Countries, Compared

Barbados

Barbados is an independent island in the western North Atlantic, part of the Lesser Antilles.

Countries, Compared: country research and comparison

Barbados is an independent island in the western North Atlantic, part of the Lesser Antilles. Every stable classification fact is listed below, followed by exactly where to verify the numbers that change.

Stable classification facts

These identifiers are administrative and statistical, not political claims. They come from the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) and the World Bank.

  • UN M49 code: 052
  • ISO alpha-2: BB
  • ISO alpha-3: BRB
  • UN region: Americas
  • UN subregion: Latin America and the Caribbean
  • UN membership: Member state
  • World Bank capital field: Bridgetown

The UN M49 standard is maintained by the UN Statistics Division and provides stable codes for statistical use. The Americas and Latin America/Caribbean grouping is a statistical designation, not a political or territorial claim. For the authoritative list, see the UN M49 overview.

How to verify current facts

Every changing number on this page, population, GDP, life expectancy, internet penetration, has a source and a reference year. Do not treat any figure here as the current value. Instead, use the named sources to look up the latest figure yourself. The two most reliable entry points are the World Bank country API and the UN M49 overview.

The World Bank API returns country metadata, income level, and region groupings:

https://api.worldbank.org/v2/country?format=json

This returns JSON with a name, iso2Code, region, incomeLevel, and capitalCity for each economy. It is a stable grouping, not a live population or GDP number. For current indicators, use the World Bank indicators API (for example, SP.POP.TOTL for total population), and always note the year attached to the value.

The UN M49 overview is the standard for statistical organisation:

https://unstats.un.org/unsd/methodology/m49/overview/

M49 assigns codes to nations and areas for statistical purposes. Barbados is M49 code 052. This is a statistical designation, not a political or territorial claim. For political status, boundary questions, or sovereignty, consult the relevant UN documents and your own government’s official statements.

How to verify current figures

Every number below changes. Population, currency exchange rates, government composition, and visa rules are moving targets. For any figure you cite, name the source and the reference year, and check the original dataset before writing.

  • Population and development indicators: World Bank country profile (API: https://api.worldbank.org/v2/country/BB?format=json) and the UN Data portal.
  • Currency and central bank policy: Central Bank of Barbados official site.
  • Languages and cultural indicators: UNESCO country profile and the Barbados Statistical Service.
  • Government structure and leadership: official government portal of Barbados; confirm current ministers from the gazette or official directory.
  • Economy: World Bank, IMF Article IV reports, and the Barbados Statistical Service.
  • Travel requirements: your own government’s travel advisory (e.g., the US State Department, UK FCDO, or Canada Travel.gc.ca) and the IATA Travel Centre. Do not rely on a country profile for visa rules.
  • Time zone, country code, and internet domain: IANA time zone database (America/Barbados), ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 (BB), and .bb domain registry.

UN M49 codes are statistical identifiers, not political statements. They are used by UN agencies for data organisation, not to assert sovereignty or territorial claims.

Country basics

These identifiers are fixed classification facts from the UN M49 standard and the World Bank country API. They describe how international organisations group and label the territory, not its political status or territorial extent. For example, the UN subregion label “Latin America and the Caribbean” is a statistical grouping, not a claim about cultural or political identity. Always separate classification from claims about sovereignty or territory.

  • UN M49 code: 052
  • ISO alpha-2: BB
  • ISO alpha-3: BRB
  • UN region: Americas
  • UN subregion: Latin America and the Caribbean
  • UN membership: Member state
  • World Bank capital field: Bridgetown

Reference: UN M49 overview. The World Bank country API returns the same country code and capital field. These are stable classification identifiers, not political assertions. They follow the statistical geography used by the UN and the World Bank.

How to get current population, languages, currency, government, economy, and travel requirements

Volatile figures change often, so do not freeze them into this page. Use the sources below and note the reference year each time you cite a number.

Population and demographics

  • The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) publishes official population estimates and projections. The UN M49 overview at https://unstats.un.org/unsd/methodology/m49/overview/ gives the standard country classification.
  • The World Bank country API returns current population and development indicators. For a machine-readable list of all economies and their codes, use https://api.worldbank.org/v2/country?format=json and look for the entry where iso2Code is BB and id is BRB.
  • The Barbados Statistical Service (BSS) is the national statistical office. Census and intercensal estimates may differ from UN or World Bank figures because of different reference dates, coverage, and definitions.

Capital

The capital of Barbados is Bridgetown. This is a standard field in the World Bank country API and in the UN M49 country overview. Bridgetown is also the island’s largest urban centre, but the capital classification is separate from any political or territorial claim. For the current population of Bridgetown or any other locality, use the Barbados Statistical Service (the national statistical office) rather than a general reference page.

Population

Population is a flow figure, not a fixed fact. The UN Population Division publishes annual estimates and projections. The World Bank also publishes population series via its country API, but the reference year matters: a figure labelled “2023” is an estimate, not a census count. The most recent census in Barbados was conducted by the Barbados Statistical Service; always cite the census year when using census counts.

All population figures are estimates, not exact counts. Census data may be several years old, and estimates from different agencies can differ by a few percent. When comparing nations, use one source (for example, the UN World Population Prospects) for all entries and cite the same reference year. For cross-country comparison, use one source consistently, do not mix a UN estimate with a World Bank estimate in the same table without labelling the source and reference year.

Languages

Barbados is an English-speaking territory. English is the official language and is used in government, education, and media. Bajan Creole (also called Barbadian Creole) is the widely spoken everyday vernacular. For current language statistics, consult Ethnologue or UNESCO’s education and language data. Language figures change slowly, but census questions about language use are not always comparable across nations, so always name the survey and year.