Barbados

parliamentary republic; a Commonwealth realm

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

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

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

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

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 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

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

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.)

Barbados Defense Force (BDF): The Barbados Regiment, The Barbados Coast Guard (2025) note 1: 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 note 2: 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

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

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 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)

$5.634 billion (2024 est.) $5.428 billion (2023 est.) $5.214 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

$19,900 (2024 est.) $19,200 (2023 est.) $18,500 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

3.8% (2024 est.) 4.1% (2023 est.) 17.8% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

-0.5% (2024 est.) 9.8% (2023 est.) 4.1% (2019 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

133.2% of GDP (2016 est.) note: central government debt as a % of GDP

$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

$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

7.6% (2024 est.) 7.9% (2023 est.) 8.4% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

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

tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export

sugarcane, chicken, vegetables, milk, eggs, sweet potatoes, pork, coconuts, tropical fruits, pulses (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

total: 304,139 (2024 est.) male: 146,587 female: 157,552

-0.42% (2025 est.)

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)

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

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

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

total population: 79 years (2024 est.) male: 76.3 years female: 81.8 years

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

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.)

petroleum, fish, natural gas

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/

refugees: 13 (2024 est.)

1 (2025)

total: 272 (2023) by type: bulk carrier 90, general cargo 149, oil tanker 5, other 28

total subscriptions: 323,482 (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 115 (2022 est.)

percent of population: 80% (2023 est.)