Barbados
Region Latin America & CaribbeanIncome High incomeCapital BridgetownISO3 BRB
Human development
0.811
HDI, 0–1 scale
GDP per capita
22,127.4PPP $
2021 international $
Life expectancy
76.3yrs
At birth
Governance
71.5/100
Avg. of six WGI
Governance
Control of Corruption
- Control of Corruption72.7Ranked 28th▲ 2· 2024
- Government Effectiveness63.1Ranked 61st▲ 2· 2024
- Political Stability & Absence of Violence87.6Ranked 11th▼ 1· 2024
- Rule of Law69.5Ranked 51st▼ 1· 2024
- Regulatory Quality61.8Ranked 60th▼ 3· 2024
- Voice & Accountability74.2Ranked 36th—· 2024
- Women in parliament26.7%Ranked 84th▲ 1· 2025
- V-Dem electoral democracy0.8Ranked 22nd▼ 7· 2025
- V-Dem liberal democracy0.68Ranked 30th▼ 2· 2025
- Human rights index (V-Dem)0.92Ranked 16th▼ 1· 2025
- Civil liberties index (V-Dem)0.92Ranked 16th▼ 1· 2025
- Freedom of expression index (V-Dem)0.91Ranked 20th▲ 4· 2025
- Participatory democracy index (V-Dem)0.35Ranked 69th▲ 6· 2025
- Deliberative democracy index (V-Dem)0.71Ranked 18th▼ 2· 2025
- Egalitarian democracy index (V-Dem)0.68Ranked 26th▲ 2· 2025
- Women's political empowerment index (V-Dem)0.9Ranked 24th▼ 3· 2025
- Rule of law index (V-Dem)0.93Ranked 24th▼ 4· 2025
Economy
World Bank (WDI)CC BY 4.0updated 2027UNDP (HDRO)CC BY 3.0 IGOupdated 2027
GDP
- GDP8.02BRanked 149th▼ 9· 2025
- GDP per capita, PPP22,127.4Ranked 78th▼ 9· 2025
- GDP growth2.7%Ranked 116th▲ 14· 2025
- Inflation0.85%Ranked 30th▼ 5· 2025
- Unemployment6.5%Ranked 118th▲ 3· 2025
- FDI net inflows4%Ranked 59th▼ 15· 2024
- Tax revenue23.4%Ranked 22nd▼ 16· 2016
- Current account balance-5.1%Ranked 131st▼ 18· 2017
- Government expenditure28.8%Ranked 53rd▼ 1· 2016
- Personal remittances received1.5%Ranked 106th▲ 28· 2017
- High-technology exports19.9%Ranked 28th▼ 6· 2024
- Youth unemployment18.5%Ranked 126th▲ 1· 2025
- Agricultural employment1.2%Ranked 167th—· 2025
- Vulnerable employment18.8%Ranked 66th—· 2025
- Agriculture value added1.6%Ranked 152nd▼ 1· 2024
- Industry value added12.2%Ranked 166th▼ 3· 2024
- GDP per capita (nominal)28,364.8Ranked 45th▼ 8· 2025
- GNI per capita (PPP)17,327.5Ranked 89th—· 2023
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled)6.8%Ranked 124th▲ 3· 2027
- Youth unemployment rate (ILO modelled)19.2%Ranked 130th—· 2027
- Labour force participation rate64.1%Ranked 70th▲ 2· 2027
- Employment-to-population ratio59.7%Ranked 73rd▲ 2· 2027
- Total factor productivity (current PPPs, USA=1)0.39Ranked 102nd▼ 2· 2019
- Human capital index2.8Ranked 68th▲ 2· 2019
- Capital stock per worker221,198.8Ranked 64th—· 2019
Life expectancy
- Life expectancy76.3Ranked 96th▲ 3· 2024
- Infant mortality9.1Ranked 46th▼ 4· 2024
- Maternal mortality35Ranked 28th▼ 4· 2023
- Health spending5.4%Ranked 120th▲ 14· 2023
- Physicians3Ranked 50th▼ 5· 2022
- Basic sanitation access98.1%Ranked 54th▲ 2· 2024
- Basic drinking water access99.2%Ranked 48th▼ 1· 2024
- Undernourishment4.4%Ranked 11th▲ 2· 2023
- Measles immunization88%Ranked 12th▲ 1· 2024
- Tuberculosis incidence1Ranked 7th▲ 4· 2024
- Road traffic deaths8.2Ranked 33rd▲ 2· 2019
- Suicide mortality rate3.5Ranked 37th▼ 8· 2021
- PM2.5 air pollution exposure10.9Ranked 53rd▲ 5· 2023
- Child mortality0.98Ranked 47th▼ 1· 2024
- Daily caloric supply per capita3,117.9Ranked 69th▼ 2· 2023
- Stunting prevalence (under 5)7.7%Ranked 7th· 2012
- Wasting prevalence (under 5)6.8%Ranked 27th· 2012
- Overweight prevalence (under 5)12.2%Ranked 33rd· 2012
- DTP3 immunization coverage94%Ranked 6th▼ 9· 2024
- Measles (MCV1) immunization coverage88%Ranked 12th▲ 1· 2024
- Under-5 mortality rate9.8Ranked 74th—· 2024
Education
World Bank (WDI)CC BY 4.0updated 2025UNDP (HDRO)CC BY 3.0 IGOupdated 2025
Secondary enrollment
- Secondary enrollment104.4%Ranked 26th▼ 19· 2024
- Education spending3.6%Ranked 30th▼ 28· 2024
- Adult literacy99.3%Ranked 1st· 1970
- Primary enrollment83.9%Ranked 123rd▼ 22· 2024
- Tertiary enrollment50.8%Ranked 5th▼ 40· 2025
- Primary completion rate85.3%Ranked 87th▼ 3· 2024
- Expected years of schooling16.6Ranked 33rd—· 2023
- Mean years of schooling9.9Ranked 96th—· 2023
Demography
World Bank (WDI)CC BY 4.0updated 2050
Population
- Population282,623Ranked 179th—· 2025
- Population growth0.06%Ranked 167th▼ 8· 2025
- Urban population59.7%Ranked 115th—· 2025
- Fertility rate1.7Ranked 127th▲ 5· 2024
- Crude birth rate11.1Ranked 131st▼ 4· 2024
- Median age of population38.9Ranked 54th▲ 1· 2023
- Total age dependency ratio50.6Ranked 147th▼ 5· 2023
- Net migration rate-0.28Ranked 116th▼ 5· 2023
- Projected population in 2050 (medium)264.2Ranked 183rd· 2050
- Projected life expectancy in 2050 (medium)80.3Ranked 95th· 2050
Electricity access
- Electricity access100%Ranked 1st—· 2024
- Renewable energy share5.5%Ranked 49th▼ 95· 2022
- Forest area14.7%Ranked 143rd—· 2023
- CO₂ per capita4.8Ranked 66th▼ 3· 2024
- CO₂ emissions1.37MRanked 163rd—· 2024
- Renewable electricity9%Ranked 142nd▼ 4· 2024
- Electricity from coal0%Ranked 1st—· 2024
- Electricity from solar9%Ranked 44th—· 2024
- Electricity from wind0%Ranked 104th▼ 1· 2024
- Electricity from hydro0%Ranked 144th▼ 3· 2024
- Power-sector CO2 intensity594.6Ranked 137th▼ 1· 2024
- Total GHG emissions incl. LULUCF4Ranked 34th▲ 2· 2023
- GHG emissions per capita14.1Ranked 173rd▲ 1· 2023
Deaths in armed conflicts
- Deaths in armed conflicts0Ranked 1st—· 2025
- INFORM risk score2.2Ranked 11th· 2026
- Hazard & exposure3.2Ranked 27th· 2026
- Vulnerability1.3Ranked 5th· 2026
- Lack of coping capacity2.5Ranked 17th· 2026
- Natural hazard & exposure4.4Ranked 31st· 2026
- Human hazard & exposure1.9Ranked 19th· 2026
- Socio-economic vulnerability2Ranked 21st· 2026
- Vulnerable groups0.5Ranked 3rd· 2026
- Lack of institutional coping capacity3.2Ranked 15th· 2026
- Lack of infrastructure coping capacity1.7Ranked 14th· 2026
Society
World Bank (WDI)CC BY 4.0updated 2027UNDP (HDRO)CC BY 3.0 IGOupdated 2027
Gini index
- Gini index34.1Ranked 33rd· 2016
- Extreme poverty1.7%Ranked 17th· 2016
- Internet users70.4%Ranked 117th▲ 1· 2024
- Homicide rate7.4Ranked 61st▼ 25· 2023
- Female labor participation61%Ranked 44th—· 2025
- Fixed broadband subscriptions37.5Ranked 28th▼ 2· 2022
- Human Development Index0.81Ranked 55th▼ 2· 2023
- Gender Inequality Index0.3Ranked 69th▲ 7· 2023
- Gender Development Index1Ranked 3rd—· 2023
- Inequality-adjusted HDI0.62Ranked 70th—· 2023
- Youth NEET rate26.4%Ranked 142nd—· 2027
- Poverty headcount at $2.15/day0.01Ranked 75th▲ 3· 2026
- Poverty headcount at $3.65/day0.02Ranked 73rd▼ 4· 2026
- Poverty headcount at $6.85/day0.09Ranked 92nd▼ 3· 2026
- Poverty gap at $2.15/day0.01Ranked 125th▼ 1· 2026
- Refugees hosted (by country of asylum)5Ranked 159th—· 2025
- Refugees originating (by country of origin)577Ranked 64th▲ 6· 2025
- Asylum seekers722Ranked 68th▲ 12· 2025