2020 Edition

Background

Barbados was uninhabited when first settled by the British in 1627. Enslaved Africans 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 independence from the UK in 1966. In the 1990s, tourism and manufacturing surpassed the sugar industry in economic importance. Barbados became a republic in 2021, with the former Governor-General Sandra MASON elected as the first president.

Area

land

430 sq km

total

430 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

2.5 times the size of Washington, D.C.

Climate

tropical; rainy season (June to October)

Coastline

97 km

Elevation

highest point

Mount Hillaby 336 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Geographic coordinates

13 10 N, 59 32 W

Geography - note

easternmost Caribbean island

Irrigated land

50 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total

0 km

Land use

agricultural land

23.3% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 16.3% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 2.3% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 4.7% (2023 est.)

forest

14.7% (2023 est.)

other

62.1% (2023 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 of the population lives in urban areas

Terrain

relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region

Age structure

0-14 years

16.6% (male 25,273/female 25,284)

15-64 years

67% (male 100,328/female 103,536)

65 years and over

16.3% (2024 est.) (male 20,986/female 28,732)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

3.66 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.17 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

4.75 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

9.94 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

1.36 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

8.02 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

57.2% (2021 est.)

Death rate

11.96 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

24.4 (2024 est.)

potential support ratio

4.1 (2024 est.)

total dependency ratio

49.2 (2024 est.)

youth dependency ratio

24.8 (2024 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: total

total: 98.5% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 1.5% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)

3.6% of GDP (2024 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

14.2% national budget (2025 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Gross reproduction rate

0.62 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

8.1% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

8.7% of national budget (2022 est.)

Hospital bed density

5.7 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

8.1 deaths/1,000 live births

male

11.1 deaths/1,000 live births

total

15.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

81.8 years

male

76.3 years

total population

79 years (2024 est.)

Major urban areas - population

89,000 BRIDGETOWN (capital) (2018)

Maternal mortality ratio

35 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

female

42.5 years

male

40.3 years

total

42.2 years (2025 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Barbadian or Bajan (colloquial)

noun

Barbadian(s) or Bajan (colloquial)

Net migration rate

-0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

23.1% (2016)

Physician density

2.96 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Population

female

157,552

male

146,587

total

304,139 (2024 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.42% (2025 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: total

total: 100% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.73 male(s)/female

at birth

1.01 male(s)/female

total population

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

Tobacco use

female

1.5% (2025 est.)

male

11.4% (2025 est.)

total

6.2% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.24 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.46% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

31.4% of total population (2023)

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

etymology

originally named Indian Bridge in 1628 for a bridge built beside Carlisle Bay, then called St. Michael's Town until the 19th century; now named after a bridge built over the Constitution River that flows through the center of the city

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

amendment process

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

history

adopted 22 November 1966, effective 30 November 1966; Constitution (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2021 establishes Barbados as a republic and revokes the earlier Order in Council

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Barbados

etymology

the name is the plural of the Spanish word barbado and means "the bearded ones," which could refer either to the beard-like leaves of the island's fig trees or to the beards of Carib inhabitants

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Karin B. SULLIVAN (since January 2025); note - also accredited to Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

email address and website

bridgetownpublicaffairs@state.gov https://bb.usembassy.gov/

embassy

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

FAX

(246) 431-0179

mailing address

3120 Bridgetown Place, Washington DC 20521-3120

telephone

(246) 227-4000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Victor Anthony FERNANDES (since 18 September 2024)

consulate(s) general

Miami, New York

email address and website

washington@foreign.gov.bb https://www.foreign.gov.bb/embassies-high-commissions-and-permanent-missions/

FAX

[1] (202) 332-7467

telephone

[1] (202) 939-9200

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister

chief of state

President Jeffrey Davidson BOSTIC (since 30 November 2025)

election results

Jeffrey Davidson BOSTIC elected as the country's second president

election/appointment process

president elected by an electoral college of both Houses of Parliament for a 4-year renewable term; following legislative elections, the president usually appoints the leader of the majority party or leader of the majority coalition as prime minister; the prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister

expected date of next election

NA

head of government

Prime Minister Mia MOTTLEY (since 25 May 2018)

most recent election date

7 October 2025

Flag

description: three equal vertical bands of ultramarine blue (left side), gold, and ultramarine blue with a black trident head centered on the gold band meaning: blue stands for the sea and sky, and gold for the beaches; the trident head represents independence and a break with the past

Government type

parliamentary republic; 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, ACS, 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 court(s)

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; Caribbean Court of Justice is the final court of appeal

judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister and opposition leader of Parliament; other justices appointed by the president 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 presidential 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

legislative structure

bicameral

legislature name

Parlement de Barbade (Parliament of Barbados)

Legislative branch - lower chamber

chamber name

House of Assembly

electoral system

plurality/majority

expected date of next election

January 2027

most recent election date

1/19/2022

number of seats

30 (all directly elected)

parties elected and seats per party

Barbados Labour Party (BLP) (30)

percentage of women in chamber

26.7%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

5 years

Legislative branch - upper chamber

chamber name

Senate

expected date of next election

February 2027

most recent election date

2/4/2022

number of seats

21 (all appointed)

percentage of women in chamber

33.3%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

5 years

National anthem(s)

history

adopted 1966

lyrics/music

Irving BURGIE/C. Van Roland EDWARDS

title

"The National Anthem of Barbados"

National color(s)

blue, yellow, black

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison

total World Heritage Sites

1 (cultural)

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")

Political parties

Alliance Party for Progress or APP Barbados Labor Party or BLP Democratic Labor Party or DLP

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

sugarcane, chicken, vegetables, milk, eggs, sweet potatoes, pork, coconuts, tropical fruits, pulses (2023)

Budget

expenditures

$1.664 billion (2015 est.)

revenues

$1.269 billion (2015 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2015

-$98.732 million (2015 est.)

Current account balance 2016

-$452.39 million (2016 est.)

Current account balance 2017

-$296.396 million (2017 est.)

Economic overview

high-income Eastern Caribbean economy; high standard of living among regional peers; key tourism, construction, and financial sectors driving recent GDP growth; declining but still very high public debt leading to IMF support programs; susceptible to natural disasters and reliance on import partners

Exchange rates

Currency

Barbadian dollars (BBD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

2 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

2 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

2 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

2 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

2 (2024 est.)

Exports

Exports 2015

$2.358 billion (2015 est.)

Exports 2016

$2.41 billion (2016 est.)

Exports 2017

$2.228 billion (2017 est.)

Exports - commodities

liquor, refined petroleum, packaged medicine, margarine, baked goods (2023)

Exports - partners

USA 22%, Jamaica 17%, Trinidad & Tobago 8%, Canada 6%, Guyana 6% (2023)

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

34.3% (2022 est.)

government consumption

11.8% (2022 est.)

household consumption

75.6% (2022 est.)

imports of goods and services

-42.2% (2022 est.)

investment in fixed capital

16.5% (2022 est.)

investment in inventories

0.2% (2022 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

1.9% (2023 est.)

industry

13.2% (2023 est.)

services

75.4% (2023 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$7.165 billion (2024 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2016

34.1 (2016 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

25.8% (2016 est.)

lowest 10%

2.5% (2016 est.)

Imports

Imports 2016

$2.238 billion (2016 est.)

Imports 2017

$2.213 billion (2017 est.)

Imports 2021

$2.12 billion (2021 est.)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, crude petroleum, cars, plastic products, ships (2023)

Imports - partners

USA 32%, Trinidad & Tobago 19%, Netherlands 6%, UK 6%, Guyana 5% (2023)

Industrial production growth rate

-1.3% (2023 est.)

Industries

tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

4.1% (2019 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

9.8% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

-0.5% (2024 est.)

Labor force

147,200 (2024 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

133.2% of GDP (2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$5.214 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$5.428 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$5.634 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2022

17.8% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

4.1% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2024

3.8% (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2022

$18,500 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$19,200 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$19,900 (2024 est.)

Remittances

Remittances 2021

1.6% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

1.4% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

1.3% of GDP (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$1.673 billion (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$1.52 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$1.606 billion (2023 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

24.9% (of GDP) (2016 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2022

8.4% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

7.9% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

7.6% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

19.6% (2024 est.)

male

27.5% (2024 est.)

total

23.7% (2024 est.)

Coal

exports

4 metric tons (2023 est.)

imports

57 metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

consumption

1.025 billion kWh (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity

320,000 kW (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

64.586 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

fossil fuels

91.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar

7.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

68.293 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

32.593 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

imports

24.636 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

production

7.957 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

proven reserves

113.267 million cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil estimated reserves

1.978 million barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

8,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

total petroleum production

2,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

37 (2022 est.)

total

106,000 (2022 est.)

Broadcast media

government-owned Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) operates the lone terrestrial TV station; CBC also has a multi-channel cable TV subscription service; roughly a dozen CBC-operated radio stations operate alongside privately owned radio stations (2019)

Internet country code

.bb

Internet users

percent of population

80% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

43 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

121,000 (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

115 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

323,482 (2022 est.)

Airports

1 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

8P

Heliports

1 (2025)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 90, general cargo 149, oil tanker 5, other 28

total

272 (2023)

Ports

key ports

Bridgetown

large

0

medium

0

ports with oil terminals

1

small

1

total ports

1 (2024)

very small

0

Military - note

formed in 1979, the Barbados Defense Force (BDF) is responsible for protecting national security, but it may also be called up to maintain internal public order in times of crisis, emergency, or other specific needs, such as special joint patrols with the police; it also provides humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations both domestically and regionally; other duties include assisting with national development, such as through the training of the country's youth with the units of the Barbados Cadet Corps  Barbados has been a member of the Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS) since its creation in 1982; RSS signatories (Antigua and Barbuda, 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; the RSS is headquartered in Barbados (2025)

Military and security forces

Barbados Defense Force (BDF): The Barbados Regiment, The Barbados Coast Guard (2025)

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 600 active BDF personnel (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the BDF's major equipment inventory is comprised mostly of donated items from China, the Netherlands, and the US (2025)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2020

0.9% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

0.9% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

0.8% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

0.7% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military Expenditures 2024

0.7% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-25 for voluntary active service at the start of recruit training; 18-30 for reserves (2025)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees

13 (2024 est.)

Trafficking in persons

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List — Barbados did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking compared with the previous reporting period and was downgraded to Tier 2 Watch List; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/barbados/

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

2 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from consumed natural gas

64,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

1.284 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total emissions

1.348 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

pollution of coastal waters from waste disposal by ships; soil erosion; illegal solid-waste disposal

International environmental agreements

party to

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

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Particulate matter emissions

9.8 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

80 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

54.8 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial

6.2 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

municipal

20 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

174,800 tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

10.6% (2022 est.)