Barbados People - 2023

Population

303,431 (2023 est.)

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Nationality

noun: Barbadian(s) or Bajan (colloquial)

adjective: Barbadian or Bajan (colloquial)

Ethnic groups

African descent 92.4%, mixed 3.1%, White 2.7%, East Indian 1.3%, other 0.2%, unspecified 0.3% (2010 est.)

Languages

English (official), Bajan (English-based creole language, widely spoken in informal settings)

Religions

Protestant 66.4% (includes Anglican 23.9%, other Pentecostal 19.5%, Adventist 5.9%, Methodist 4.2%, Wesleyan 3.4%, Nazarene 3.2%, Church of God 2.4%, Baptist 1.8%, Moravian 1.2%, other Protestant 0.9%), Roman Catholic 3.8%, other Christian 5.4% (includes Jehovah's Witness 2.0%, other 3.4%), Rastafarian 1%, other 1.5%, none 20.6%, unspecified 1.2% (2010 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 16.78% (male 25,456/female 25,465)

15-64 years: 67.56% (male 100,884/female 104,114)

65 years and over: 15.66% (2023 est.) (male 19,967/female 27,545)

total dependency ratio: 49

youth dependency ratio: 25.6

elderly dependency ratio: 23.4

potential support ratio: 4.3 (2021 est.)

Median age

total: 39.5 years

male: 38.4 years

female: 40.7 years (2020 est.)

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Population growth rate

0.24% (2023 est.)

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Birth rate

10.73 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

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Death rate

8.03 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

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Net migration rate

-0.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

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Population distribution

most densely populated country in the eastern Caribbean; approximately one-third live in urban areas

Urbanization

urban population: 31.4% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 0.46% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas - population

89,000 BRIDGETOWN (capital) (2018)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.01 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female

total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

39 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

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Infant mortality rate

total: 9.79 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 11.33 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 8.23 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

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Life expectancy at birth

total population: 78.79 years

male: 76.04 years

female: 81.57 years (2023 est.)

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Total fertility rate

1.7 children born/woman (2023 est.)

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Gross reproduction rate

0.85 (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

59.2% (2012)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: NA

rural: NA

total: 98.8% of population

unimproved: urban: NA

rural: NA

total: 2% of population (2020 est.)

Current health expenditure

7.2% of GDP (2020)

Physicians density

2.49 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

Hospital bed density

6 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: NA

rural: NA

total: 100% of population

unimproved: urban: NA

rural: NA

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

23.1% (2016)

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Alcohol consumption per capita

total: 9.94 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer: 3.66 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine: 1.36 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits: 4.75 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols: 0.17 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

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Tobacco use

total: 8.5% (2020 est.)

male: 15% (2020 est.)

female: 1.9% (2020 est.)

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Children under the age of 5 years underweight

3.5% (2012)

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Currently married women (ages 15-49)

57.1% (2023 est.)

Education expenditures

6.5% of GDP (2021 est.)

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Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 99.6%

male: 99.6%

female: 99.6% (2014)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 30.6%

male: 34.8%

female: 25.6% (2021 est.)

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NOTE: The information regarding Barbados on this page is re-published from the 2023 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Barbados 2023 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Barbados 2023 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.