Antigua and Barbuda

total: 10,000 (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 11 (2022 est.)

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 20 radio stations (2024)

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percent of population: 78% (2023 est.)

total subscriptions: 27,000 (2021 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 29 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions: 186,182 (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 201 (2022 est.)

tropical fruits, milk, mangoes/guavas, eggs, lemons/limes, pumpkins/squash, sweet potatoes, vegetables, cucumbers/gherkins, yams (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

revenues: $251.418 million (2014 est.) expenditures: $266.044 million (2014 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

-$181.366 million (2024 est.) -$271.047 million (2023 est.) -$291.674 million (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

dual island-tourism and construction-driven economy; emerging blue economy ; limited water supply and susceptibility to hurricanes limit activity; improving road infrastructure; friendly to foreign direct investment; looking at financial innovation in cryptocurrency and blockchain technologies

East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - 2.7 (2024 est.) 2.7 (2023 est.) 2.7 (2022 est.) 2.7 (2021 est.) 2.7 (2020 est.)

$1.314 billion (2024 est.) $1.185 billion (2023 est.) $1.111 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

refined petroleum, ships, soybean meal, shellfish, paintings (2023) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Suriname 29%, Poland 21%, USA 8%, Dominican Republic 7%, Australia 5% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

$2.225 billion (2024 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

agriculture: 1.9% (2023 est.) industry: 19% (2023 est.) services: 69.1% (2023 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

$1.282 billion (2024 est.) $1.273 billion (2023 est.) $1.227 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

ships, refined petroleum, cars, plastic products, furniture (2023) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

USA 43%, Poland 6%, China 5%, UK 4%, Germany 4% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

1% (2023 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

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

6.2% (2024 est.) 5.1% (2023 est.) 7.5% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

86.2% of GDP (2016 est.)

$2.772 billion (2024 est.) $2.657 billion (2023 est.) $2.594 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

4.3% (2024 est.) 2.4% (2023 est.) 9.1% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

$29,600 (2024 est.) $28,500 (2023 est.) $27,900 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

1.2% of GDP (2024 est.) 1.7% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.9% of GDP (2022 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

$358.441 million (2024 est.) $364.367 million (2023 est.) $396.506 million (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

imports: 25 metric tons (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity: 148,000 kW (2023 est.) consumption: 322.923 million kWh (2023 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 38.121 million kWh (2023 est.)

electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)

fossil fuels: 93.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) solar: 6.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

110.114 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption: 5,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

725,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 725,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation

limited natural freshwater resources; water management hampered by tree-clearing to increase crop production, causing rapid rainfall runoff

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

agricultural land: 20.5% (2023 est.) arable land: 9.1% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 2.3% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 9.1% (2023 est.) forest: 18% (2023 est.) other: 61.5% (2023 est.)

8.3 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

52 million cubic meters (2022)

municipal: 7.2 million cubic meters (2022 est.) industrial: 2.5 million cubic meters (2022 est.) agricultural: 1.8 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

urban population: 24.3% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.87% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually: 30,600 tons (2024 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 15.3% (2022 est.)

total : 443 sq km (Antigua 280 sq km; Barbuda 161 sq km) land: 443 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Redonda, 1.6 sq km

2.5 times the size of Washington, D.C.

tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation

153 km

highest point: Mount Obama 402 m lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m

17 03 N, 61 48 W

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

1.3 sq km (2012)

total: 0 km

agricultural land: 20.5% (2023 est.) arable land: 9.1% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 2.3% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 9.1% (2023 est.) forest: 18% (2023 est.) other: 61.5% (2023 est.)

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

Central America and the Caribbean

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

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

NEGL; pleasant climate fosters tourism

the island of Antigua is home to approximately 97% of the population; nearly the entire population of Barbuda lives in Codrington

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

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

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) etymology: named after Saint John the Apostle

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

history: several previous; latest presented 31 July 1981, effective 31 October 1981 (The Antigua and Barbuda Constitution Order 1981) amendment process: proposed by either house of Parliament; passage of amendments to constitutional sections such as citizenship, fundamental rights and freedoms, the establishment, power, and authority of the executive and legislative branches, the Supreme Court Order, and the procedure for amending the constitution requires approval by at least two-thirds majority vote of the membership of both houses, approval by at least two-thirds majority in a referendum, and assent to by the governor general; passage of other amendments requires only two-thirds majority vote by both houses

conventional long form: Antigua and Barbuda conventional short form: Antigua and Barbuda etymology: antiguo is Spanish for "ancient" or "old;" Christopher COLUMBUS named the island in 1493, after the church of Santa Maria la Antigua (Old Saint Mary's) in Seville, Spain; barbuda is Spanish for "bearded" and may refer to the island's lichen-covered fig trees

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

chief of mission: Ambassador Sir Ronald SANDERS (since 17 September 2015) chancery: 3216 New Mexico Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 362-5122 FAX: [1] (202) 362-5225 email address and website: embantbar@aol.com https://www.antigua-barbuda.org/Aghome01.htm consulate(s) general: Miami, New York

chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); 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 election/appointment process: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister; following legislative elections, the governor general usually appoints the leader of the majority party or majority coalition as prime minister

description: red, with an inverted isosceles triangle in the center that spans the flag from top to bottom; the triangle contains three horizontal bands of black (top), light blue, and white, with a yellow rising sun in the black band meaning: the sun stands for the dawn of a new era, black for the African heritage of most of the population, blue for hope, and red for the dynamism of the people; the "V" shape of the triangle stands for victory; the yellow, blue, and white colors are also meant to evoke the country's tourist attractions of sun, sea, and sand

parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

1 November 1981 (from the UK)

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

ACP, ACS, 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

highest court(s): the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC is headquartered on St. Lucia and consists of the Court of Appeal -- headed by the chief justice and 4 judges -- and the High Court with 18 judges; the Court of Appeal travels to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts judge selection and term of office: chief justice of Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court appointed by the British monarch; 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

common law based on the English model

legislature name: Parliament legislative structure: bicameral

chamber name: House of Representatives number of seats: 18 (all directly elected) electoral system: plurality/majority scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 5 years most recent election date: 1/18/2023 parties elected and seats per party: Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) (9); United Progressive Party (UPP) (6); Barbuda People's Movement (BPM) (1); Independents (1); (1); Republican Force (1) percentage of women in chamber: 5.6% expected date of next election: January 2028

chamber name: Senate number of seats: 17 (all appointed) scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 5 years most recent election date: 2/17/2023 percentage of women in chamber: 41.2% expected date of next election: February 2028

title: "Fair Antigua, We Salute Thee" lyrics/music: Novelle Hamilton RICHARDS/Walter Garnet Picart CHAMBERS history: adopted 1967 _____ title: "God Save the King" lyrics/music: unknown history: royal anthem, as a Commonwealth country

red, white, blue, black, yellow

total World Heritage Sites: 1 (cultural) selected World Heritage Site locales: Antigua Naval Dockyard (Nelson's Dockyard)

Independence Day, 1 November (1981)

fallow deer

Antigua Labor Party or ABLP Barbuda People's Movement or BPM Democratic National Alliance or DNA Go Green for Life or GGL United Progressive Party or UPP

18 years of age; universal

The Siboney were the first people to inhabit the islands of Antigua and Barbuda in 2400 B.C., but the Arawaks populated the islands when Christopher COLUMBUS landed on his second voyage in 1493. Early Spanish and French settlements were succeeded by an English colony in 1667. Slavery, which provided labor on the sugar plantations on Antigua, was abolished in 1834. The islands became an independent state within the British Commonwealth of Nations in 1981. In 2017, Hurricane Irma passed over the island of Barbuda, devastating the island and forcing the evacuation of the population to Antigua. Almost all of the structures on Barbuda were destroyed and the vegetation stripped, but Antigua was spared the worst.

the ABDF s responsibilities include providing for internal security and support to the police in maintaining law and order, interdicting narcotics smuggling, responding to natural disasters, and monitoring the country s territorial waters and maritime resources; established in 1981 from colonial forces originally created in 1897, it is one of the world s smallest militaries the country has been a member of the Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS) since its creation in 1982; RSS signatories (Barbados, 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 (2025)

Antigua and Barbuda Defense Force (ABDF): Antigua and Barbuda Regiment, Air Wing, Coast Guard Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda (RPFAB) (2025)

approximately 300 active Defense Force personnel (2025)

the ABDF's equipment inventory is limited to small arms, light weapons, and soft-skin vehicles; the Coast Guard maintains ex-US patrol vessels and some smaller boats (2025)

18-23 years of age for voluntary military service for both men and women; no conscription (2025)

0-14 years: 21.8% (male 11,384/female 11,034) 15-64 years: 67.6% (male 32,312/female 37,094) 65 years and over: 10.5% (2024 est.) (male 4,615/female 6,195)

total: 11.88 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 2.97 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 3.95 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 4.55 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 0.41 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

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

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

total dependency ratio: 47.9 (2024 est.) youth dependency ratio: 32.3 (2024 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 15.6 (2024 est.) potential support ratio: 6.4 (2024 est.)

urban: 98.4% of population (2022 est.) rural: 98.3% of population (2022 est.) total: 98.4% of population (2022 est.) urban: 1.6% of population (2022 est.) rural: 1.7% of population (2022 est.) total: 1.6% of population (2022 est.)

3.1% of GDP (2023 est.) 5.9% national budget (2025 est.)

African descent 87.3%, mixed 4.7%, Hispanic 2.7%, White 1.6%, other 2.7%, unspecified 0.9% (2011 est.) note: data represent population by ethnic group

0.94 (2025 est.)

5.9% of GDP (2021) 14% of national budget (2022 est.)

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

total: 13.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 16.4 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.7 deaths/1,000 live births

English (official), Antiguan Creole (an English-based creole)

total population: 78.3 years (2024 est.) male: 76.1 years female: 80.5 years

21,000 SAINT JOHN'S (capital) (2018)

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

total: 34.1 years (2025 est.) male: 31.9 years female: 35.7 years

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

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

18.9% (2016)

2.92 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

total: 102,634 (2024 est.) male: 48,311 female: 54,323

the island of Antigua is home to approximately 97% of the population; nearly the entire population of Barbuda lives in Codrington

1.09% (2025 est.)

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.)

urban: 95.4% of population (2022 est.) rural: 98% of population (2022 est.) total: 97.4% of population (2022 est.) urban: 4.6% of population (2022 est.) rural: 2% of population (2022 est.) total: 2.6% of population (2022 est.)

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.87 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female total population: 0.89 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

1.92 children born/woman (2025 est.)

urban population: 24.3% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.87% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

refugees: 5 (2024 est.)

4 (2025)

V2

2 (2025)

total: 614 (2023) by type: bulk carrier 24, container ship 109, general cargo 425, oil tanker 6, other 50

total ports: 1 (2024) large: 0 medium: 1 small: 0 very small: 0 ports with oil terminals: 1 key ports: St. John's