

1 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

Over 3 047 M

1

Total

1 (2019)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

8P (2016)

Merchant Marine

By Type

bulk carrier 21, general cargo 82, other 18 (2018)

Total

121

Pipelines

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

Ports And Terminals

Bridgetown

Roadways

Paved

1,700 km (2015)

Total

1,700 km (2015)

Military And Security Forces

Royal Barbados Defense Force: The Barbados Regiment, The Barbados Coast Guard (2019)

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 zone; joins 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