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

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Background: The Siboney were the first people to inhabit the islands of Antigua and Barbuda in 2,400 B.C., but the Arawaks populated the islands when Christopher COLUMBUS landed on his second voyage in 1493. Early Spanish and French settlements were succeeded by an English colony in 1667. Slavery, which provided labor on the sugar plantations on Antigua, was abolished in 1834. The islands became an independent state within the British Commonwealth of Nations in 1981. In 2017, Hurricane Irma passed over the island of Barbuda, devastating the island and forcing the evacuation of the population to Antigua. Almost all of the structures on Barbuda were destroyed and the vegetation stripped, but Antigua was spared the worst.


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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area
Total: 443 km² (Antigua 280 km²; Barbuda 161 km²)
Land: 443 km²
Water: 0 km²
Note: includes Redonda, 1.6 km²
Comparative: 2.5 times the size of Washington, D.C.

Land boundaries
Total: 0 km

Coastline: 153 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate: tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain: mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands, with some higher volcanic areas

Elevation
Highest point: Mount Obama 402 m
Lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m

Natural resources

Land use
Agricultural land: 20.5% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 9.1% (2023 est.)
Permanent crops: 2.3% (2023 est.)
Permanent pasture: 9.1% (2023 est.)
Forest: 18% (2023 est.)
Other: 61.5% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land: 1.3 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October); periodic droughts

Geography
Note: Antigua has a deeply indented shoreline with many natural harbors and beaches; Barbuda has a large western harbor


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Population
Total: 102,634 (2024 est.)
Male: 48,311
Female: 54,323
Distribution: the island of Antigua is home to approximately 97% of the population; nearly the entire population of Barbuda lives in Codrington
Growth rate: 1.11% (2024 est.)

Nationality

Ethnic groups

Languages: English (official), Antiguan Creole (an English-based creole)

Religions: Protestant 68.3% (Anglican 17.6%, Seventh Day Adventist 12.4%, Pentecostal 12.2%, Moravian 8.3%, Methodist 5.6%, Wesleyan Holiness 4.5%, Church of God 4.1%, Baptist 3.6%), Roman Catholic 8.2%, other 12.2%, unspecified 5.5%, none 5.9% (2011 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 21.8% (male 11,384/female 11,034)
15-64 years: 67.6% (male 32,312/female 37,094)
65 years and over: 10.5% (2024 est.) (male 4,615/female 6,195)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 47.9 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 32.3 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 15.6 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 6.4 (2024 est.)

Median age
Total: 33.9 years (2024 est.)
Male: 31.9 years
Female: 35.7 years

Population growth rate: 1.11% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 14.9 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 5.7 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Net migration rate

Population distribution: the island of Antigua is home to approximately 97% of the population; nearly the entire population of Barbuda lives in Codrington

Urbanization
Urban population: 24.3% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 0.87% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 21,000 SAINT JOHN'S (capital) (2018)

Environment

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.87 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.89 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: 13.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 16.4 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 10.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.3 years (2024 est.)
Male: 76.1 years
Female: 80.5 years

Total fertility rate: 1.93 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source
Urban: 1.6% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 1.7% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 1.6% of population (2022 est.)

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 4.6% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 2% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 2.6% 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


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Country name

Government type

Capital
Name: Saint John's
Geographic coordinates: 17 07 N, 61 51 W
Time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: named after Saint John the Apostle

Administrative divisions: 6 parishes and 2 dependencies*; Barbuda*, Redonda*, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mary, Saint Paul, Saint Peter, Saint Philip

Dependent areas

Independence

National holiday

Constitution

Legal system: common law based on the English model

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

Suffrage

Executive branch
Chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor General Rodney WILLIAMS (since 14 August 2014)
Head of government: Prime Minister Gaston BROWNE (since 13 June 2014)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
Election/appointment process: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister; following legislative elections, the governor general usually appoints the leader of the majority party or majority coalition as prime minister

Legislative branch
Legislature name: Parliament
Legislative structure: bicameral

Judicial branch

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation

Diplomatic representation

Flag description: red, with an inverted isosceles triangle in the center that spans the flag from top to bottom; the triangle contains three horizontal bands of black (top), light blue, and white, with a yellow rising sun in the black band

National symbols

National anthem
Title: 'God Save the King'
Lyrics/music: unknown
History: royal anthem, as a Commonwealth country

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: 4.3% (2024 est.); 2.4% (2023 est.); 9.1% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: 4.3% (2024 est.); 2.4% (2023 est.); 9.1% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1.9% (2023 est.)
Industry: 19% (2023 est.)
Services: 69.1% (2023 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Agriculture products

Industries: tourism, construction, light manufacturing (clothing, alcohol, household appliances)

Industrial production growth rate: 1% (2023 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Labor force

Unemployment rate

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $251.418 million (2014 est.)
Expenditures: $266.044 million (2014 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

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: $1.314 billion (2024 est.); $1.185 billion (2023 est.); $1.111 billion (2022 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: refined petroleum, ships, soybean meal, shellfish, paintings (2023)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $1.282 billion (2024 est.); $1.273 billion (2023 est.); $1.227 billion (2022 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: ships, refined petroleum, cars, plastic products, furniture (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: 148,000 kW (2023 est.)
Consumption: 322.923 million kWh (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 38.121 million kWh (2023 est.)
Access electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 93.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources solar: 6.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal
Imports: 25 metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum
Refined petroleum consumption: 5,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions: 725,000 metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 725,000 metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 110.114 million Btu/person (2023 est.)


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 27,000 (2021 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 29 (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 184,000 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 197 (2021 est.)

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet
Users percent of population: 78% (2023 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 10,000 (2022 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 11 (2022 est.)


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Military expenditures

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: 4 (2025)

Heliports: 2 (2025)

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 614 (2023)
By type: bulk carrier 24, container ship 109, general cargo 425, oil tanker 6, other 50

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs