Reuters AlertNet - Barbados

Barbados

$Small country map\n© Microsoft Virtual Earth$

Capital:	Bridgetown
Area size (Land only):	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

2009	0.3 million	U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) Population Division (2009)
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
0.2 million (2050)
Source: U.N. DESA (2009)

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
96 (2006)
Source: UNESCO

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

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

2007	11 per 1,000 live births	U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) - State of the World's Children 2009
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

2007	12 per 1,000 live births	U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) - State of the World's Children 2009
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)

2005	31	UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004	31	UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003	30	UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002	29	UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001	27	UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000	31	UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Percentage of children under weight for age (under age 5)

2000-2007	No data available percent
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

2003-2005	<5 percent	U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) 2008
2002-2004average	<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

2006	100 percent	UNICEF and WHO 2008
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

2006	99 percent	UNICEF and WHO 2008
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

2007	500 per 1,000 people	International Telecommunication Union (ITU) 2008
2006	500 per 1,000 people	ITU 2008
2005	500 per 1,000 people	ITU 2008
2004	505 per 1,000 people	ITU 2008
2003	500 per 1,000 people	ITU 2008
2002	497 per 1,000 people	ITU 2008
2001	483 per 1,000 people	ITU 2008
2000	465 per 1,000 people	ITU 2008

Cellular telephone subscribers

2007	878 per 1,000 people	ITU 2008
2006	878 per 1,000 people	ITU 2008
2005	765 per 1,000 people	ITU 2008
2004	744 per 1,000 people	ITU 2008
2003	522 per 1,000 people	ITU 2008
2002	363 per 1,000 people	ITU 2008
2001	199 per 1,000 people	ITU 2008
2000	107 per 1,000 people	ITU 2008

Internet users

2007	594 per 1,000 people	ITU 2008
2006	594 per 1,000 people	ITU 2008
2005	594 per 1,000 people	ITU 2008
2004	558 per 1,000 people	ITU 2008
2003	373 per 1,000 people	ITU 2008
2002	112 per 1,000 people	ITU 2008
2001	56 per 1,000 people	ITU 2008
2000	38 per 1,000 people	ITU 2008

Transparency International corruption ranking (Scale: 1 = least corrupt, >175 = most corrupt)

2008	22	Transparency International 2008
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

2006	current US$	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2005	current US$	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2004	current US$	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2003	current US$	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2002	8080 current US$	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2001	8340 current US$	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2000	8480 current US$	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008

The purpose of the Atlas conversion factor is to reduce the impact of exchange rate fluctuations in a cross-country comparison of national incomes. The Atlas conversion factor for any year is the average of a country's exchange rate (or alternative conversion factor) for that year and its exchange rates for the two preceding years.

GDP

2007	No data available current US$ billions
2006	No data available current US$ billions
2005	3.0 current US$ billions	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2004	2.8 current US$ billions	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2003	2.7 current US$ billions	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2002	2.5 current US$ billions	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2001	2.5 current US$ billions	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2000	2.5 current US$ billions	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009

Annual GDP growth

2006	percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2005	percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2004	percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2003	percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2002	-2.1 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2001	-2.1 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2000	2.3 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008

Annual inflation

2006	percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2005	percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2004	percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2003	percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2002	-0.8 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2001	1.7 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2000	0.8 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008

Share of income or consumption (poorest 10 percent)
No data available

Share of income or consumption (richest 10 percent)
No data available

Physicians

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)

2007	1.2 percent	U.N. Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) 2008
2006	1.2 percent	U.N. Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) 2008
2005	1.2 percent	U.N. Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) 2008
2004	1.2 percent	U.N. Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) 2008
2003	1.2 percent	U.N. Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) 2008

Malaria
No risk
Source: WHO

TB cases

2007	4 per 100,000 people	WHO 2009
2006	4 per 100,000 people	WHO 2009
2005	4 per 100,000 people	WHO 2009
2004	4 per 100,000 people	WHO 2009
2003	4 per 100,000 people	WHO 2009
2002	4 per 100,000 people	WHO 2009
2001	4 per 100,000 people	WHO 2009
2000	4 per 100,000 people	WHO 2009

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

2007	38	UNHCR
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

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

AlertNet makes every effort to ensure statistics are updated from the relevant sources as soon as they are available.

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