01
Physical geography
Mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands, with some higher volcanic areas.
Local timeSaint John's ·
North America / Caribbean · Card 002
Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua and Barbuda is a country in Caribbean. Its capital is Saint John's.
Find Antigua and Barbuda
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Saint John's
- Languages
- English
- Currency
- Eastern Caribbean dollar (XCD)
- Population
- 94,2092025 · World Bank
- Area
- 442 km²170.66 square miles
- Independence
- 1981from the UK
Antigua and Barbuda in context
North America and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Saint John's; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include English.
03
Location
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico.
Flag
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
History & independence
After Indigenous settlement, European colonization established a plantation economy based on enslaved African labor. Slavery was abolished in 1834. Constitutional changes and negotiations with Britain led to independence on 1 November 1981. Hurricane Irma severely damaged Barbuda in 2017.
-
Slavery is abolished
-
Independence from Britain
-
Hurricane Irma devastates Barbuda
Economy
Main activities
Tourism and the construction and services that support it are major economic activities. Agriculture, fishing and business services also contribute. Limited freshwater and exposure to hurricanes affect development.
Industry and production
tourism, construction, light manufacturing (clothing, alcohol, household appliances)
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Thousands of people94.22025 · thousands of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Thousands of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 64,528 | 64.528 |
| 1980 | 64,513 | 64.513 |
| 1990 | 63,066 | 63.066 |
| 2000 | 74,912 | 74.912 |
| 2010 | 85,320 | 85.320 |
| 2020 | 91,846 | 91.846 |
| 2025 | 94,209 | 94.209 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars1.82025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 830,360,010 | 0.830 |
| 1991 | 848,435,720 | 0.848 |
| 1992 | 858,265,279 | 0.858 |
| 1993 | 903,580,714 | 0.904 |
| 1994 | 963,907,436 | 0.964 |
| 1995 | 921,883,147 | 0.922 |
| 1996 | 982,773,021 | 0.983 |
| 1997 | 1,036,543,047 | 1.037 |
| 1998 | 1,085,584,792 | 1.086 |
| 1999 | 1,125,835,518 | 1.126 |
| 2000 | 1,195,677,312 | 1.196 |
| 2001 | 1,141,296,595 | 1.141 |
| 2002 | 1,153,020,391 | 1.153 |
| 2003 | 1,223,085,251 | 1.223 |
| 2004 | 1,293,621,842 | 1.294 |
| 2005 | 1,377,366,903 | 1.377 |
| 2006 | 1,552,404,720 | 1.552 |
| 2007 | 1,697,014,056 | 1.697 |
| 2008 | 1,696,776,362 | 1.697 |
| 2009 | 1,493,793,051 | 1.494 |
| 2010 | 1,376,672,105 | 1.377 |
| 2011 | 1,349,706,642 | 1.350 |
| 2012 | 1,395,234,173 | 1.395 |
| 2013 | 1,386,849,062 | 1.387 |
| 2014 | 1,417,336,053 | 1.417 |
| 2015 | 1,437,485,185 | 1.437 |
| 2016 | 1,496,714,858 | 1.497 |
| 2017 | 1,537,316,640 | 1.537 |
| 2018 | 1,640,501,408 | 1.641 |
| 2019 | 1,692,541,753 | 1.693 |
| 2020 | 1,373,179,832 | 1.373 |
| 2021 | 1,485,407,940 | 1.485 |
| 2022 | 1,611,634,393 | 1.612 |
| 2023 | 1,673,932,146 | 1.674 |
| 2024 | 1,716,457,420 | 1.716 |
| 2025 | 1,802,246,649 | 1.802 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.851Very High human developmentRank 53 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
20100.828
20200.840
20230.851
77.6 yearsLife expectancy at birth
11.6 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
A parliamentary constitutional monarchy. A Governor-General represents the monarch, a Prime Minister leads the government, and Parliament comprises an elected House of Representatives and an appointed Senate.
Knowledge check
Three questions about Antigua and Barbuda.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
In which year did this event occur in Antigua and Barbuda: Hurricane Irma devastates Barbuda?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.