Population
282k persons, 1 July latest value, 2023
Population on 1 July. UN estimate to 2023, medium variant from 2024; past UN revisions for forecast checks.
Barbados
All indicators of the Macroscope base for Barbados, with sources. Below: what past UN and IMF releases projected and what actually happened.
GDP per capita, PPP
22,127
constant 2021 international $, 2025
What the data shows
Computed with the same code as the observations under the main chart and in the API (get_insights). Moving together in time does not prove a cause.
How the indicators changed
- Fertility (TFR): 4.47 in 1950 → 1.71 in 2023 (−62%). Peak: 4.71 in 1960; the latest value is 64% lower. Threshold: below 2.1 since 1978. The trend broke around 1964 and 1979: −0.02 → −0.17 → 0 a year.
- Births: 7.27k in 1950 → 3.16k in 2023 (−57%). Peak: 8.08k in 1960; the latest value is 61% lower. The trend broke around 1965 and 1978: +0.02k → −0.26k → −0.03k a year.
- Population: 210k in 1950 → 282k in 2023 (+34%). The trend broke around 1967: change slowed down (+2.06k → +0.52k a year).
- Internet: 0% in 1990 → 70.4% in 2024 (+70 pp). Thresholds: above 10% since 2001, above 50% since 2005. Fastest growth in 2000–2005: 4% → 52.5%.
- Urban share: 40.4% in 1960 → 59.7% in 2025 (+19 pp). Threshold: above 50% since 1973. The trend broke around 1970 and 1979: +0.45 → +2.2 → −0.13 a year.
- GDP per person (PPP): 19,196 PPP dollars in 1990 → 22,127 PPP dollars in 2025 (+15%). Low: 16,400 PPP dollars in 2020; +35% since then. The trend broke around 2007 and 2016: +331 → −469 → +261 a year.
- GDP growth: on average 1.8% in the 1980s, 0.5% in the 1990s, 1.4% in the 2000s, −0.3% in the 2010s, 2.3% in the 2020s. Lowest: −17.4% in 2020; highest: 15.9% in 2022.
- Inflation: on average 7.3% in the 1980s, 3.0% in the 1990s, 3.7% in the 2000s, 3.3% in the 2010s, 2.0% in the 2020s. Lowest: −1.3% in 1998; highest: 18.5% in 1980.
What changed at the same time
- The fastest decline of "Fertility (TFR)" was in 1966–1976: 4.14 → 2.24. Over the same years: births 7.66k → 4.66k; population 245k → 251k; urban share 42.6% → 58.1%; no data for the others in those years.
- Over the last 10 years (2013–2023): fertility (TFR) 1.73 → 1.71; births 3.34k → 3.16k; population 278k → 282k; internet 71.8% → 69.7%; urban share 59.2% → 59.4%; GDP per person (PPP) 19,730 PPP dollars → 20,865 PPP dollars; GDP growth 0.2% → 1.8%; inflation 1.8% → 3.2%.
How the indicators relate
- Fertility (TFR) and internet (1990–2023, 30 years): levels are barely related (r = −0.23); year-to-year changes show no reliable link (r = −0.42). Changes line up best with a 3 years shift: "Fertility (TFR)" moves first, then "Internet" (r = 0.72).
- Fertility (TFR) and urban share (1960–2023, 64 years): levels are strongly related, in opposite directions (r = −0.96); year-to-year changes are weakly related (r = −0.27).
- Fertility (TFR) and GDP per person (PPP) (1990–2023, 34 years): levels are barely related (r = 0.15); year-to-year changes show no reliable link (r = 0.02).
Forecasts vs actual
- Fertility (TFR): past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 3 of 11 revisions (1998–2022) and above in 8; median gap +5%.
- The UN 1998 projection expected this level (1.71) already around 2017: reality is 6 years behind it.
- The UN 2006 projection expected today's level (1.71, 2023) only around 2031: reality is 8 years ahead of it.
- Fertility (TFR): UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 1.68 (−2% vs 2023), 2100 — 1.66 (−3% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 1.16.
- Births: past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 4 of 11 revisions (1998–2022) and above in 7; median gap +6.7%.
- The UN 2006 projection expected this level (3.16k) already around 2011: reality is 12 years behind it.
- Births: UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 2.48k (−21% vs 2023), 2100 — 1.59k (−50% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 0.5k.
- Population: past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 8 of 12 revisions (1998–2022) and above in 4; median gap −1.4%.
- Population: UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 264k (−6% vs 2023), 2100 — 195k (−31% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 124k.
- GDP growth: IMF next-year forecasts (34 editions, 2007–2023). On average the outcome was 2.1 pp below the forecast; below it in 79% of cases; typical error ±3.3 pp. The biggest miss was for 2020: IMF, April 2019 expected 0.6%, the outcome was −17.4%.
- GDP growth: latest IMF forecast (IMF, April 2026): 2025 — 2.7%, 2027 — 2.2%, 2031 — 2%.
- Inflation: IMF next-year forecasts (36 editions, 2007–2024). On average the outcome was 0.1 pp below the forecast; below it in 61% of cases; typical error ±2.2 pp. The biggest miss was for 2011: IMF, October 2010 expected 3.6%, the outcome was 9.4%.
- Inflation: latest IMF forecast (IMF, April 2026): 2026 — 2.3%, 2028 — 2.2%, 2031 — 2.4%.
UN projections vs actual
Solid line: actual data, UN WPP 2024 estimates to 2023, then national statistics where comparable with the UN. Dashed: medium variants of past UN revisions. The table shows what each revision expected for the latest year (or five-year period) with actual data.
Population
persons, 1 July
- Actual
- UN 1998
- UN 2000
- UN 2002
- UN 2004
- UN 2006
- UN 2008
- UN 2010
- UN 2012
- UN 2015
- UN 2017
- UN 2019
- UN 2022
- UN 2024, medium
| Release | Target period | Horizon | Expected | Actual | Actual vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UN 1998 | 2023 | 25 years | 295k | 282k | −4.5% |
| UN 2000 | 2023 | 23 years | 285k | 282k | −0.8% |
| UN 2002 | 2023 | 21 years | 283k | 282k | −0.2% |
| UN 2004 | 2023 | 19 years | 278k | 282k | +1.4% |
| UN 2006 | 2023 | 17 years | 303k | 282k | −7% |
| UN 2008 | 2023 | 15 years | 262k | 282k | +7.7% |
| UN 2010 | 2023 | 13 years | 280k | 282k | +0.8% |
| UN 2012 | 2023 | 11 years | 298k | 282k | −5.3% |
| UN 2015 | 2023 | 8 years | 289k | 282k | −2.3% |
| UN 2017 | 2023 | 6 years | 289k | 282k | −2.3% |
| UN 2019 | 2023 | 4 years | 288k | 282k | −2.1% |
| UN 2022 | 2023 | 1 year | 282k | 282k | +0.1% |
Births
births per year
- Actual
- UN 1998
- UN 2000
- UN 2002
- UN 2004
- UN 2006
- UN 2008
- UN 2010
- UN 2012
- UN 2015
- UN 2017
- UN 2019
- UN 2022
- UN 2024, medium
| Release | Target period | Horizon | Expected | Actual | Actual vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UN 1998 | 2015–2020 | 20 years | 3.25k | 3.25k | −0.1% |
| UN 2000 | 2015–2020 | 18 years | 3k | 3.25k | +8.3% |
| UN 2002 | 2015–2020 | 16 years | 2.87k | 3.25k | +13% |
| UN 2004 | 2015–2020 | 14 years | 2.9k | 3.25k | +12% |
| UN 2006 | 2015–2020 | 12 years | 3.04k | 3.25k | +6.7% |
| UN 2008 | 2015–2020 | 10 years | 2.75k | 3.25k | +18.2% |
| UN 2010 | 2015–2020 | 8 years | 2.97k | 3.25k | +9.2% |
| UN 2012 | 2015–2020 | 6 years | 3.6k | 3.25k | −9.8% |
| UN 2015 | 2015–2020 | 2 years | 3.38k | 3.25k | −3.9% |
| UN 2017 | 2015–2020 | 0 years | 3.37k | 3.25k | −3.6% |
| UN 2022 | 2023 | 1 year | 3.01k | 3.16k | +4.8% |
Total fertility rate
children per woman
- Actual
- UN 1998
- UN 2000
- UN 2002
- UN 2004
- UN 2006
- UN 2008
- UN 2010
- UN 2012
- UN 2015
- UN 2017
- UN 2019
- UN 2022
- UN 2024, medium
| Release | Target period | Horizon | Expected | Actual | Actual vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UN 1998 | 2015–2020 | 20 years | 1.71 | 1.72 | +0.6% |
| UN 2000 | 2015–2020 | 18 years | 1.66 | 1.72 | +3.6% |
| UN 2002 | 2015–2020 | 16 years | 1.59 | 1.72 | +8.2% |
| UN 2004 | 2015–2020 | 14 years | 1.61 | 1.72 | +6.8% |
| UN 2006 | 2015–2020 | 12 years | 1.58 | 1.72 | +9.2% |
| UN 2008 | 2015–2020 | 10 years | 1.63 | 1.72 | +5.9% |
| UN 2010 | 2015–2020 | 8 years | 1.62 | 1.72 | +6.2% |
| UN 2012 | 2015–2020 | 6 years | 1.86 | 1.72 | −7.6% |
| UN 2015 | 2015–2020 | 2 years | 1.80 | 1.72 | −4.5% |
| UN 2017 | 2015–2020 | 0 years | 1.80 | 1.72 | −4.4% |
| UN 2022 | 2023 | 1 year | 1.63 | 1.71 | +5% |
IMF forecasts vs actual
Solid line: actual values from the latest IMF edition (data get revised, so we use the newest). Dashed: April editions, current year and five years ahead. The table covers next-year forecasts from all editions: mean error shows bias, mean absolute error shows accuracy.
Real GDP growth
% per year
- Actual (IMF)
- WEO, April editions
| Indicator | Forecasts | Mean error | Mean absolute error | Actual below forecast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real GDP growth | 34 | −2.1 pp | 3.3 pp | 79% |
| Inflation | 36 | −0.1 pp | 2.2 pp | 61% |
| Unemployment rate | 29 | −0.3 pp | 2.1 pp | 48% |
| Government gross debt | 26 | +4.7 pp | 19.1 pp | 54% |
All indicators
Demography
Births
3.16k births per year latest value, 2023
Live births per calendar year. UN WPP 2024 and national statistics (64 countries, 2015-2025).
Total fertility rate
1.71 children per woman latest value, 2023
Average number of children a woman would have at the age-specific fertility rates of the year.
Life expectancy at birth, women
78.6 years latest value, 2023
Years a newborn girl would live at the mortality rates of the year (UN).
Life expectancy at birth, men
73.6 years latest value, 2023
Years a newborn boy would live at the mortality rates of the year (UN).
Median age
38.9 years latest value, 2023
Age that divides the population in two halves (UN).
Mean age of mothers at childbirth
27.7 years latest value, 2023
Mean age of mothers at the birth of their children of any order (UN).
Sex ratio at birth
103.5 boys per 100 girls latest value, 2023
Boys born per 100 girls born (UN).
Net migration
−0.08k persons per year latest value, 2023
Immigrants minus emigrants per year (UN estimate and projection).
Old-age dependency
24.4 persons 65+ per 100 aged 20-64 latest value, 2020
Persons aged 65+ per 100 aged 20-64, every five years (UN).
Digitalisation
Internet users
70.4 % of population latest value, 2024
Share of individuals who used the Internet in the last three months from any device. ITU data.
Mobile cellular subscriptions
114.6 per 100 people latest value, 2022
Active mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 people; can exceed 100 when people have several SIM cards. ITU data.
Fixed broadband subscriptions
37.5 subscriptions per 100 people latest value, 2022
Fixed subscriptions to high-speed Internet (256 kbit/s or more) per 100 people. ITU data.
Economy
GDP per capita, PPP
22,127 constant 2021 international $ latest value, 2025
Gross domestic product per person at purchasing power parity, constant 2021 international dollars (World Bank, ICP).
Real GDP growth
3.4 % per year latest value, 2024
Annual change of GDP at constant prices. Actual values and forecasts from IMF WEO editions.
Inflation
0.8 % per year, average latest value, 2025
Change of the annual average consumer price index (IMF WEO).
Government gross debt
98.9 % of GDP latest value, 2024
General government gross debt, percent of GDP (IMF WEO).
Unemployment rate
6.9 % of labour force latest value, 2025
Unemployed as a share of the labour force (IMF WEO; national definitions).
GDP per capita, US dollars
26,076 current US dollars latest value, 2024
GDP per person in current US dollars at market exchange rates (IMF WEO).
Society
Urban population
59.7 % of population latest value, 2025
Share of people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices (World Bank, from UN World Urbanization Prospects).
Tertiary enrolment, women
67.4 % gross latest value, 2025
Women enrolled in tertiary education as a share of women in the five-year age group after secondary school; can exceed 100 (UNESCO).
Women with upper secondary education
25.4 % of women 25+ latest value, 2000
Share of women aged 25+ who completed at least upper secondary education (UNESCO).
Life expectancy at birth
76.3 years latest value, 2024
Life expectancy at birth, both sexes (World Bank, from UN and national statistics).
Same region: Latin America and the Caribbean
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