Antigua and Barbuda - AG - ATG - ANT - Central America and the Caribbean

Last updated: March 04, 2024
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Antigua and Barbuda Factbook Data

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 21.97% (male 11,321/female 10,980)

15-64 years: 67.94% (male 32,103/female 36,847)

65 years and over: 10.09% (2023 est.) (male 4,378/female 5,860)
2023 population pyramid
This is the population pyramid for Antigua and Barbuda. A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends.

For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page.

Geographic coordinates

17 03 N, 61 48 W

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: 0.75 male(s)/female

total population: 0.89 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Natural hazards

hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October); periodic droughts

Area - comparative

2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Military service age and obligation

18-23 years of age for voluntary military service for both men and women; no conscription (2023)

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. On 6 September 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.

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

Population below poverty line

NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA

highest 10%: NA

Exports - commodities

refined petroleum, ships, gas turbines, aircraft parts, lobster, durum wheat (2021)

Exports - partners

Suriname 20%, Barbados 17%, Poland 12%, United Kingdom 10%, France 7% (2021)

Administrative divisions

6 parishes and 2 dependencies*; Barbuda*, Redonda*, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mary, Saint Paul, Saint Peter, Saint Philip

Agricultural products

tropical fruit, milk, mangoes/guavas, melons, tomatoes, pineapples, lemons, limes, eggplants, onions

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)

Budget

revenues: $278 million (2020 est.)

expenditures: $357 million (2020 est.)

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

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, ships, recreational boats, cars, poultry  (2021)

Climate

tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation

Coastline

153 km

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

Exchange rates

East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates:
2.7 (2021 est.)
2.7 (2020 est.)
2.7 (2019 est.)
2.7 (2018 est.)
2.7 (2017 est.)

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

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

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

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


Independence

1 November 1981 (from the UK)

Industries

tourism, construction, light manufacturing (clothing, alcohol, household appliances)

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

Land boundaries

total: 0 km

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.)

Legal system

common law based on the English model

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 as of January 2024 - men 10, women 7, percent of women 41.1%
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 as of January 2024 - men 17, women 1, percent of women 5.6%; note - total Parliament percent of women 22.2%

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling

total population: 99%

male: 98.4%

female: 99.4% (2015)

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

International organization participation

ACP, 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

National holiday

Independence Day, 1 November (1981)

Nationality

noun: Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s)

adjective: Antiguan, Barbudan

Natural resources

NEGL; pleasant climate fosters tourism

Geography - note

Antigua has a deeply indented shoreline with many natural harbors and beaches; Barbuda has a large western harbor

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

Political parties and leaders

Antigua Labor Party or ABLP [Gaston BROWNE]
Barbuda People's Movement or BPM [Trevor WALKER]
Democratic National Alliance or DNA [Joanne MASSIAH]
Go Green for Life or GGL [Owen GEORGE]
United Progressive Party or UPP [Harold LOVELL]

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Saint John's

cruise port(s): St. John's

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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)

Terrain

mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands, with some higher volcanic areas

Government type

parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

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

Location

Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Irrigated land

1.3 sq km (2012)

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

Internet country code

.ag

GDP (official exchange rate)

$1.524 billion (2017 est.)

Total renewable water resources

50 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 15 years

male: 14 years

female: 16 years (2012)

Urbanization

urban population: 24.3% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 0.87% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

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

Drinking water source

improved: urban: NA

rural: NA

total: 96.7% of population

unimproved: urban: NA

rural: NA

total: 3.2% of population (2017 est.)

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)
This is an audio of the National Anthem for Antigua and Barbuda. The national anthem is generally a patriotic musical composition - usually in the form of a song or hymn of praise - that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions, or struggles of a nation or its people. National anthems can be officially recognized as a national song by a country's constitution or by an enacted law, or simply by tradition. Although most anthems contain lyrics, some do not.

Major urban areas - population

21,000 SAINT JOHN'S (capital) (2018)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Hospital bed density

2.9 beds/1,000 population (2017)

National symbol(s)

fallow deer; national colors: red, white, blue, black, yellow

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: 73.9% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services: -66.5% (2017 est.)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 40.9

youth dependency ratio: 26.5

elderly dependency ratio: 14.4

potential support ratio: 7 (2020 est.)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: yes

citizenship by descent only: yes

dual citizenship recognized: yes

residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years

Population distribution

the island of Antigua is home to approximately 97% of the population; nearly the entire population of Barbuda lives in Codrington

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 100% (2021)

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

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

V2

Sanitation facility access

improved: total: 91.7% of population

unimproved: total: 8.1% of population (2017 est.)

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

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.)

Languages

English (official), Antiguan Creole (an English-based creole)

Imports - partners

United States 42%, Poland 25%, China 10%, Brazil 3%, Trinidad and Tobago 2% (2021)

Disputes - international

none identified


Elevation

highest point: Mount Obama 402 m

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m

Physicians density

2.76 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current health expenditure

5.6% of GDP (2020)

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 (2023)

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)

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.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually: 30,585 tons (2012 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.)

National heritage

total World Heritage Sites: 1 (cultural)

selected World Heritage Site locales: Antigua Naval Dockyard 

Heliports

2 (2024)

Coal

production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)

consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)

exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels: 95.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar: 4.6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Natural gas

production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption: 5,000 bbl/day (2019 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.95 (2023 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

31.5% (2023 est.)

Remittances

3.41% of GDP (2021 est.)
2.65% of GDP (2020 est.)
2.19% of GDP (2019 est.)

Labor force

30,000 (1991)

Net migration rate

2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Median age

total: 33.6 years (2023 est.)

male: 31.6 years

female: 35.4 years

Debt - external

$441.2 million (31 December 2012)
$458 million (June 2010)

Maternal mortality ratio

21 deaths/100,000 live births (2020)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$367.512 million (31 December 2021 est.)
$221.809 million (31 December 2020 est.)
$279.133 million (31 December 2019 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

5,065 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Public debt

86.8% of GDP (2017 est.)
86.2% of GDP (2016 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.94 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate

11% (2014 est.)

Population

101,489 (2023 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-2.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Internet users

total: 89,280 (2021 est.)

percent of population: 96% (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

729,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids: 729,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

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

Taxes and other revenues

19.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$1.783 billion (2021 est.)
$1.693 billion (2020 est.)
$2.122 billion (2019 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Roadways

total: 1,170 km

paved: 386 km

unpaved: 784 km (2011)

Airports

3 (2024)

Infant mortality rate

total: 14 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

male: 16.8 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 10.9 deaths/1,000 live births

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 180,000 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 200 (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.06% (2021 est.)
0.63% (2020 est.)
1.43% (2019 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

91 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Current account balance

-$220.871 million (2021 est.)
-$251.556 million (2020 est.)
-$126.907 million (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita

$19,100 (2021 est.)
$18,300 (2020 est.)
$23,000 (2019 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 8,000 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 8 (2020 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

18.9% (2016)

Energy consumption per capita

107.154 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Death rate

5.7 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Birth rate

15 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Electricity

installed generating capacity: 117,000 kW (2020 est.)

consumption: 278 million kWh (2019 est.)

exports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)

imports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses: 65 million kWh (2019 est.)

Merchant marine

total: 614 (2023)

by type: bulk carrier 24, container ship 109, general cargo 425, oil tanker 6, other 50

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Imports

$868.797 million (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$737.693 million (2020 est.)
$1.18 billion (2019 est.)

Exports

$749.476 million (2021 est.)
$590.849 million (2020 est.)
$1.196 billion (2019 est.)

note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 27,000 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 27 (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2015 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.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 78 years (2023 est.)

male: 75.9 years

female: 80.3 years

Real GDP growth rate

5.27% (2021 est.)
-20.19% (2020 est.)
4.86% (2019 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

8.26% (2021 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 1.8% (2017 est.)

industry: 20.8% (2017 est.)

services: 77.3% (2017 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Education expenditures

3.8% of GDP (2021 est.)

Population growth rate

1.13% (2023 est.)