Barbados People - 2024

Population

303,431 (2023 est.)

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)

2023 population pyramid:

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 49

youth dependency ratio: 25.6

elderly dependency ratio: 23.4

potential support ratio: 4.3 (2021 est.)

Median age

total: 41 years (2023 est.)

male: 39.9 years

female: 42.1 years

Population growth rate

0.24% (2023 est.)

Birth rate

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

Death rate

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

Net migration rate

-0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

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.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 9.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

male: 11.3 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 8.2 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 78.8 years (2023 est.)

male: 76 years

female: 81.6 years

Total fertility rate

1.7 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.85 (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

59.2% (2012)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: N/A

rural: N/A

total: 98.8% of population

unimproved: urban: N/A

rural: N/A

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: N/A

rural: N/A

total: 100% of population

unimproved: urban: N/A

rural: N/A

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

23.1% (2016)

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.)

Tobacco use

total: 8.5% (2020 est.)

male: 15% (2020 est.)

female: 1.9% (2020 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

57.1% (2023 est.)

Education expenditures

6.5% of GDP (2021 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 99.6%

male: 99.6%

female: 99.6% (2014)