Barbados

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.

Land

430 sq km

Total

430 sq km

Water

0 sq km

2.5 times the size of Washington, D.C.

tropical; rainy season (June to October)

97 km

North America

Highest point

Mount Hillaby 336 m

Lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

13 10 N, 59 32 W

easternmost Caribbean island

50 sq km (2012)

Total

0 km

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.)

arable land

16.28%

Forest

14.7% (2023 est.)

Other

62.1% (2023 est.)

permanent crops

2.33%

No

Caribbean, island in the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela

Google Maps

https://goo.gl/maps/2m36v8STvbGAWd9c7

OpenStreetMap

https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/547511

Central America and the Caribbean

Exclusive economic zone

200 nm

Territorial sea

12 nm

infrequent hurricanes; periodic landslides

petroleum, fish, natural gas

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

Caribbean

relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region

UTC-04:00

number of time zones

1

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)

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.)

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

57.2% (2021 est.)

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

adult female

83 per 1,000

adult male

135 per 1,000

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.)

Improved: total

total: 98.5% of population (2022 est.)

Unimproved: total

total: 1.5% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure (% GDP)

3.6% of GDP (2024 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

14.2% national budget (2025 est.)

4 % of GDP

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

0.62 (2025 est.)

5 % of GDP

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

8.1% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

8.7% of national budget (2022 est.)

0.55%

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

Female

8.1 deaths/1,000 live births

Male

11.1 deaths/1,000 live births

neonatal

7 deaths/1,000 live births

Total

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

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

languages

English

number of languages

1

Female

81.8 years

Male

76.3 years

Total population

79 years (2024 est.)

89,000 BRIDGETOWN (capital) (2018)

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

Female

42.5 years

Male

40.3 years

Total

42.2 years (2025 est.)

45 births/1,000 women 15-19

Adjective

Barbadian or Bajan (colloquial)

Noun

Barbadian(s) or Bajan (colloquial)

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

23.1% (2016)

2.96 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Female

157,552

Male

146,587

Total

304,139 (2024 est.)

-0.42% (2025 est.)

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.)

Improved: total

total: 100% of population (2022 est.)

Unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

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.)

Female

1.5% (2025 est.)

Male

11.4% (2025 est.)

Total

6.2% (2025 est.)

1.24 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Rate of urbanization

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

Urban population

31.4% of total population (2023)

measles

88%

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

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 by birth

yes

Citizenship by descent only

yes

Dual citizenship recognized

yes

Residency requirement for naturalization

5 years

svg

https://mainfacts.com/media/images/coats_of_arms/bb.svg

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

alternative spellings

BB

Conventional long form

none

Conventional short form

Barbados

Etymology

the name is the plural of the Spanish word <em>barbado</em> 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

FIFA code

BRB

local long form (eng)

Barbados

Chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charg&eacute; 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

<br>bridgetownpublicaffairs@state.gov<br><br>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&nbsp; 20521-3120

Telephone

(246) 227-4000

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

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

FAX

[1] (202) 332-7467

Telephone

[1] (202) 939-9200

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

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

The flag of Barbados is composed of three equal vertical bands of ultramarine, gold and ultramarine. The head of a black trident is centered in the gold band.

svg

https://flagcdn.com/bb.svg

parliamentary republic; a Commonwealth realm

30 November 1966 (from the UK)

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

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

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

English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts

Legislative structure

bicameral

Legislature name

Parlement de Barbade (Parliament of Barbados)

Note

<strong>note:</strong> 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

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

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

blue, yellow, black

Selected World Heritage Site locales

Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison

Total World Heritage Sites

1 (cultural)

Independence Day, 30 November (1966)

Neptune's trident, pelican, red bird of paradise flower (also known as "Pride of Barbados")

Alliance Party for Progress or APP<br>Barbados Labor Party or BLP<br>Democratic Labor Party or DLP

Monday

18 years of age; universal

Yes

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

note

<b>note:</b> top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Expenditures

$1.664 billion (2015 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Revenues

$1.269 billion (2015 est.)

code

BBD

name

Barbadian dollar (BBD) [$]

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.)

Note

<b>note:</b> balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

<p>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</p>

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.)

Note

<strong>note:</strong> the Barbadian dollar is pegged to the US dollar

Exports 2015

$2.358 billion (2015 est.)

Exports 2016

$2.41 billion (2016 est.)

Exports 2017

$2.228 billion (2017 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

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

note

<b>note:</b> top five export commodities based on value in dollars

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

note

<b>note:</b> top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

net inflows

$303.06 million

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.)

Note

<b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Agriculture

1.9% (2023 est.)

Industry

13.2% (2023 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Services

75.4% (2023 est.)

$7.165 billion (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> data in current dollars at official exchange rate

$26,545

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2016

34.1 (2016 est.)

Note

<strong>note:</strong> index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

$7.2 billion

$25,140

Highest 10%

25.8% (2016 est.)

Lowest 10%

2.5% (2016 est.)

Note

<strong>note:</strong> % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports 2016

$2.238 billion (2016 est.)

Imports 2017

$2.213 billion (2017 est.)

Imports 2021

$2.12 billion (2021 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

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

note

<b>note:</b> top five import commodities based on value in dollars

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

note

<b>note:</b> top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

-1.3% (2023 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export

-0.44%

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.)

Note

<b>note:</b> annual % change based on consumer prices

147,200 (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

total

151,620 persons

agriculture

1.25%

industry

16.17%

services

82.58%

Note

<b>note:</b> central government debt as a % of GDP

Public debt 2016

133.2% of GDP (2016 est.)

$7.01 billion

Note

<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

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.)

2.48%

Note

<b>note:</b> annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

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.)

$24,823

Note

<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

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.)

$85.18 million

Note

<b>note:</b> personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2021

1.6% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

1.4% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

1.3% of GDP (2023 est.)

$1.61 billion

Note

<b>note:</b> holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

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.)

24.9% (of GDP) (2016 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

6.52%

Note

<b>note:</b> % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2022

8.4% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

7.9% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

7.6% (2024 est.)

Female

19.6% (2024 est.)

Male

27.5% (2024 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Total

23.7% (2024 est.)

Exports

4 metric tons (2023 est.)

Imports

57 metric tons (2023 est.)

Consumption

1.025 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Installed generating capacity

320,000 kW (2023 est.)

Transmission/distribution losses

64.586 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Biomass and waste

0.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Fossil fuels

91.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectric

0%

nuclear

0%

renewable

7.33%

Solar

7.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

68.293 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

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.)

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.)

5.5%

per 100 inhabitants

37 per 100

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

37 (2022 est.)

Total

106,000 (2022 est.)

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)

.bb

Percent of population

80% (2023 est.)

BB#####

+1246

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

43 (2022 est.)

Total subscriptions

121,000 (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100

115 per 100

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

115 (2022 est.)

Total subscriptions

323,482 (2022 est.)

1 (2025)

8P

Left

1 (2025)

By type

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

Total

272 (2023)

Key ports

Bridgetown

Large

0

Medium

0

Ports with oil terminals

1

Small

1

Total ports

1 (2024)

Very small

0

BDS

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 <br><br>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)

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

active duty personnel

1,000

note

<strong>note 1: </strong>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<strong><br><br>note 2: </strong>the Barbados Cadet Corps is a national youth organization affiliated with the BDF; membership is open to all school children in Barbados between the ages of 11 and 18

percent of total labor force

0.69 %

approximately 600 active BDF personnel (2025)

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

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.)

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

Refugees

13 (2024 est.)

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/

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.)

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

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

9.8 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

0 % of total land area

7 % of total

80 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

88 % of internal resources

Agricultural

54.8 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Industrial

6.2 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Municipal

20 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Municipal solid waste generated annually

174,800 tons (2024 est.)

Percent of municipal solid waste recycled

10.6% (2022 est.)