Introduction
Background
The Siboney were the first people to inhabit the islands of Antigua and Barbuda in 2400 B.C., but the Arawaks populated the islands when Christopher COLUMBUS landed on his second voyage in 1493. Early Spanish and French settlements were succeeded by an English colony in 1667. Slavery, which provided labor on the sugar plantations on Antigua, was abolished in 1834. The islands became an independent state within the British Commonwealth of Nations in 1981. In 2017, Hurricane Irma passed over the island of Barbuda, devastating the island and forcing the evacuation of the population to Antigua. Almost all of the structures on Barbuda were destroyed and the vegetation stripped, but Antigua was spared the worst.
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Geography
Location
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico
Geographic coordinates
17 03 N, 61 48 W
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean
Area
total : 443 sq km (Antigua 280 sq km; Barbuda 161 sq km)
land: 443 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Redonda, 1.6 sq km
comparison ranking: total 200
Area - comparative
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries
total: 0 km
Coastline
153 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate
tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain
mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands, with some higher volcanic areas
Elevation
highest point: Mount Obama 402 m
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
Natural resources
NEGL; pleasant climate fosters tourism
Land use
agricultural land: 20.5% (2018 est.)
arable land: 9% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 2.3% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 9% (2018 est.)
forest: 18.8% (2018 est.)
other: 60.8% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land
1.3 sq km (2012)
Population distribution
the island of Antigua is home to approximately 97% of the population; nearly the entire population of Barbuda lives in Codrington
Natural hazards
hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October); periodic droughts
Geography - note
Antigua has a deeply indented shoreline with many natural harbors and beaches; Barbuda has a large western harbor
People and Society
Population
total: 102,634
male: 48,311
female: 54,323 (2024 est.)
comparison rankings: female 192; male 197; total 194
Nationality
noun: Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s)
adjective: Antiguan, Barbudan
Ethnic groups
African descent 87.3%, mixed 4.7%, Hispanic 2.7%, White 1.6%, other 2.7%, unspecified 0.9% (2011 est.)
note: data represent population by ethnic group
Languages
English (official), Antiguan Creole (an English-based creole)
Religions
Protestant 68.3% (Anglican 17.6%, Seventh Day Adventist 12.4%, Pentecostal 12.2%, Moravian 8.3%, Methodist 5.6%, Wesleyan Holiness 4.5%, Church of God 4.1%, Baptist 3.6%), Roman Catholic 8.2%, other 12.2%, unspecified 5.5%, none 5.9% (2011 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years: 21.8% (male 11,384/female 11,034)
15-64 years: 67.6% (male 32,312/female 37,094)
65 years and over: 10.5% (2024 est.) (male 4,615/female 6,195)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 40.9
youth dependency ratio: 26.5
elderly dependency ratio: 14.4
potential support ratio: 7 (2020 est.)
Median age
total: 33.9 years (2024 est.)
male: 31.9 years
female: 35.7 years
comparison ranking: total 109
Population distribution
the island of Antigua is home to approximately 97% of the population; nearly the entire population of Barbuda lives in Codrington
Urbanization
urban population: 24.3% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.87% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population
21,000 SAINT JOHN'S (capital) (2018)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.87 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
total population: 0.89 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total: 13.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
male: 16.4 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 10.7 deaths/1,000 live births
comparison ranking: total 104
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 78.3 years (2024 est.)
male: 76.1 years
female: 80.5 years
comparison ranking: total population 80
Gross reproduction rate
0.94 (2024 est.)
Drinking water source
improved: improved: total: 96.7% of population
unimproved: unimproved: total: 3.2% of population (2017 est.)
Current health expenditure
5.6% of GDP (2020)
Physician density
2.76 physicians/1,000 population (2017)
Hospital bed density
2.9 beds/1,000 population (2017)
Sanitation facility access
improved: total: 91.7% of population
unimproved: total: 8.1% of population (2017 est.)
Alcohol consumption per capita
total: 11.88 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 2.97 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 3.95 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 4.55 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0.41 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
comparison ranking: total 6
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
31.5% (2023 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling
total population: 99%
male: 98.4%
female: 99.4% (2015)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 15 years
male: 14 years
female: 16 years (2012)
Environment
Environment - current issues
water management - a major concern because of limited natural freshwater resources - is further hampered by the clearing of trees to increase crop production, causing rainfall to run off quickly
Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Climate
tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation
Land use
agricultural land: 20.5% (2018 est.)
arable land: 9% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 2.3% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 9% (2018 est.)
forest: 18.8% (2018 est.)
other: 60.8% (2018 est.)
Urbanization
urban population: 24.3% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.87% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Air pollutants
particulate matter emissions: 8.3 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 0.56 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 0.22 megatons (2020 est.)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually: 30,585 tons (2012 est.)
Total water withdrawal
municipal: 10 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
industrial: 2.5 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
agricultural: 1.8 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Total renewable water resources
50 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Government
Country name
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Antigua and Barbuda
etymology: "antiguo" is Spanish for "ancient" or "old"; the island was discovered by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1493 and, according to tradition, named by him after the church of Santa Maria la Antigua (Old Saint Mary's) in Seville; "barbuda" is Spanish for "bearded" and the adjective may refer to the alleged beards of the indigenous people or to the island's bearded fig trees
Government type
parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
Capital
name: Saint John's
geographic coordinates: 17 07 N, 61 51 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: named after Saint John the Apostle
Administrative divisions
6 parishes and 2 dependencies*; Barbuda*, Redonda*, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mary, Saint Paul, Saint Peter, Saint Philip
Independence
1 November 1981 (from the UK)
National holiday
Independence Day, 1 November (1981)
Legal system
common law based on the English model
Constitution
history: several previous; latest presented 31 July 1981, effective 31 October 1981 (The Antigua and Barbuda Constitution Order 1981)
amendments: proposed by either house of Parliament; passage of amendments to constitutional sections such as citizenship, fundamental rights and freedoms, the establishment, power, and authority of the executive and legislative branches, the Supreme Court Order, and the procedure for amending the constitution requires approval by at least two-thirds majority vote of the membership of both houses, approval by at least two-thirds majority in a referendum, and assent to by the governor general; passage of other amendments requires only two-thirds majority vote by both houses; amended 2009, 2011, 2018
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship
citizenship by birth: yes
citizenship by descent only: yes
dual citizenship recognized: yes
residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor General Rodney WILLIAMS (since 14 August 2014)
head of government: Prime Minister Gaston BROWNE (since 13 June 2014)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the governor general
Legislative branch
description: bicameral Parliament consists of:
Senate (17 seats; members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister and leader of the opposition; members served 5-year terms)
House of Representatives (19 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms; in addition, 1 ex-officio seat is allocated for the attorney general and 1 seat for the speaker of the House - elected by the House membership following its first post-election session)
elections: Senate - last appointed on 17 February 2023 (next appointments in 2028)
House of Representatives - last held on 18 January 2023 (next to be held in March 2028)
election results: Senate - composition - men 10, women 7, percentage women 41.2%
House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - ABLP 47.1%, UPP 45.2%, BPM 1.5%, independent 5.2%; seats by party - ABLP 9, UPP 6, BPM 1, independent 1; composition - men 17, women 1, percentage women 5.6%; total Parliament percentage women 22.9%
Judicial branch
highest court(s): the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC - headquartered on St. Lucia - consists of the Court of Appeal - headed by the chief justice and 4 judges - and the High Court with 18 judges; the Court of Appeal is itinerant, travelling to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts; High Court judges reside in the member states, with 2 assigned to Antigua and Barbuda
judge selection and term of office: chief justice of Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court appointed by the His Majesty, King CHARLES III; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62
subordinate courts: Industrial Court; Magistrates' Courts
Political parties
Antigua Labor Party or ABLP
Barbuda People's Movement or BPM
Democratic National Alliance or DNA
Go Green for Life or GGL
United Progressive Party or UPP
International organization participation
ACP, ACS, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Sir Ronald SANDERS (since 17 September 2015)
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20016
telephone: [1] (202) 362-5122
FAX: [1] (202) 362-5225
email address and website:
embantbar@aol.com
https://www.antigua-barbuda.org/Aghome01.htm
consulate(s) general: Miami, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US
embassy: the US does not have an embassy in Antigua and Barbuda; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Antigua and Barbuda
Flag description
red, with an inverted isosceles triangle based on the top edge of the flag; the triangle contains three horizontal bands of black (top), light blue, and white, with a yellow rising sun in the black band; the sun symbolizes the dawn of a new era, black represents the African heritage of most of the population, blue is for hope, and red is for the dynamism of the people; the "V" stands for victory; the successive yellow, blue, and white coloring is also meant to evoke the country's tourist attractions of sun, sea, and sand
National symbol(s)
fallow deer; national colors: red, white, blue, black, yellow
National anthem
name: Fair Antigua, We Salute Thee
lyrics/music: Novelle Hamilton RICHARDS/Walter Garnet Picart CHAMBERS
note: adopted 1967; as a Commonwealth country, in addition to the national anthem, "God Save the King" serves as the royal anthem (see United Kingdom)
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites: 1 (cultural)
selected World Heritage Site locales: Antigua Naval Dockyard
Economy
Economic overview
dual island-tourism and construction-driven economy; emerging “blue economy”; limited water supply and susceptibility to hurricanes limit activity; improving road infrastructure; friendly to foreign direct investment; looking at financial innovation in cryptocurrency and blockchain technologies
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$2.703 billion (2023 est.)
$2.603 billion (2022 est.)
$2.376 billion (2021 est.)
note: data in 2021 dollars
comparison ranking: 197
Real GDP growth rate
3.86% (2023 est.)
9.52% (2022 est.)
8.19% (2021 est.)
note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
comparison ranking: 81
Real GDP per capita
$28,700 (2023 est.)
$27,800 (2022 est.)
$25,500 (2021 est.)
note: data in 2021 dollars
comparison ranking: 80
GDP (official exchange rate)
$2.033 billion (2023 est.)
note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
5.07% (2023 est.)
7.53% (2022 est.)
2.06% (2021 est.)
note: annual % change based on consumer prices
comparison ranking: 109
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 1.9% (2023 est.)
industry: 19.4% (2023 est.)
services: 67.8% (2023 est.)
note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
comparison rankings: services 47; industry 140; agriculture 158
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption: 53.5% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 15.2% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 23.9% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 0.1% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 54.7% (2022 est.)
imports of goods and services: -62.9% (2022 est.)
note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
Agricultural products
tropical fruits, milk, mangoes/guavas, eggs, lemons/limes, pumpkins/squash, vegetables, sweet potatoes, cassava, yams (2022)
note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
Industries
tourism, construction, light manufacturing (clothing, alcohol, household appliances)
Industrial production growth rate
3.89% (2023 est.)
note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
comparison ranking: 82
Remittances
2.43% of GDP (2023 est.)
1.86% of GDP (2022 est.)
2.83% of GDP (2021 est.)
note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Budget
revenues: $278 million (2020 est.)
expenditures: $357 million (2020 est.)
Current account balance
-$262.098 million (2023 est.)
-$296.147 million (2022 est.)
-$287.548 million (2021 est.)
note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
comparison ranking: 114
Exports
$1.217 billion (2023 est.)
$1.111 billion (2022 est.)
$705.697 million (2021 est.)
note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
comparison ranking: 177
Exports - partners
Suriname 28%, Poland 20%, Germany 13%, UK 8%, Barbados 5% (2022)
note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Exports - commodities
refined petroleum, ships, gas turbines, soybean meal, liquor (2022)
note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
Imports
$1.3 billion (2023 est.)
$1.234 billion (2022 est.)
$872.781 million (2021 est.)
note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
comparison ranking: 188
Imports - partners
US 57%, China 7%, Spain 4%, Brazil 4%, Finland 3% (2022)
note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, ships, engine parts, plastic products, cars (2022)
note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$364.367 million (2023 est.)
$396.506 million (2022 est.)
$367.512 million (2021 est.)
note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
comparison ranking: 172
Exchange rates
East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
2.7 (2023 est.)
2.7 (2022 est.)
2.7 (2021 est.)
2.7 (2020 est.)
2.7 (2019 est.)
Energy
Electricity access
electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Electricity
installed generating capacity: 97,000 kW (2022 est.)
consumption: 318.337 million kWh (2022 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 37.847 million kWh (2022 est.)
comparison rankings: transmission/distribution losses 31; consumption 185; installed generating capacity 185
Electricity generation sources
fossil fuels: 94.2% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
solar: 5.8% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Petroleum
refined petroleum consumption: 5,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
769,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 769,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
comparison ranking: total emissions 177
Communications
Telephones - fixed lines
total subscriptions: 27,000 (2021 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 29 (2021 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 168
Telephones - mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 184,000 (2021 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 197 (2021 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 185
Telecommunication systems
general assessment: the telecom sector has seen a decline in subscriber numbers (particularly for prepaid mobile services the mainstay of short term visitors) and revenue; fixed and mobile broadband services are two areas that have benefited from the crisis as employees and students have resorted to working from home; one area of the telecom market that is not prepared for growth is 5G mobile; governments, regulators, and even the mobile network operators have shown that they have not been investing in 5G opportunities at the present time; network expansion and enhancements remain concentrated around improving LTE coverage (2021)
domestic: fixed-line teledensity roughly 27 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity is about 200 per 100 persons (2021)
international: country code - 1-268; landing points for the ECFS and Southern Caribbean Fiber submarine cable systems with links to other islands in the eastern Caribbean; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)
Broadcast media
state-controlled Antigua and Barbuda Broadcasting Service (ABS) operates 1 TV station; multi-channel cable TV subscription services are available; ABS operates 1 radio station; roughly 15 radio stations, some broadcasting on multiple frequencies
Internet users
total: 89,280 (2021 est.)
percent of population: 96% (2021 est.)
comparison ranking: total 191
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
total: 8,000 (2020 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 8 (2020 est.)
comparison ranking: total 181
Transportation
National air transport system
number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 10
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 580,174 (2018)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 290,000 (2018) mt-km
Heliports
2 (2024)
Merchant marine
total: 614 (2023)
by type: bulk carrier 24, container ship 109, general cargo 425, oil tanker 6, other 50
comparison ranking: total 36
Ports
total ports: 1 (2024)
large: 0
medium: 1
small: 0
very small: 0
ports with oil terminals: 1
key ports: St. John's
Military and Security
Military and security forces
Antigua and Barbuda Defense Force (ABDF): Antigua and Barbuda Regiment, Air Wing, Coast Guard
Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda (2024)
Military and security service personnel strengths
approximately 250 active military personnel (2024)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the ABDF's equipment inventory is limited to small arms, light weapons, and soft-skin vehicles; the Coast Guard maintains ex-US patrol vessels and some smaller boats (2024)
Military service age and obligation
18-23 years of age for voluntary military service for both men and women; no conscription (2023)
Military - note
the ABDF’s responsibilities include providing for internal security and support to the police in maintaining law and order, interdicting narcotics smuggling, responding to natural disasters, and monitoring the country’s territorial waters and maritime resources; established in 1981 from colonial forces originally created in 1897, it is one of the world’s smallest militaries
the country has been a member of the Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS) since its creation in 1982; RSS signatories (Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) agreed to prepare contingency plans and assist one another, on request, in national emergencies, prevention of smuggling, search and rescue, immigration control, fishery protection, customs and excise control, maritime policing duties, protection of off-shore installations, pollution control, national and other disasters, and threats to national security (2024)
Transnational Issues
Illicit drugs
a transit point for cocaine and marijuana destined for North America, Europe, and elsewhere in the Caribbean; some local demand for cocaine and some use of synthetic drugs