Barbados
| Capital: | Bridgetown |
| Area size: | 430 sq. km Approximately three times the size of Washington D.C. Slightly smaller than the Isle of Man |
| Time zone: | GMT -4 |
| Currency: | Barbadian dollar |
| Area code: | (+) 246 |
| Driving: | Left |
| Climate description: | The relatively flat, fertile country has a tropical climate with the peak rain season from June to October. |
People
Standard of living
Economy & aid
Health
Disasters, conflict & migration
Language
English (official) and Creole are spoken.
Source: New Internationalist World Guide
Population
Future population estimates
0.3 million (2050)
Source: U.N. DESA (2006)
Ethnic groups
Some 93 percent of the people of Barbados are of African descent. Europeans make up three percent of the population and another three percent are of mixed descent.
Source: NI World Guide
Religion
Anglican (33 percent), other Protestant faiths (30 percent), Catholic (four percent)
Source: NI World Guide
Percentage urban population
Year women granted right to vote
1950
Source: U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Report
Where two figures are shown, the first refers to a partial recognition of the right to vote and the second to the year women received the right to vote on a universal and equal basis.
Net percentage of girls enrolled in primary education
No data available (2006)
Percentage of population under 15
English (official) and Creole are spoken.
Source: New Internationalist World Guide
Population
| 2007 | 0.3 million | U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) Population Division (2006) |
| 2006 | 0.3 million | U.N. DESA (2006) |
| 2005 | 0.3 million | U.N. DESA (2006) |
| 2004 | 0.3 million | U.N. DESA (2006) |
| 2003 | 0.3 million | U.N. DESA (2006) |
| 2002 | 0.3 million | U.N. DESA (2006) |
| 2001 | 0.3 million | U.N. DESA (2006) |
| 2000 | 0.3 million | U.N. DESA (2006) |
Future population estimates
0.3 million (2050)
Source: U.N. DESA (2006)
Ethnic groups
Some 93 percent of the people of Barbados are of African descent. Europeans make up three percent of the population and another three percent are of mixed descent.
Source: NI World Guide
Religion
Anglican (33 percent), other Protestant faiths (30 percent), Catholic (four percent)
Source: NI World Guide
Percentage urban population
| 2007 | 53.9 percent | U.N. DESA - World Urbanisation Prospects 2005 |
| 2006 | 53.3 percent | U.N. DESA (2005) |
| 2005 | 52.7 percent | U.N. DESA (2005) |
| 2004 | 52.1 percent | U.N. DESA (2005) |
| 2003 | 51.5 percent | U.N. DESA (2005) |
| 2002 | 51.0 percent | U.N. DESA (2005) |
| 2001 | 50.4 percent | U.N. DESA (2005) |
| 2000 | 49.9 percent | U.N. DESA (2005) |
Year women granted right to vote
1950
Source: U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Report
Where two figures are shown, the first refers to a partial recognition of the right to vote and the second to the year women received the right to vote on a universal and equal basis.
Net percentage of girls enrolled in primary education
No data available (2006)
Percentage of population under 15
| 2005 | 18.9 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008 |
| 2004 | 19.3 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2006 |
| 2003 | 19.6 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2002 | 20 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 2001 | 20.5 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2003 |
| 2000 | 20.7 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2002 |
Average life expectancy
Life expectancy - male
Life expectancy - female
Infant mortality
Child mortality - deaths before the age of five
Births attended by skilled personnel
Maternal mortality
Human development index (HDI rank)
Percentage of children under weight for age (under age 5)
Percentage of undernourished population
Food intake falls below the minimum requirement.
Population with access to improved water
Population with access to improved sanitation
Literacy - average
Literacy - male
Literacy - female
Landlines telephones
Cellular telephone subscribers
Internet users
Transparency International corruption ranking (1=least corrupt, 179=most corrupt)
Signatory of International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment for the crime of Genocide
Yes (1948)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report
Signatory of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
No (1984)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report
Signatory of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
Yes (1989)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report
| 2005 | 76.6 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008 |
| 2004 | 75.3 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2006 |
| 2003 | 75.0 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2002 | 77.2 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 2001 | 76.9 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2003 |
| 2000 | 76.8 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2002 |
Life expectancy - male
| 2005 | 73.6 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008 |
| 2004 | 71.7 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2006 |
| 2003 | 71.4 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2002 | 74.4 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 2001 | 74.3 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2003 |
| 2000 | 74.1 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2002 |
Life expectancy - female
| 2005 | 79.3 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008 |
| 2004 | 78.6 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2006 |
| 2003 | 78.5 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2002 | 79.4 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 2001 | 79.3 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2003 |
| 2000 | 79.1 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2002 |
Infant mortality
| 2006 | 11 per 1,000 live births | UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2008 |
| 2005 | 11 per 1,000 live births | U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) - State of the World's Children 2007 |
| 2004 | 10 per 1,000 live births | UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006 |
| 2003 | 11 per 1,000 live births | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2002 | 12 per 1,000 live births | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 2001 | 12 per 1,000 live births | UNDP - Human Development Report 2003 |
| 2000 | 12 per 1,000 live births | UNDP - Human Development Report 2002 |
Child mortality - deaths before the age of five
| 2006 | 12 per 1,000 live births | UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2008 |
| 2005 | 12 per 1,000 live births | UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2007 |
| 2004 | 12 per 1,000 live births | UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006 |
| 2003 | 13 per 1,000 live births | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2002 | 14 per 1,000 live births | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 2000 | 14 per 1,000 live births | UNDP - Human Development Report 2002 |
Births attended by skilled personnel
| 1997-2005 | 100 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008 |
| 1996-2004 | 98 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2006 |
| 1995-2003 | 91 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 1995-2002 | 91 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 1995-2001 | 91 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2003 |
| 1995-2000 | 91 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2002 |
Maternal mortality
| 2005 | 16 per 100,000 live births | UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008 |
| 2000 | 95 per 100,000 live births | UNDP - Human Development Report 2006 |
Human development index (HDI rank)
Percentage of children under weight for age (under age 5)
| 2000-2006 | No data available percent | |
| 1996-2005 | No data available percent | |
| 1996-2004 | No data available percent | |
| 1995-2003 | No data available percent | |
| 1995-2002 | No data available percent | |
| 1995-2001 | 6 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2003 |
| 1995-2000 | No data available percent |
Percentage of undernourished population
| 2002-2004 average | <2.5 percent | U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) 2006 |
| 2001-2003average | <2.5 percent | FAO 2006 |
Food intake falls below the minimum requirement.
Population with access to improved water
| 2004 | 100 percent | UNICEF and World Health Organisation (WHO) 2006 |
| 2002 | 100 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2000 | 100 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
Population with access to improved sanitation
| 2004 | 100 percent | UNICEF and WHO 2006 |
| 2002 | 99 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2000 | 100 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
Literacy - average
| 2004 | 99.0 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2006 |
| 2003 | 99.7 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2002 | 99.7 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 2001 | 99.7 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2003 |
| 2000 | No data available percent |
Literacy - male
| 2004 | No data available percent | |
| 2003 | 99.7 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2002 | 99.7 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 2001 | 99.7 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2003 |
| 2000 | No data available percent |
Literacy - female
| 2004 | No data available percent | |
| 2003 | 99.7 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2002 | 99.7 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 2001 | 99.7 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2003 |
| 2000 | No data available percent |
Landlines telephones
| 2006 | 501 per 1,000 people | International Telecommunication Union (ITU) 2007 |
| 2005 | 501 per 1,000 people | ITU 2007 |
| 2004 | 501 per 1,000 people | ITU 2007 |
| 2003 | 497 per 1,000 people | ITU 2007 |
| 2002 | 494 per 1,000 people | ITU 2007 |
| 2001 | 481 per 1,000 people | ITU 2007 |
| 2000 | 463 per 1,000 people | ITU 2007 |
Cellular telephone subscribers
| 2006 | 767 per 1,000 people | ITU 2007 |
| 2005 | 767 per 1,000 people | ITU 2007 |
| 2004 | 739 per 1,000 people | ITU 2007 |
| 2003 | 519 per 1,000 people | ITU 2007 |
| 2002 | 361 per 1,000 people | ITU 2007 |
| 2001 | 198 per 1,000 people | ITU 2007 |
| 2000 | 106 per 1,000 people | ITU 2007 |
Internet users
| 2006 | 595 per 1,000 people | ITU 2007 |
| 2005 | 595 per 1,000 people | ITU 2007 |
| 2004 | 554 per 1,000 people | ITU 2007 |
| 2003 | 371 per 1,000 people | ITU 2007 |
| 2002 | 112 per 1,000 people | ITU 2007 |
| 2001 | 56 per 1,000 people | ITU 2007 |
| 2000 | 37 per 1,000 people | ITU 2007 |
Transparency International corruption ranking (1=least corrupt, 179=most corrupt)
| 2007 | 23 | Transparency International 2007 |
| 2006 | 24 (joint) | Transparency International |
| 2005 | 24 | Transparency International |
| 2004 | 21 | Transparency International |
| 2003 | Not ranked | |
| 2002 | Not ranked | |
| 2001 | Not ranked | |
| 2000 | Not ranked |
Signatory of International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment for the crime of Genocide
Yes (1948)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report
Signatory of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
No (1984)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report
Signatory of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
Yes (1989)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report
International humanitarian aid flows
Access the Financial Tracking Service, a global real-time database which records all reported humanitarian aid - including that for NGOs, the Red Cross/Crescent Movement, bilateral aid, in-kind aid and private donations - searchable by country.
Source: Financial Tracking Service, ReliefWeb
Percentage of population living on less than US$1 a day
No data available percent
GNI per capita, Atlas method
No data available current US$
GDP
Annual GDP growth
No data available percent
Annual inflation
No data available percent
Share of income or consumption (poorest 10 percent)
No data available
Share of income or consumption (richest 10 percent)
No data available
No data available percent
GNI per capita, Atlas method
No data available current US$
GDP
| 2005 | 3.1 current US$ billions | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
| 2004 | 2.8 current US$ billions | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
| 2003 | 2.7 current US$ billions | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
| 2002 | 2.5 current US$ billions | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
| 2001 | 2.5 current US$ billions | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
| 2000 | 2.5 current US$ billions | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
Annual GDP growth
No data available percent
Annual inflation
No data available percent
Share of income or consumption (poorest 10 percent)
No data available
Share of income or consumption (richest 10 percent)
No data available
Physicians
Percentage HIV+ (adults aged 15-49)
Malaria
No risk
Source: WHO
TB cases
| 2000-2004 | No data available per 100,000 people | |
| 1990-2004 | 121 per 100,000 people | UNDP - Human Development Report 2006 |
| 1990-2003 | 137 per 100,000 people | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 1990-2002 | 121 per 100,000 people | UNDP - Human Development Report 2003 |
Percentage HIV+ (adults aged 15-49)
| 2005 | 1.5 percent | U.N. Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) 2006 |
| 2003 | 1.6 percent | UNAIDS 2006 |
Malaria
No risk
Source: WHO
TB cases
| 2006 | 11 per 100,000 people | WHO 2008 |
| 2005 | 11 per 100,000 people | WHO 2008 |
| 2004 | 11 per 100,000 people | WHO 2008 |
| 2003 | 11 per 100,000 people | WHO 2008 |
| 2002 | 12 per 100,000 people | WHO 2008 |
| 2001 | 12 per 100,000 people | WHO 2008 |
| 2000 | 12 per 100,000 people | WHO 2008 |
Chronology of natural disasters
Access EM-DAT, a database of natural disasters from 1900 to the present - death tolls and numbers of affected people - searchable by country.
Source: Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters, Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium
Number of refugees originating here
Number of refugees residing here
No data available
Number of internally displaced people\Estimate
Landmine casualties per year
Casualty figures may include both civilians and military personnel injured or killed by landmines and unexploded ordnance.
Signatory to landmine convention?
Yes (1997)
Source: Landmine Monitor Report
Percentage of GDP spent on military
No data available percent
Percentage of GDP spent on education
Percentage of GDP spent on health
| 2006 | 27 | Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) |
| 2005 | 8 | UNHCR |
| 2004 | 7 | UNHCR |
| 2003 | No data available | |
| 2002 | No data available | |
| 2001 | No data available | |
| 2000 | No data available |
Number of refugees residing here
No data available
Number of internally displaced people\Estimate
| No data available | |||
Landmine casualties per year
| 2004 | 0 | Landmine Monitor Report 2005 |
| 2003 | 0 | Landmine Monitor Report 2004 |
Casualty figures may include both civilians and military personnel injured or killed by landmines and unexploded ordnance.
Signatory to landmine convention?
Yes (1997)
Source: Landmine Monitor Report
Percentage of GDP spent on military
No data available percent
Percentage of GDP spent on education
| 2002-2005 | 6.9 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008 |
| 2002-2004 | 7.3 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2006 |
| 2000-2002 | 7.6 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 1999-2001 | 6.5 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 1998-2000 | 7.1 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2003 |
Percentage of GDP spent on health
| 2004 | 4.5 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008 |
| 2003-2004 | 4.8 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2006 |
| 2002 | 4.7 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2001 | 4.3 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 2000 | 4.1 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2003 |
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