Population and Demographics of Barbados
Population broadly stable in 2024 · median age 39 years
Fertility, at 1.7 children per woman, matters alongside an age split of 17.24% under 15 and 16.55% at 65 or above. Looking ahead, 264.2 thousand is projected for 2050 under the medium scenario, compared with 282.5 thousand in 2024.
Population Over Time in Barbados
The 2000 to 2024 record shows Barbados moving from 0.262M people to 0.282M, a 7.8% increase. The UN medium projection places 2050 at 0.264M, about 6.5% below the 2024 reference point. The chart connects dated reference points only and should not be read as an annual interpolated series.
Age Structure and Sex Balance
Looking beyond the headline population number, Barbados's 2024 age structure is maturing. The under-15 share is 17.24% and the 65-and-older share is 16.55%, with 66.21% aged 15 to 64. The youngest and oldest broad age groups are relatively close in size.
Population by broad age group
Barbados's 2024 population is 52.1% female and 47.9% male in the World Bank series. Females exceed males by 4.2 percentage points.
Female and male population share
Females made up 52.1% of the population in the World Bank's 2024 series, compared with 47.9% males.
What Is Shaping Population Change
Barbados's +0.05% annual change in 2024 sits beside fertility of 1.7 children per woman, against an age structure of 17.24% under 15, 66.21% aged 15 to 64 and 16.55% at 65-plus.
From 2000 to 2024, Barbados's population moved +7.8%, before the medium projection moves another -6.5% to 2050; component causes are not assigned without separate births, deaths and migration data.
2024 estimate for Barbados. The world comparison value is 2.25 children per woman.
Barbados vs. World
Barbados's demographic position looks different depending on the measure: annual change is lower than the world rate, fertility is below it, and its population is older than the global median-age profile.
| Indicator | Barbados | World | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual population change | +0.05% | +0.87% | 2024 |
| Total fertility rate | 1.7 | 2.25 | 2024 |
| Median age | 39 | 30.6 | 2024 |
The table is built for like-for-like comparison, using 2024 values from a single harmonized source context linked to UN World Population Prospects 2024.
Key Takeaways
Barbados has 282,467 people in the 2024 estimate, with the population changing +0.05% over the year.
Broad age shares show 16.55% aged 65+ compared with 17.24% under 15; the 15 to 64 group accounts for 66.21%.
Females make up 52.1% of the 2024 population in the World Bank indicator, with males at 47.9%.
By 2050, the medium projection is 0.264M, differing from 2024 by roughly 0.02 million people.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the population of Barbados?
The 2024 harmonized population estimate for Barbados is 282,467 people.
Is the population of Barbados growing or declining?
In the 2024 estimate, Barbados's population is broadly stable, with annual change of +0.05%.
What percentage of the population of Barbados is aged 65 or older?
People aged 65 or older account for 16.55% of Barbados's 2024 population in the UN WPP-based broad age data.
What is the projected population of Barbados in 2050?
The UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium projection puts Barbados's 2050 population at 264,216.
What is the fertility rate in Barbados?
The 2024 harmonized fertility estimate for Barbados is 1.7 children per woman.
Sources & methodology
This profile uses United Nations World Population Prospects 2024 as the primary framework for globally comparable population, age, fertility and projection data. The World Bank is the primary source for the female population share. Some country values were accessed through secondary retrieval interfaces that republish or organize UN data; those interfaces are identified below as secondary and are not treated as the original statistical publishers.
View sources used for this page
Primary global framework for the population estimates and projections.
Harmonized 2024 country table based on UN World Population Prospects 2024.
Harmonized broad age shares based on UN World Population Prospects 2024.
Harmonized reference for the 2000 population point.
Harmonized 2050 country projection based on UN World Population Prospects 2024.
Used for the 2024 female share; the male share is calculated as the remainder to 100%.