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Physical geography
Relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region.
Local timeBridgetown ·
North America / Caribbean · Card 005
Barbados
Barbados is a country in Caribbean. Its capital is Bridgetown.
Find Barbados
● 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
- Bridgetown
- Languages
- English
- Currency
- Barbadian dollar (BBD)
- Population
- 282,6232025 · World Bank
- Area
- 430 km²166.02 square miles
- Independence
- 1966from the UK
Barbados in context
North America and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Bridgetown; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include English.
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Location
Caribbean, island in the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela.
Flag
Three equal vertical bands of ultramarine blue (left side), gold, and ultramarine blue with a black trident head centered on the gold band
History & independence
British settlement began in 1627, and sugar plantations relied on enslaved Africans. Slavery was abolished in 1834. A gradual expansion of representative government led to negotiated independence on 30 November 1966. Barbados became a republic in 2021 while remaining in the Commonwealth.
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Slavery is abolished
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Independence from Britain
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Barbados becomes a republic
Economy
Main activities
Tourism, international business, financial services and construction are major activities. Sugar and rum remain part of production and exports, but services have overtaken the plantation economy. Imports and external visitor demand strongly influence the economy.
Industry and production
tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Thousands of people282.62025 · 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 | 249,387 | 249.387 |
| 1980 | 251,524 | 251.524 |
| 1990 | 258,582 | 258.582 |
| 2000 | 262,063 | 262.063 |
| 2010 | 275,243 | 275.243 |
| 2020 | 281,698 | 281.698 |
| 2025 | 282,623 | 282.623 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars6.52025 · 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 | 5,162,651,814 | 5.163 |
| 1991 | 4,961,313,183 | 4.961 |
| 1992 | 4,678,889,398 | 4.679 |
| 1993 | 4,715,996,212 | 4.716 |
| 1994 | 4,810,824,619 | 4.811 |
| 1995 | 4,907,714,546 | 4.908 |
| 1996 | 5,102,868,634 | 5.103 |
| 1997 | 5,344,749,893 | 5.345 |
| 1998 | 5,544,026,980 | 5.544 |
| 1999 | 5,562,580,408 | 5.563 |
| 2000 | 5,809,958,899 | 5.810 |
| 2001 | 5,672,526,404 | 5.673 |
| 2002 | 5,717,191,970 | 5.717 |
| 2003 | 5,841,568,396 | 5.842 |
| 2004 | 5,924,027,851 | 5.924 |
| 2005 | 6,158,350,231 | 6.158 |
| 2006 | 6,532,195,764 | 6.532 |
| 2007 | 6,668,012,107 | 6.668 |
| 2008 | 6,710,251,325 | 6.710 |
| 2009 | 6,373,579,532 | 6.374 |
| 2010 | 5,858,548,339 | 5.859 |
| 2011 | 5,854,200,642 | 5.854 |
| 2012 | 5,686,889,314 | 5.687 |
| 2013 | 5,697,997,060 | 5.698 |
| 2014 | 5,743,998,435 | 5.744 |
| 2015 | 5,699,619,150 | 5.700 |
| 2016 | 5,780,344,251 | 5.780 |
| 2017 | 5,818,185,598 | 5.818 |
| 2018 | 5,803,518,806 | 5.804 |
| 2019 | 5,817,511,078 | 5.818 |
| 2020 | 4,804,919,086 | 4.805 |
| 2021 | 5,190,267,688 | 5.190 |
| 2022 | 6,017,872,512 | 6.018 |
| 2023 | 6,127,048,645 | 6.127 |
| 2024 | 6,333,343,264 | 6.333 |
| 2025 | 6,504,343,546 | 6.504 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.811Very High human developmentRank 69 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.730
20000.762
20100.797
20200.803
20230.811
76.2 yearsLife expectancy at birth
9.9 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 republic. A President is head of state and a Prime Minister heads the government. Parliament comprises an elected House of Assembly and an appointed Senate. Barbados became a republic in 2021.
Knowledge check
Three questions about Barbados.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
In which year did this event occur in Barbados: Independence from Britain?
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.