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Communications

Broadband - fixed subscriptions [time series]

total: 89,340 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 31 (2017 est.)

Broadcast media [time series]

government-owned Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) operates the lone terrestrial TV station; CBC also operates a multi-channel cable TV subscription service; roughly a dozen radio stations, consisting of a CBC-operated network operating alongside privately owned radio stations

Internet country code [time series]

.bb

Internet users [time series]

total: 231,883 | percent of population: 79.5% (July 2016 est.)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

general assessment: island-wide automatic telephone system; telecom sector across the Caribbean region remains one of the key growth areas; numerous competitors licensed, but small and localized (2018) | domestic: fixed-line teledensity of roughly 48 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone density about 116 per 100 persons (2018) | international: country code - 1-246; landing points for the ECFS and Southern Caribbean Fiber submarine cable with links to 15 other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad and Puerto Ricco; satellite earth stations - 1 (Intelsat - Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Trinidad and Saint Lucia (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines [time series]

total subscriptions: 139,645 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 48 (2017 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

total subscriptions: 337,791 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 116 (2017 est.)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

sugarcane, vegetables, cotton

Budget [time series]

revenues: 1.466 billion (2013 est.) (2017 est.) | expenditures: 1.664 billion (2017 est.)

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

-4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Central bank discount rate [time series]

7% (2017) | 7% (31 December 2016)

Commercial bank prime lending rate [time series]

8.1% (31 December 2017 est.) | 8.05% (31 December 2016 est.)

Current account balance [time series]

-$189 million (2017 est.) | -$206 million (2016 est.)

Debt - external [time series]

$4.49 billion (2010 est.) | $668 million (2003 est.)

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

Barbados is the wealthiest and one of the most developed countries in the Eastern Caribbean and enjoys one of the highest per capita incomes in the region. Historically, the Barbadian economy was dependent on sugarcane cultivation and related activities. However, in recent years the economy has diversified into light industry and tourism. Offshore finance and information services are important foreign exchange earners, boosted by being in the same time zone as eastern US financial centers and by a relatively highly educated workforce. Following the 2008-09 recession, external vulnerabilities such as fluctuations in international oil prices have hurt economic growth, raised Barbados' already high public debt to GDP ratio - which stood at 105% of GDP in 2016 - and cut into its international reserves.

Exchange rates [time series]

Barbadian dollars (BBD) per US dollar - | 2 (2017 est.) | 2 (2016 est.) | 2 (2015 est.) | 2 (2014 est.) | 2 (2013 est.) | note: the Barbadian dollar is pegged to the US dollar

Exports [time series]

$485.4 million (2017 est.) | $516.9 million (2016 est.)

Exports - commodities [time series]

manufactures, sugar, molasses, rum, other foodstuffs and beverages, chemicals, electrical components

Exports - partners [time series]

US 38%, Trinidad and Tobago 10.2%, Guyana 5.5%, Jamaica 5%, China 4.8%, St. Lucia 4.6% (2017)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 April - 31 March

GDP (official exchange rate) [time series]

$4.99 billion (2017 est.)

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

$5.218 billion (2017 est.) | $5.227 billion (2016 est.) | $5.111 billion (2015 est.) | note: data are in 2017 dollars

GDP - composition, by end use [time series]

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.)

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

agriculture: 1.5% (2017 est.) | industry: 9.8% (2017 est.) | services: 88.7% (2017 est.)

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

$18,600 (2017 est.) | $18,700 (2016 est.) | $18,300 (2015 est.) | note: data are in 2017 dollars

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

-0.2% (2017 est.) | 2.3% (2016 est.) | 2.2% (2015 est.)

Gross national saving [time series]

7.2% of GDP (2017 est.) | 11.8% of GDP (2016 est.) | 10.8% of GDP (2015 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: NA | highest 10%: NA

Imports [time series]

$1.52 billion (2017 est.) | $1.541 billion (2016 est.)

Imports - commodities [time series]

consumer goods, machinery, foodstuffs, construction materials, chemicals, fuel, electrical components

Imports - partners [time series]

US 38.5%, Trinidad and Tobago 14.6%, China 7.1%, UK 4.7% (2017)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

2.4% (2017 est.)

Industries [time series]

tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

4.4% (2017 est.) | 1.5% (2016 est.)

Labor force [time series]

144,000 (2017 est.)

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

agriculture: 10% | industry: 15% | services: 75% (1996 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares [time series]

$4.495 billion (31 December 2012 est.) | $4.571 billion (31 December 2011 est.) | $4.366 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

Population below poverty line [time series]

Public debt [time series]

157.3% of GDP (2017 est.) | 149.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold [time series]

$264.5 million (31 December 2017 est.) | $341.8 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of broad money [time series]

$2.47 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $2.381 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of domestic credit [time series]

$6.184 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $5.871 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of narrow money [time series]

$2.47 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $2.381 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Taxes and other revenues [time series]

29.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate [time series]

10.1% (2017 est.) | 9.9% (2016 est.)

Energy

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

1.76 million Mt (2017 est.)

Crude oil - exports [time series]

674 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - imports [time series]

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - production [time series]

1,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves [time series]

2.534 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity - consumption [time series]

990 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - exports [time series]

0 kWh (2017 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels [time series]

93% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants [time series]

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels [time series]

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources [time series]

7% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - imports [time series]

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity [time series]

269,000 kW (2016 est.)

Electricity - production [time series]

1.01 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity access [time series]

electrification - total population: 100% (2016)

Natural gas - consumption [time series]

19.82 million cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - exports [time series]

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - imports [time series]

5.653 million cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - production [time series]

14.16 million cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves [time series]

141.6 million cu m (1 January 2018 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption [time series]

11,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports [time series]

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports [time series]

10,630 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production [time series]

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

total: 430 sq km | land: 430 sq km | water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative [time series]

2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate [time series]

tropical; rainy season (June to October)

Coastline [time series]

97 km

Elevation [time series]

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m | highest point: Mount Hillaby 336 m

Environment - current issues [time series]

pollution of coastal waters from waste disposal by ships; soil erosion; illegal solid waste disposal threatens contamination of aquifers

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

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

Geographic coordinates [time series]

13 10 N, 59 32 W

Geography - note [time series]

easternmost Caribbean island

Irrigated land [time series]

50 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries [time series]

0 km

Land use [time series]

agricultural land: 32.6% (2016 est.) | arable land: 25.6% (2016 est.) / permanent crops: 2.3% (2016 est.) / permanent pasture: 4.7% (2016 est.) | forest: 19.4% (2016 est.) | other: 48% (2016 est.)

Location [time series]

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

Map references [time series]

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims [time series]

territorial sea: 12 nm | exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards [time series]

infrequent hurricanes; periodic landslides

Natural resources [time series]

petroleum, fish, natural gas

Population distribution [time series]

most densely populated country in the eastern Caribbean; approximately one-third live in urban areas

Terrain [time series]

relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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

Capital [time series]

name: Bridgetown | geographic coordinates: 13 06 N, 59 37 W | time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) | etymology: named after a bridge constructed over the swampy area (known as the Careenage) around the Constitution River that flows through the center of Bridgetown

Citizenship [time series]

citizenship by birth: yes | citizenship by descent only: yes | dual citizenship recognized: yes | residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Constitution [time series]

history: adopted 22 November 1966, effective 30 November 1966 | amendments: 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; amended several times, last in 2010 (2018)

Country name [time series]

conventional long form: none | conventional short form: Barbados | etymology: the name derives from the Portuguese "as barbadas," which means "the bearded ones" and can refer either to the long, hanging roots of the island's bearded fig trees or to the alleged beards of the native Carib inhabitants

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Linda S. TAGLIALATELA (since 1 February 2016) note - also accredited to Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | telephone: [1] (246) 227-4000 | embassy: Wildey Business Park, Wildey, St. Michael BB 14006, Barbados, W.I. | mailing address: P. O. Box 302, Bridgetown BB 11000; (Department Name) Unit 3120, DPO AA 34055 | FAX: [1] (246) 431-0179

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

Ambassador Selwin Charles HART (since 18 January 2017) | chancery: 2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 | telephone: [1] (202) 939-9200 | FAX: [1] (202) 332-7467 | consulate(s) general: Miami, New York

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Sandra MASON (since 8 January 2018) | head of government: Prime Minister Mia MOTTLEY (since 25 May 2018) | cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister | elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of the majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; the prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister

Flag (Flag description) [time series]

three equal vertical bands of ultramarine blue (hoist side), gold, and ultramarine blue with the head of a black trident centered on the gold band; the band colors represent the blue of the sea and sky and the gold of the beaches; the trident head represents independence and a break with the past (the colonial coat of arms contained a complete trident)

Government type [time series]

parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

Independence [time series]

30 November 1966 (from the UK)

International law organization participation [time series]

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation [time series]

ACP, 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

Judicial branch [time series]

highest courts: 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; note - in 2005, Barbados acceded to the Caribbean Court of Justice as the final court of appeal, replacing that of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) | judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister and opposition leader of Parliament; other justices appointed by the governor general 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 governor general appointees recommended by the prime minister; justices serve until mandatory retirement at age 65 | subordinate courts: Magistrates' Courts

Legal system [time series]

English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts

Legislative branch [time series]

description: bicameral Parliament consists of: Senate (21 seats; members appointed by the governor general - 12 on the advice of the Prime Minister, 2 on the advice of the opposition leader, and 7 at the discretion of the governor general) House of Assembly (30 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms) | elections: Senate - last appointments on 5 June 2018 (next appointments NA) House of Assembly - last held on 24 May 2018 (next to be held in 2023) | election results: Senate - appointed; composition - men 16, women 5, percent of women 23.8% House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - BLP 74.6%, DLP 22.6%, other 2.8%; seats by party - BLP 30; composition - men 24, women 6, percent of women 20%; note - total Parliament percent of women 21.6% | note: tradition dictates that the 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

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

name: The National Anthem of Barbados | lyrics/music: Irving BURGIE/C. Van Roland EDWARDS | note: adopted 1966; the anthem is also known as "In Plenty and In Time of Need"

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 30 November (1966)

National symbol(s) [time series]

Neptune's trident, pelican, Red Bird of Paradise flower (also known as Pride of Barbados); national colors: blue, yellow, black

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

Bajan Free Party [Alex MITCHELL] Barbados Integrity Movement [Neil HOLDER] Barbados Labor Party or BLP [Mia MOTTLEY] Democratic Labor Party or DLP [Freundel STUART] People’s Democratic Congress [Mark ADAMSON] People's Empowerment Party or PEP [David COMISSIONG] Solutions Barbados [Grenville PHILLIPS II] United Progressive Party or UPP [Lynette EASTMOND]

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Introduction

Background [time series]

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.

Military and Security

Military and security forces [time series]

Royal Barbados Defense Force: The Barbados Regiment, The Barbados Coast Guard (2019)

Military service age and obligation [time series]

18 years of age for voluntary military service, or earlier with parental consent; no conscription (2013)

People and Society

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 17.8% (male 26,084 /female 26,090) | 15-24 years: 12.53% (male 18,236 /female 18,479) | 25-54 years: 43.69% (male 63,829 /female 64,249) | 55-64 years: 13.62% (male 18,888 /female 21,043) | 65 years and over: 12.36% (male 14,705 /female 21,528) (2018 est.) | population pyramid: The World Factbook Field Image Modal × Central America :: Barbados Print Image Description This is the population pyramid for Barbados. A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends. For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page under the References tab.

Birth rate [time series]

11.6 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight [time series]

3.5% (2012)

Contraceptive prevalence rate [time series]

59.2% (2012)

Current health expenditure (Current Health Expenditure) [time series]

7% (2016)

Death rate [time series]

8.6 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Dependency ratios [time series]

total dependency ratio: 50.4 (2015 est.) | youth dependency ratio: 29.1 (2015 est.) | elderly dependency ratio: 21.3 (2015 est.) | potential support ratio: 4.7 (2015 est.)

Drinking water source [time series]

Education expenditure (Education expenditures) [time series]

4.7% of GDP (2017)

Ethnic groups [time series]

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]

1.5% (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]

<100 (2018 est.)

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

3,000 (2018 est.)

Hospital bed density [time series]

5.8 beds/1,000 population (2014)

Infant mortality rate [time series]

total: 10 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.) | male: 11.1 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 8.9 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 75.7 years (2018 est.) | male: 73.3 years | female: 78.1 years

Literacy [time series]

definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 99.6% | male: 99.6% | female: 99.6% (2014)

Major infectious diseases [time series]

note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus

Major urban areas - population [time series]

89,000 BRIDGETOWN (capital) (2018)

Maternal mortality ratio (Maternal mortality rate) [time series]

27 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median age [time series]

total: 38.9 years (2018 est.) | male: 37.8 years | female: 40.1 years

Nationality [time series]

noun: Barbadian(s) or Bajan (colloquial) | adjective: Barbadian or Bajan (colloquial)

Net migration rate [time series]

-0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate [time series]

23.1% (2016)

Physician density (Physicians density) [time series]

2.49 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

Population [time series]

293,131 (July 2018 est.)

Population distribution [time series]

most densely populated country in the eastern Caribbean; approximately one-third live in urban areas

Population growth rate [time series]

0.26% (2018 est.)

Religions [time series]

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.)

Sanitation facility access [time series]

improved: urban: 96.2% of population (2015 est.) | rural: 96.2% of population (2015 est.) | total: 96.2% of population (2015 est.) | unimproved: urban: 3.8% of population (2015 est.) | rural: 3.8% of population (2015 est.) | total: 3.8% of population (2015 est.)

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

total: 15 years | male: 14 years | female: 17 years (2011)

Sex ratio [time series]

Total fertility rate [time series]

1.68 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) (Unemployment, youth ages 15-24) [time series]

total: 29.6% | male: 27.9% | female: 31.5% (2016 est.)

Urbanization [time series]

urban population: 31.2% of total population (2019) | rate of urbanization: 0.2% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international [time series]

Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago abide by the April 2006 Permanent Court of Arbitration decision delimiting a maritime boundary and limiting catches of flying fish in Trinidad and Tobago's exclusive economic zone; joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which permits Venezuela to extend its Economic Exclusion Zone/continental shelf over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea

Illicit drugs [time series]

one of many Caribbean transshipment points for narcotics bound for Europe and the US; offshore financial center

Transportation

Airports [time series]

1 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 1 (2019) | over 3,047 m: 1

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix [time series]

8P (2016)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 121 | by type: bulk carrier 21, general cargo 82, other 18 (2018)

Pipelines [time series]

33 km gas, 64 km oil, 6 km refined products (2013)

Ports (Ports and terminals) [time series]

major seaport(s): Bridgetown

Roadways [time series]

total: 1,700 km (2015) | paved: 1,700 km (2015)