Map of Barbados | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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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.


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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area
Total: 430 km²
Land: 430 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: 2.5 times the size of Washington, D.C.

Land boundaries
Total: 0 km

Coastline: 97 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate: tropical; rainy season (June to October)

Terrain: relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region

Elevation
Highest point: Mount Hillaby 336 m
Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Natural resources

Land use
Agricultural land: 23.3% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 16.3% (2023 est.)
Permanent crops: 2.3% (2023 est.)
Permanent pasture: 4.7% (2023 est.)
Forest: 14.7% (2023 est.)
Other: 62.1% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land: 50 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: infrequent hurricanes; periodic landslides

Geography
Note: easternmost Caribbean island


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Population
Total: 304,139 (2024 est.)
Male: 146,587
Female: 157,552
Distribution: most densely populated country in the eastern Caribbean; approximately one third of the population lives in urban areas
Growth rate: 0.23% (2024 est.)

Nationality

Ethnic groups

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

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.)

Demographic profile

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)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 49.2 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 24.8 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 24.4 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 4.1 (2024 est.)

Median age
Total: 41.4 years (2024 est.)
Male: 40.3 years
Female: 42.5 years

Population growth rate: 0.23% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 10.7 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 8.1 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Net migration rate

Population distribution: most densely populated country in the eastern Caribbean; approximately one third of the population lives in urban areas

Urbanization
Urban population: 31.4% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 0.46% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 89,000 BRIDGETOWN (capital) (2018)

Environment

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.01 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio: 35 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 9.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 11.1 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 8.1 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 79 years (2024 est.)
Male: 76.3 years
Female: 81.8 years

Total fertility rate: 1.7 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source
Total: 1.5% of population (2022 est.)

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access
Total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 7.6% (2024 est.); 7.9% (2023 est.); 8.4% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment


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Country name

Government type

Capital
Name: Bridgetown
Geographic coordinates: 13 06 N, 59 37 W
Time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
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

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

Dependent areas

Independence

National holiday

Constitution

Legal system: English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

Suffrage

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Jeffrey Davidson BOSTIC (since 30 November 2025)
Head of government: Prime Minister Mia MOTTLEY (since 25 May 2018)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister
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
Most recent election date: 7 October 2025
Election results: Jeffrey Davidson BOSTIC elected as the country's second president
Expected date of next election: NA

Legislative branch
Legislature name: Parlement de Barbade (Parliament of Barbados)
Legislative structure: bicameral
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

Judicial branch

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation

Diplomatic representation

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

National symbols

National anthem
Title: 'The National Anthem of Barbados'
Lyrics/music: Irving BURGIE/C. Van Roland EDWARDS
History: adopted 1966

National heritage
Total World Heritage Sites: 1 (cultural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales:


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Economy overview

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 3.8% (2024 est.); 4.1% (2023 est.); 17.8% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: 3.8% (2024 est.); 4.1% (2023 est.); 17.8% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 75.6% (2022 est.)
Government consumption: 11.8% (2022 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 16.5% (2022 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0.2% (2022 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 34.3% (2022 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -42.2% (2022 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1.9% (2023 est.)
Industry: 13.2% (2023 est.)
Services: 75.4% (2023 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Agriculture products

Industries: tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export

Industrial production growth rate: -1.3% (2023 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Labor force: 147,200 (2024 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate: 7.6% (2024 est.); 7.9% (2023 est.); 8.4% (2022 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 7.6% (2024 est.); 7.9% (2023 est.); 8.4% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $1.269 billion (2015 est.)
Expenditures: $1.664 billion (2015 est.)
Note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Taxes and other revenues: 24.9% (of GDP) (2016 est.)
Note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $2.228 billion (2017 est.); $2.41 billion (2016 est.); $2.358 billion (2015 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: liquor, refined petroleum, packaged medicine, margarine, baked goods (2023)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $2.12 billion (2021 est.); $2.213 billion (2017 est.); $2.238 billion (2016 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: refined petroleum, crude petroleum, cars, plastic products, ships (2023)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates


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Electricity
Installed generating capacity: 320,000 kW (2023 est.)
Consumption: 1.025 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 64.586 million kWh (2023 est.)
Access electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 91.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources solar: 7.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 0.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal
Exports: 4 metric tons (2023 est.)
Imports: 57 metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 2,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 8,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 1.978 million barrels (2021 est.)

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 7.957 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
Consumption: 32.593 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
Imports: 24.636 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 113.267 million cubic meters (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 1.348 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 2 metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 1.284 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 64,000 metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 68.293 million Btu/person (2023 est.)


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 121,000 (2022 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 43 (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 323,000 (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 115 (2022 est.)

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet
Users percent of population: 80% (2023 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 106,000 (2022 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 37 (2022 est.)


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Military expenditures: 0.7% of GDP (2024 est.); 0.7% of GDP (2023 est.); 0.8% of GDP (2022 est.); 0.9% of GDP (2021 est.); 0.9% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 1 (2025)

Heliports: 1 (2025)

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 272 (2023)
By type: bulk carrier 90, general cargo 149, oil tanker 5, other 28

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs