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.
land: 430 sq km
water: 0 sq km
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
arable land: 25.6% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 2.3% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 4.7% (2018 est.)
forest: 19.4% (2018 est.)
other: 48% (2018 est.)
303,431 (2023 est.)
noun: Barbadian(s) or Bajan (colloquial)
adjective: Barbadian or Bajan (colloquial)
African descent 92.4%, mixed 3.1%, White 2.7%, East Indian 1.3%, other 0.2%, unspecified 0.3% (2010 est.)
English (official), Bajan (English-based creole language, widely spoken in informal settings)
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.)
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)
total dependency ratio: 49
youth dependency ratio: 25.6
elderly dependency ratio: 23.4
potential support ratio: 4.3 (2021 est.)
total: 41 years (2023 est.)
male: 39.9 years
female: 42.1 years
0.24% (2023 est.)
10.7 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
8 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
-0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)
most densely populated country in the eastern Caribbean; approximately one-third live in urban areas
urban population: 31.4% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.46% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
89,000 BRIDGETOWN (capital) (2018)
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: 0.72 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
39 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
total: 9.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
male: 11.3 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 8.2 deaths/1,000 live births
total population: 78.8 years (2023 est.)
male: 76 years
female: 81.6 years
1.7 children born/woman (2023 est.)
0.85 (2023 est.)
59.2% (2012)
improved: urban: NA
rural: NA
total: 98.8% of population
unimproved: urban: NA
rural: NA
total: 2% of population (2020 est.)
7.2% of GDP (2020)
2.49 physicians/1,000 population (2017)
6 beds/1,000 population (2017)
improved: urban: NA
rural: NA
total: 100% of population
unimproved: urban: NA
rural: NA
total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
23.1% (2016)
total: 9.94 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 3.66 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 1.36 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 4.75 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0.17 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
total: 8.5% (2020 est.)
male: 15% (2020 est.)
female: 1.9% (2020 est.)
57.1% (2023 est.)
6.5% of GDP (2021 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.6%
male: 99.6%
female: 99.6% (2014)
pollution of coastal waters from waste disposal by ships; soil erosion; illegal solid waste disposal threatens contamination of aquifers
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
tropical; rainy season (June to October)
agricultural land: 32.6% (2018 est.)
arable land: 25.6% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 2.3% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 4.7% (2018 est.)
forest: 19.4% (2018 est.)
other: 48% (2018 est.)
urban population: 31.4% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.46% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)
0% of GDP (2018 est.)
particulate matter emissions: 9.79 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 1.28 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 2.35 megatons (2020 est.)
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.)
municipal: 20 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
industrial: 10 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
agricultural: 5 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
80 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
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
$3.868 billion (2021 est.)
$3.875 billion (2020 est.)
$4.47 billion (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
-0.19% (2021 est.)
-13.31% (2020 est.)
-0.13% (2019 est.)
$13,800 (2021 est.)
$13,800 (2020 est.)
$16,000 (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
$4.99 billion (2017 est.)
4.1% (2019 est.)
3.67% (2018 est.)
4.66% (2017 est.)
Moody’s rating: Caa1 (2019)
Standard & Poors rating: B- (2019)
note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
agriculture: 1.5% (2017 est.)
industry: 9.8% (2017 est.)
services: 88.7% (2017 est.)comparison rankings:
household consumption: 84.2% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 13.4% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 17.6% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 0.2% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 31.6% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -47% (2017 est.)
sugar cane, poultry, vegetables, milk, eggs, pork, coconuts, pulses, sweet potatoes, tropical fruit
tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export
-0.6% (2021 est.)
139,100 (2021 est.)
10.41% (2021 est.)
10.38% (2020 est.)
8.41% (2019 est.)
total: 30.6% (2021 est.)
male: 34.8%
female: 25.6%
NA
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA
revenues: $1.271 billion (2020 est.)
expenditures: $1.483 billion (2020 est.)
-4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
146.93% of GDP (2016 est.)
149.1% of GDP (2016 est.)
27.48% (of GDP) (2016 est.)
1 April - 31 March
-$296.396 million (2017 est.)
-$452.39 million (2016 est.)
$357 million (2021 est.)
$550 million (2017 est.)
$516.9 million (2016 est.)
note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.
United States 20%, Jamaica 12%, Guyana 8%, Trinidad and Tobago 7%, Italy 6% (2021)
rums and liquors, ships, packaged medicines, cement, paper labels (2021)
$2.12 billion (2021 est.)
$2.213 billion (2017 est.)
$1.541 billion (2016 est.)
United States 33%, Guyana 13%, China 11%, Trinidad and Tobago 6%, United Kingdom 4% (2021)
refined petroleum, crude petroleum, shipping containers, cars, ships, packaged medicines (2021)
$1.673 billion (31 December 2021 est.)
$1.358 billion (31 December 2020 est.)
$772.119 million (31 December 2019 est.)
$4.49 billion (2010 est.)
$668 million (2003 est.)
Barbadian dollars (BBD) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
2 (2021 est.)
2 (2020 est.)
2 (2019 est.)
2 (2018 est.)
2 (2017 est.)
note: the Barbadian dollar is pegged to the US dollar
electrification - total population: 100% (2021)
installed generating capacity: 311,000 kW (2020 est.)
consumption: 1 billion kWh (2019 est.)
exports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
imports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 20 million kWh (2019 est.)comparison rankings:
fossil fuels: 95.9% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
solar: 4.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
total petroleum production: 1,000 bbl/day (2021 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 10,800 bbl/day (2019 est.)
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.)
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
10,630 bbl/day (2015 est.)
production: 14.923 million cubic meters (2019 est.)
consumption: 20.954 million cubic meters (2019 est.)
exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
imports: 6.031 million cubic meters (2019 est.)
proven reserves: 113 million cubic meters (2021 est.)
1.703 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 1.662 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 41,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
83.723 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
8P
1 (2021)
1
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.)
33 km gas, 64 km oil, 6 km refined products (2013)
total: 1,700 km (2015)
paved: 1,700 km (2015)
total: 195 (2022)
by type: bulk carrier 61, general cargo 114, other 20
major seaport(s): Bridgetown
manyapis