2023 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. Barbados became a republic on 30 November 2021, with the former Governor-General Sandra MASON elected as the first president. Barbados plans to create a new constitution in 2022.

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

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

32.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 25.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 2.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 4.7% (2018 est.)

forest

19.4% (2018 est.)

other

48% (2018 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

16.78% (male 25,456/female 25,465)

15-64 years

67.56% (male 100,884/female 104,114)

65 years and over

15.66% (2023 est.) (male 19,967/female 27,545)

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

10.7 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

59.2% (2012)

Current health expenditure

7.2% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

57.1% (2023 est.)

Death rate

8 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

23.4

potential support ratio

4.3 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

49

youth dependency ratio

25.6

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: 98.8% of population

improved: urban

urban: NA

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: 2% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: NA

Education expenditures

6.5% of GDP (2021 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

0.85 (2023 est.)

Hospital bed density

6 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Infant mortality rate

female

8.2 deaths/1,000 live births

male

11.3 deaths/1,000 live births

total

9.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

81.6 years

male

76 years

total population

78.8 years (2023 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

99.6% (2014)

male

99.6%

total population

99.6%

Major urban areas - population

89,000 BRIDGETOWN (capital) (2018)

Maternal mortality ratio

39 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

42.1 years

male

39.9 years

total

41 years (2023 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Barbadian or Bajan (colloquial)

noun

Barbadian(s) or Bajan (colloquial)

Net migration rate

-0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

23.1% (2016)

Physicians density

2.49 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

Population

303,431 (2023 est.)

Population distribution

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

Population growth rate

0.24% (2023 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

rural: NA

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: NA

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: NA

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.72 male(s)/female

at birth

1.01 male(s)/female

total population

0.93 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Tobacco use

female

1.9% (2020 est.)

male

15% (2020 est.)

total

8.5% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.7 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

31.4% of total population (2023)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

25.6%

male

34.8%

total

30.6% (2021 est.)

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

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

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 2021

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

note

note: following the transition to a republic in November 2021, the Government of Barbados in February 2022 began the process of establishing a constitution commission to review a new draft constitution

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

email address and website

BridgetownACS@state.govhttps://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 Noel Anderson LYNCH (since 11 January 2019)

consulate(s) general

Miami, New York

email address and website

washington@foreign.gov.bbhttps://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 Sandra MASON (since 30 November 2021)

election results

Sandra MASON elected as first president on 20 October 2021

elections/appointments

president elected by an electoral college of both Houses of Parliament for a 4-year renewable term; election last held on 20 October 2021; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of the majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the president; 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 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, 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; 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 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

description

bicameral Parliament consists of:Senate (21 seats statutory - 19 current; members appointed by the president - 12 on the advice of the prime minister, 2 on the advice of the opposition leader, and 7 at the discretion of the president; members serve 5-year terms) 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 as of August 2023 - men 11, women 8, percent of women 42.1% House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - BLP 69%, DLP 26.5%, other 4.5%; seats by party - BLP 30; composition as of August 2023 - men 22, women 8, percent of women 26.7%; note - total Parliament percent of women 32.7%

elections

Senate - last appointments on 4 February 2022 (next appointments in February 2027)House of Assembly - last held on 19 January 2022 (next to be held in January 2027)

note

note: tradition dictates that the next 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

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

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); national colors: blue, yellow, black

Political parties and leaders

Alliance Party for Progress or APP [Joseph ATHERLEY]Barbados Labor Party or BLP [Mia MOTTLEY]Democratic Labor Party or DLP [Ronnie YEARWOOD]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

sugar cane, poultry, vegetables, milk, eggs, pork, coconuts, pulses, sweet potatoes, tropical fruit

Budget

expenditures

$1.483 billion (2020 est.)

revenues

$1.271 billion (2020 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

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

Credit ratings

Moody's rating

Caa1 (2019)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

B- (2019)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2016

-$452.39 million (2016 est.)

Current account balance 2017

-$296.396 million (2017 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2003

$668 million (2003 est.)

Debt - external 2010

$4.49 billion (2010 est.)

Economic overview

largest Eastern Caribbean economy; dependent on US imports and currency strength; high Human Development Index; key tourism and financial sectors; declining but still very high public debt; cost-of-living and cost competitiveness vulnerabilities

Exchange rates

Currency

Barbadian dollars (BBD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2017

2 (2017 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

2 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

2 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

2 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

2 (2021 est.)

note

note: the Barbadian dollar is pegged to the US dollar

Exports

Exports 2016

$516.9 million (2016 est.)

Exports 2017

$550 million (2017 est.)

Exports 2021

$357 million (2021 est.)

note

note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.

Exports - commodities

rums and liquors, ships, packaged medicines, cement, paper labels (2021)

Exports - partners

United States 20%, Jamaica 12%, Guyana 8%, Trinidad and Tobago 7%, Italy 6% (2021)

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.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA

lowest 10%

NA

Imports

Imports 2016

$1.541 billion (2016 est.)

Imports 2017

$2.213 billion (2017 est.)

Imports 2021

$2.12 billion (2021 est.)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, crude petroleum, shipping containers, cars, ships, packaged medicines (2021)

Imports - partners

United States 33%, Guyana 13%, China 11%, Trinidad and Tobago 6%, United Kingdom 4% (2021)

Industrial production growth rate

-0.6% (2021 est.)

Industries

tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

4.66% (2017 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018

3.67% (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

4.1% (2019 est.)

Labor force

139,100 (2021 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

10%

industry

15%

services

75% (1996 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA

Public debt

Public debt 2016

149.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$4.47 billion (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$3.875 billion (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$3.868 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2019

-0.13% (2019 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2020

-13.31% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

-0.19% (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2019

$16,000 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$13,800 (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2021

$13,800 (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2019

$772.119 million (31 December 2019 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2020

$1.358 billion (31 December 2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2021

$1.673 billion (31 December 2021 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

27.48% (of GDP) (2016 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2019

8.41% (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate 2020

10.38% (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate 2021

10.41% (2021 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

25.6%

male

34.8%

total

30.6% (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

41,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

1.662 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

1.703 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

production

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

1 billion kWh (2019 est.)

exports

0 kWh (2019 est.)

imports

0 kWh (2019 est.)

installed generating capacity

311,000 kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

20 million kWh (2019 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2021)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

95.9% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

4.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

83.723 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

20.954 million cubic meters (2019 est.)

exports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports

6.031 million cubic meters (2019 est.)

production

14.923 million cubic meters (2019 est.)

proven reserves

113 million cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil and lease condensate exports

700 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

2 million barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

10,800 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

1,000 bbl/day (2021 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

45 (2020 est.)

total

128,000 (2020 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 (2019)

Internet country code

.bb

Internet users

percent of population

86% (2021 est.)

total

240,800 (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line teledensity of roughly 43 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone density about 113 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 - 1-246; 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

43 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

120,980 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

113 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

316,633 (2021 est.)

Airports

1 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

1

note

note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

8P

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 61, general cargo 114, other 20

total

195 (2022)

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 - 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 under the Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS); 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 RSS since its creation in 1982; RSS signatories (Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, 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 (2023)

Military and security forces

Barbados Defense Force (BDF): The Barbados Regiment, The Barbados Coast Guard (2023)

note

note 1: the BDF also has a Youth Development Wing, which is comprised of the Barbados Cadet Corps and the Barbados Defense Force Sports Programnote 2: authority over the BDF is shared between the president and prime minister, with the president overseeing strategic direction and the prime minister responsible for operational leadershipnote 3: the Barbados Police Service (TBPS) is the national police force; it is modeled after London's Metropolitan Police Service and divided into three territorial divisions

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 600 active personnel (2022)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the Netherlands provide the BDF's major equipment inventory (maritime patrol boats) (2023)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2018

0.8% of GDP (2018 est.) (approximately $40 million)

Military Expenditures 2019

0.8% of GDP (2019 est.) (approximately $35 million)

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 service age and obligation

voluntary service only (men and women); 17 years, 9 months to 17 years, 11 months with letter of consent from a parent or guardian, or be in the age range of 18-25 years (18-30 for the Reserves) at the start of recruit training; citizens of Barbados by descent or naturalization (2023)

Disputes - international

Barbados-Venezuela (Maritime Boundary): Barbados joins other Caribbean states and the United Kingdom to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island, a large sandbar with some vegetation, sustains human habitation or economic life, the criteria under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Article 121, which would permit Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea; the dispute hampers hydrocarbon prospecting and creation of exploration blocks Barbados-Trinidad and Tobago (Maritime Boundary): 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

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

1.28 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

2.35 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

9.79 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Climate

tropical; rainy season (June to October)

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, 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

Land use

agricultural land

32.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 25.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 2.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 4.7% (2018 est.)

forest

19.4% (2018 est.)

other

48% (2018 est.)

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

80 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

5 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

10 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

20 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

31.4% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

174,815 tons (2011 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

15,733 tons (2015 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

9% (2015 est.)