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Communications

Broadcast media [time series]

state-controlled Antigua and Barbuda Broadcasting Service (ABS) operates 1 TV station; multi-channel cable TV subscription services are available; ABS operates 1 radio station; roughly 15 radio stations, some broadcasting on multiple frequencies (2007)

Internet country code [time series]

.ag

Internet users [time series]

total: 81,900 | percent of population: 89.7% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 174

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 3, FM 17, shortwave 0 (2008)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

general assessment: good automatic telephone system | domestic: fixed-line teledensity roughly 40 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity is some 200 per 100 persons | international: country code - 1-268; landing points for the East Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) and the Global Caribbean Network (GCN) submarine cable systems with links to other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad; satellite earth stations - 2; tropospheric scatter to Saba (Netherlands) and Guadeloupe (France) (2011)

Telephones - fixed lines [time series]

total subscriptions: 32,400 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 35 (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 172

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

total: 109,100 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 120 (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 189

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

2 (1997)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

cotton, fruits, vegetables, bananas, coconuts, cucumbers, mangoes, sugarcane; livestock

Budget [time series]

revenues: $240.3 million | expenditures: $206.7 million (2014 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) [time series]

2.7% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 16

Central bank discount rate [time series]

6.5% (31 December 2010) | 6.5% (31 December 2009) | country comparison to the world: 49

Commercial bank prime lending rate [time series]

10.1% (31 December 2014 est.) | 9.95% (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 83

Current account balance [time series]

-$181 million (2014 est.) | -$176 million (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 91

Debt - external [time series]

$441.2 million (31 December 2012) | $458 million (June 2010) | country comparison to the world: 182

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

Tourism continues to dominate Antigua and Barbuda's economy, accounting for nearly 60% of GDP and 40% of investment. The dual-island nation's agricultural production is focused on the domestic market and constrained by a limited water supply and a labor shortage stemming from the lure of higher wages in tourism and construction. Manufacturing comprises enclave-type assembly for export with major products being bedding, handicrafts, and electronic components. Prospects for economic growth in the medium term will continue to depend on tourist arrivals from the US, Canada, and Europe and potential damages from natural disasters. After taking office in 2004, the SPENCER government adopted an ambitious fiscal reform program and was successful in reducing its public debt-to-GDP ratio from approximately 130% in 2010 to 89% in 2012. In 2009, Antigua's economy was severely hit by the global economic crisis and suffered from the collapse of its largest private sector employer, a steep decline in tourism, a rise in debt, and a sharp economic contraction between 2009 and 2011. Antigua has not yet returned to its pre-crisis growth levels.

Exchange rates [time series]

East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - | 2.7 (2014 est.) | 2.7 (2013 est.) | 2.7 (2012 est.) | 2.7 (2011 est.) | 2.7 (2010 est.)

Exports [time series]

$59.8 million (2014 est.) | $64.2 million (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 199

Exports - commodities [time series]

petroleum products, bedding, handicrafts, electronic components, transport equipment, food and live animals

Fiscal year [time series]

1 April - 31 March

GDP (official exchange rate) [time series]

$1.248 billion (2014 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP (purchasing power parity)) [time series]

$2.032 billion (2014 est.) | $1.95 billion (2013 est.) | $1.92 billion (2012 est.) | note: data are in 2014 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 194

GDP - composition, by end use [time series]

GDP - composition, by sector of origin [time series]

agriculture: 2.3% | industry: 17.9% | services: 79.8% (2014 est.)

Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita (PPP)) [time series]

$23,000 (2014 est.) | $22,100 (2013 est.) | $21,700 (2012 est.) | note: data are in 2014 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 79

Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]

4.2% (2014 est.) | 1.5% (2013 est.) | 3.6% (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 75

Gross national saving [time series]

10.6% of GDP (2014 est.) | 8.8% of GDP (2013 est.) | 7.5% of GDP (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 146

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: NA% | highest 10%: NA%

Imports [time series]

$469.5 million (2014 est.) | $494.4 million (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 194

Imports - commodities [time series]

food and live animals, machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, oil

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

1% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 136

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

1.1% (2014 est.) | 1.1% (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 67

Labor force [time series]

30,000 (1991) | country comparison to the world: 206

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

agriculture: 7% | industry: 11% | services: 82% (1983)

Population below poverty line [time series]

NA%

Public debt [time series]

89% of GDP (2012 est.) | 130% of GDP (2010 est.) | country comparison to the world: 23

Stock of broad money [time series]

$1.116 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $1.077 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 168

Stock of domestic credit [time series]

$1.037 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $1.081 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 156

Stock of narrow money [time series]

$234.1 million (31 December 2014 est.) | $221.2 million (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 178

Taxes and other revenues [time series]

19.3% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 169

Unemployment rate [time series]

11% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 121

Energy

Carbon dioxide emissions (Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy) [time series]

586,400 Mt (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 178

Crude oil - exports [time series]

0 bbl/day (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 93

Crude oil - imports [time series]

0 bbl/day (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 151

Crude oil - production [time series]

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 103

Crude oil - proved reserves [time series]

0 bbl (1 January 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 103

Electricity - consumption [time series]

293 million kWh (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 179

Electricity - exports [time series]

0 kWh (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 96

Electricity - from fossil fuels [time series]

100% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 1

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants [time series]

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 214

Electricity - from nuclear fuels [time series]

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 35

Electricity - from other renewable sources [time series]

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 149

Electricity - imports [time series]

0 kWh (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 113

Electricity - installed generating capacity [time series]

55,000 kW (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 186

Electricity - production [time series]

315 million kWh (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 174

Natural gas - consumption [time series]

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 115

Natural gas - exports [time series]

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 52

Natural gas - imports [time series]

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 151

Natural gas - production [time series]

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 153

Natural gas - proved reserves [time series]

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 108

Refined petroleum products - consumption [time series]

4,900 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 169

Refined petroleum products - exports [time series]

174.8 bbl/day (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 119

Refined petroleum products - imports [time series]

5,077 bbl/day (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 160

Refined petroleum products - production [time series]

0 bbl/day (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 151

Geography

Area [time series]

total: 442.6 sq km (Antigua 280 sq km; Barbuda 161 sq km) | land: 442.6 sq km | water: 0 sq km | note: includes Redonda, 1.6 sq km | country comparison to the world: 201

Area - comparative [time series]

2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate [time series]

tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation

Coastline [time series]

153 km

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m | highest point: Boggy Peak 402 m

Environment - current issues [time series]

water management - a major concern because of limited natural freshwater resources - is further hampered by the clearing of trees to increase crop production, causing rainfall to run off quickly

International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling | signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Total water withdrawal (Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)) [time series]

total: 0.01 cu km/yr (63%/21%/15%) | per capita: 97.67 cu m/yr (2005)

Geographic coordinates [time series]

17 03 N, 61 48 W

Geography - note [time series]

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

Irrigated land [time series]

1.3 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries [time series]

0 km

Land use [time series]

agricultural land: 20.5% | arable land 9.1%; permanent crops 2.3%; permanent pasture 9.1% | forest: 22.3% | other: 57.2% (2011 est.)

Location [time series]

Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico

Map references [time series]

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims [time series]

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

Natural hazards [time series]

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

Natural resources [time series]

NEGL; pleasant climate fosters tourism

Terrain [time series]

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

Total renewable water resources [time series]

0.05 cu km (2011)

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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

Capital [time series]

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)

Citizenship [time series]

citizenship by birth: yes | citizenship by descent: yes | dual citizenship recognized: yes | residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years

Constitution [time series]

several previous; latest presented 31 July 1981, effective 31 October 1981 (Antigua and Barbuda Constitutional Order 1981); amended 2009, 2011 (2015)

Country name [time series]

conventional long form: none | conventional short form: Antigua and Barbuda | etymology: "antiguo" is Spanish for "ancient" or "old"; the island was discovered by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1493 and, according to tradition, named by him after the the church of Santa Maria la Antigua (Old Saint Mary's) in Seville; "barbuda" is Spanish for "bearded" and the adjective may refer to the alleged beards of the indigenous people or to the island's bearded-fig trees

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

the US does not have an embassy in Antigua and Barbuda; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Antigua and Barbuda

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Sir Ronald SANDERS (since 17 September 2015) | chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 | telephone: [1] (202) 362-5122 | FAX: [1] (202) 362-5525 | consulate(s) general: Miami, New York

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); 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 | elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the governor general

Flag (Flag description) [time series]

red, with an inverted isosceles triangle based on the top edge of the flag; the triangle contains three horizontal bands of black (top), light blue, and white, with a yellow rising sun in the black band; the sun symbolizes the dawn of a new era, black represents the African heritage of most of the population, blue is for hope, and red is for the dynamism of the people; the "V" stands for victory; the successive yellow, blue, and white coloring is also meant to evoke the country's tourist attractions of sun, sea, and sand

Government type [time series]

constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of government and a Commonwealth realm

Independence [time series]

1 November 1981 (from the UK)

International law organization participation [time series]

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation [time series]

ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch [time series]

highest court(s): the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the itinerant superior court of record for the 9-member Organization of Eastern Caribbean States to include Antigua and Barbuda; the ECSC - headquartered on St. Lucia - is headed by the chief justice and is comprised of the Court of Appeal with 3 justices and the High Court with 16 judges; sittings of the Court of Appeal and High Court rotate among the 9 member states; 2 High Court judges reside on Antigua and Barbuda | judge selection and term of office: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court Chief Justice appointed by the Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62 | subordinate courts: Industrial Court; Magistrates' Courts

Legal system [time series]

common law based on the English model

Legislative branch [time series]

description: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (17 seats; members appointed by the governor general) and the House of Representatives (17 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms) | elections: House of Representatives - last held on 12 June 2014 (next to be held in 2019) | election results: percent of vote by party - ALP 56.4% UPP 42%; seats by party - ALP 14, UPP 3

National anthem(s) (National anthem) [time series]

name: "Fair Antigua, We Salute Thee" | lyrics/music: Novelle Hamilton RICHARDS/Walter Garnet Picart CHAMBERS | note: adopted 1967; as a Commonwealth country, in addition to the national anthem, "God Save the Queen" serves as the royal anthem (see United Kingdom)

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day (National Day), 1 November (1981)

National symbol(s) [time series]

fallow deer; national colors: red, white, blue, black, yellow

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

Antigua Labor Party or ALP [Gaston BROWNE] | Barbuda People's Movement or BPM [Trevor WALKER] | Barbuda People's Movement for Change [Arthur NIBBS] | Barbudans for a Better Barbuda [Ordrick SAMUEL] | United Progressive Party or UPP [W. Baldwin SPENCER] (a coalition of three parties - Antigua Caribbean Liberation Movement or ACLM, Progressive Labor Movement or PLM, United National Democratic Party or UNDP)

Political parties (Political pressure groups and leaders) [time series]

Antigua Trades and Labor Union or ATLU [Wigley GEORGE] | People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Hugh MARSHALL]

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Introduction

Background [time series]

The Siboney were the first people to inhabit the islands of Antigua and Barbuda in 2400 B.C., but Arawak Indians populated the islands when COLUMBUS landed on his second voyage in 1493. Early Spanish and French settlements were succeeded by an English colony in 1667. Slavery, established to run the sugar plantations on Antigua, was abolished in 1834. The islands became an independent state within the British Commonwealth of Nations in 1981.

Military

Manpower available for military service [time series]

males age 16-49: 21,141 | females age 16-49: 24,056 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service [time series]

males age 16-49: 17,676 | females age 16-49: 19,960 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually [time series]

male: 806 | female: 799 (2010 est.)

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

Ministry of National Security, Royal Antigua and Barbuda Defense Force (includes Antigua and Barbuda Coast Guard) (2012)

Military service age and obligation [time series]

18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; Governor-General has powers to call up men for national service and set the age at which they could be called up (2012)

People and Society

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 23.85% (male 11,203/female 10,847) | 15-24 years: 16.89% (male 7,751/female 7,861) | 25-54 years: 42.47% (male 17,939/female 21,319) | 55-64 years: 9.23% (male 3,859/female 4,672) | 65 years and over: 7.56% (male 3,004/female 3,981) (2015 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

15.85 births/1,000 population (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 123

Death rate [time series]

5.69 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 173

Dependency ratios [time series]

total dependency ratio: 45.7% | youth dependency ratio: 35.2% | elderly dependency ratio: 10.4% | potential support ratio: 9.6% (2015 est.)

Drinking water source [time series]

Education expenditure (Education expenditures) [time series]

2.6% of GDP (2009) | country comparison to the world: 159

Ethnic groups [time series]

black 87.3%, mixed 4.7%, hispanic 2.7%, white 1.6%, other 2.7%, unspecified 0.9% (2011 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]

HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]

Health expenditure (Health expenditures) [time series]

4.9% of GDP (2013) | country comparison to the world: 134

Hospital bed density [time series]

2.1 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Infant mortality rate [time series]

total: 12.87 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 14.82 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 10.82 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 117

Languages [time series]

English (official), Antiguan creole

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 76.33 years | male: 74.23 years | female: 78.53 years (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 87

Literacy [time series]

definition: age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling | total population: 99% | male: 98.4% | female: 99.4% (2012 est.)

Major urban areas - population [time series]

SAINT JOHN'S (capital) 22,000 (2014)

Median age [time series]

total: 31.4 years | male: 29.6 years | female: 32.9 years (2015 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun: Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s) | adjective: Antiguan, Barbudan

Net migration rate [time series]

2.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 47

Obesity - adult prevalence rate [time series]

31% (2014) | country comparison to the world: 52

Population [time series]

92,436 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 198

Population growth rate [time series]

1.24% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 95

Religions [time series]

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.)

Sanitation facility access [time series]

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) [time series]

total: 14 years | male: 13 years | female: 15 years (2012)

Sex ratio [time series]

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.02 children born/woman (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 120

Urbanization [time series]

urban population: 23.8% of total population (2015) | rate of urbanization: -0.95% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international [time series]

none

Illicit drugs [time series]

considered a minor transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; more significant as an offshore financial center

Trafficking in persons [time series]

current situation: Antigua and Barbuda is a destination and transit country for adults and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor; forced prostitution has been reported in bars, taverns, and brothels, while forced labor occurs in domestic service and the retail sector | tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List – Antigua and Barbuda does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government made no discernible progress in convicting traffickers in 2014 but charged two individuals in separate cases; efforts to convict traffickers have been impeded by a 2014 ruling that found the 2010 anti-trafficking act was unconstitutional because jurisdiction rests with the Magistrate’s Court rather than the High Court; no new prosecutions, convictions, or punishments were recorded in 2014; credible sources have raised concerns about trafficking-related complicity among some off-duty police officers, which could hinder investigations or victims willingness to report offenses; prevention efforts were sustained, but progress in protecting victims was uneven; seven victims were assisted, which was an increase over 2013 (2015)

Transportation

Airports [time series]

3 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 193

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 2 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 | under 914 m: 1 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]

total: 1 | 1 (2013)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 1,257 | by type: bulk carrier 49, cargo 753, carrier 6, chemical tanker 4, container 407, liquefied gas 12, refrigerated cargo 7, roll on/roll off 17, vehicle carrier 2 | foreign-owned: 1,215 (Albania 1, Colombia 1, Denmark 20, Estonia 10, Germany 1094, Greece 4, Iceland 10, Latvia 16, Lithuania 3, Mexico 1, Netherlands 17, Norway 9, NZ 2, Poland 2, Russia 3, Switzerland 7, Turkey 7, UK 1, US 7) (2010) | country comparison to the world: 9

Ports (Ports and terminals) [time series]

major seaport(s): Saint John's

Roadways [time series]

total: 1,170 km | paved: 386 km | unpaved: 784 km (2011) | country comparison to the world: 183