Barbados at its true size
Barbados covers 439 km², number 183 of 194 countries by area. Home to 282,623 people (2025). Sitting near the equator, it is one of the few places Mercator gets almost right.
Equal-area projection · Natural Earth 50m
| Area | 439 km² Wikidata |
|---|---|
| Population | 282,623 World Bank, 2025 |
| Density | 644 per km² |
| Capital | Bridgetown |
| Local time in Bridgetown | |
| Time zone | UTC−4 IANA |
| Currency | Barbadian dollar (BBD) Wikidata |
| Languages | English, Bajan Creole |
| Traffic | On the left |
| Region | Caribbean, North America |
| Status | Independent state |
| Coast | Has a coastline |
| Calling code | +1 246 |
| Codes | BB · BRB · 052 |
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Where Barbados ranks
Among the independent states, in 42 rankings. Each links to its table.
People
- Population#174 of 194282,623 people#17 of 23 in North America
- Population density#8 of 194644 people per km²#1 of 23 in North America
- Urban population#106 of 19260% urban#11 of 23 in North America
- Fertility rate#117 of 1921.71 births per woman#11 of 23 in North America
- Population growth#154 of 192+0.06% a year#18 of 23 in North America
- Birth rate#122 of 19211.1 births per 1,000 people#16 of 23 in North America
- Death rate#32 of 19210.2 deaths per 1,000 people#4 of 23 in North America
- Children under 15#140 of 19217.1% under 15#20 of 23 in North America
- People over 65#45 of 19217.1% aged 65 and over#3 of 23 in North America
- Net migration#89 of 192−0.3 per 1,000 people#11 of 23 in North America
- Refugees abroad#41 of 1902.04 refugees abroad per 1,000 people#7 of 23 in North America
Health & education
- Life expectancy#75 of 19276.3 years#7 of 23 in North America
- Infant mortality#115 of 1919.1 infant deaths per 1,000 live births#17 of 23 in North America
- Doctors#61 of 1782.96 doctors per 1,000 people#6 of 20 in North America
- University enrolment#75 of 14550.8% gross enrolment#5 of 15 in North America
- Human Development Index#68 of 190an index of 0.811#8 of 23 in North America
Economy
- GNI per capita#42 of 185$27,080 a person#4 of 22 in North America
- Internet users#118 of 18470% online#16 of 23 in North America
- GDP per capita (PPP)#77 of 184$25,894 a person#11 of 22 in North America
- GDP growth#111 of 187+2.7% a year#12 of 23 in North America
- Inflation#147 of 176+0.8% a year#17 of 22 in North America
- Unemployment#65 of 1786.5% of the labour force#9 of 19 in North America
- Extreme poverty#76 of 1491.7% under $3.00 a day#5 of 14 in North America
- Income inequality (Gini)#78 of 149a Gini index of 34.1#13 of 14 in North America
- Jobs in agriculture#166 of 1781.2% of jobs#17 of 19 in North America
- Jobs in industry#127 of 17816.2% of jobs#15 of 19 in North America
- Jobs in services#8 of 17882.6% of jobs#2 of 19 in North America
- Foreign investment#58 of 1843.4% of GDP#9 of 23 in North America
- Mobile subscriptions#96 of 191115 subscriptions per 100 people#9 of 23 in North America
Energy & environment
- CO₂ per person#93 of 1852.52 tonnes a person#11 of 23 in North America
- Forest area#133 of 19215% forest#22 of 23 in North America
- Renewable energy#157 of 1905.5% renewable#18 of 23 in North America
- Access to electricity#1 of 192100.0% with electricity#1 of 23 in North America
- Air pollution (PM2.5)#147 of 19110.9 µg/m³#15 of 23 in North America
- Protected land#183 of 1911.1% of the land protected#23 of 23 in North America
- Arable land#66 of 19016.2% of the land arable#8 of 23 in North America
- Water stress#20 of 17687.5% of its available fresh water#1 of 22 in North America
- Precipitation#63 of 1801,422 mm a year#16 of 23 in North America
Governance & safety
Countries of a similar size
Every country within 25% of Barbados’s area, lit up on the map →
- Antigua and Barbuda1.0×Barbados and Antigua and Barbuda are almost exactly the same size.
- Seychelles0.96×Barbados is 4% smaller than Seychelles.
- Palau0.94×Barbados is 6% smaller than Palau.
- Andorra0.94×Barbados is 6% smaller than Andorra.
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines1.13×Barbados is 13% larger than Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
- Grenada1.26×Barbados is 26% larger than Grenada.
How many times does Barbados fit into…
- Russia: about 38896 times
- Canada: about 22744 times
- United States: about 22384 times
The land itself
Rivers, summits and lakes Barbados shares with the rest of the world. Turn on “Rivers & lakes” and “Physical names” in the atlas to see them on the map.
Summits
- Mount Hillaby340 m
Rivers are listed by the published length of their whole course, not the part inside Barbados. Figures from Wikidata, features from Natural Earth.
Questions about Barbados
- How big is Barbados?
- Barbados covers 439 km², which makes it number 183 of 194 countries by area. About 282,623 people live there (2025), 644 per km².
- Is Barbados bigger than Antigua and Barbuda?
- Barbados and Antigua and Barbuda are almost exactly the same size. Barbados: 439 km²; Antigua and Barbuda: 440 km².
- How much does the Mercator map distort Barbados?
- Barbados lies close to the equator, so Mercator draws it at nearly its true size. It is the countries far from the equator that Mercator inflates.
- Does Barbados have land borders?
- No. Barbados has no land neighbours; every border is a coastline.