Barbados population pyramid 2026
Latin America and the Caribbean · Caribbean
282,724 people in 2026 (projected). Barbados’s pyramid is almost rectangular from 15 to 64, the result of fertility below replacement since about 1980 and decades of heavy emigration.
- 2026 population
- 282.7Krank 187 of 237
- Median age
- 39.7 yearsoldest rank 64
- Fertility rate
- 1.70births per woman · below replacement
- Structure
- Older17.6% age 65+
Barbados population pyramid
2026 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex
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The UN series provides historical estimates through 2023. Figures from 2024 onward—including 2026—are medium-scenario projections, not counts or predictions guaranteed to occur.
Barbados age distribution in 2026
Children under 15 account for 16.9% of the population, while 17.6% are aged 65 or older. The remaining 65.4% are in the conventional working-age range of 15–64. On these shares, the site classifies Barbados’s age structure as older; the guide to constrictive population pyramids explains what that shape implies.
The total age dependency ratio is 52.8: about 53 people under 15 or 65+ for every 100 people aged 15–64 (25.9 children and 26.9 older people). This is an age-balance indicator, not a literal count of economic dependants per worker.
What shapes Barbados’s population pyramid
An island of emigrants
Barbados has exported people for more than a century. The 1950 pyramid shows an extreme shortage of older men, with about 33 men per 100 women at ages 65–69, a pattern often linked to the large emigration of Barbadian men to Panama and elsewhere in the early twentieth century. After 1950 the outflow continued, to Britain and later to the United States and Canada, and the UN estimates a net loss of about 120,000 people between 1950 and 1999, more than half the 1950 population. Net migration has been close to zero since 2000.
Early low fertility
Fertility fell from about 4.7 children per woman in 1960 to 1.8 by 1980, making Barbados one of the first countries in Latin America and the Caribbean to drop below replacement level, and it has stayed there. The result in 2026 is a near-rectangle: every band from 15 to 64 is about the same width, and the base is the narrowest part below age 70. The structure resembles Montenegro and North Macedonia more than its Caribbean neighbours. Women live about five years longer than men, and the overall sex ratio is about 92 men per 100 women.
Births and deaths are now almost equal, about 3,100 against 2,900 a year. Under the UN medium scenario the population peaks at about 283,000 in 2028, deaths exceed births from 2029, and numbers fall to about 195,000 by 2100. The guide to stationary pyramids explains the column shape that Barbados already approaches.
What to notice across the years
Distinctive cohorts and turning points
No five-year band under age 80 is more than 10% larger or smaller than both of its neighbours, so Barbados’s 2026 pyramid has a comparatively smooth profile without sharp bulges or notches.
Births outnumber deaths in 2026; the medium scenario projects deaths to exceed births from 2029. People aged 65 and older came to outnumber children under 15 between 2023 and 2025.
Births, deaths, and migration
A pyramid changes in only three ways: births add to the base, deaths remove people at every age, and migration adds or removes people mainly in young adulthood. In 2026, Barbados is projected to record 3,107 births (about 9 births a day) and 2,937 deaths, a natural increase of 170. Net migration adds −98 people, ranking #120 in the net migration rate ranking.
Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates 82,294 births, 61,881 deaths, and cumulative net migration of −620. Over that period the balance of births and deaths moved the total more than migration did. See how migration shapes a pyramid and birth rate versus fertility rate. The medium scenario assumes net migration of −4,620 between 2026 and 2050.
Annual values 1950–2100; dashed lines after 2023 are the UN medium projection. The trend table below lists the values by decade.
Life expectancy and mortality
- Life expectancy, women
- 79.0 years55.1 in 1950
- Life expectancy, men
- 74.1 years51.3 in 1950
- Further years at 65
- 17.4 yearsboth sexes
- Infant mortality
- 10.5per 1,000 births · 147 in 1950
- Under-five mortality
- 11.7per 1,000 births
- Mother’s mean age at birth
- 27.7 yearssex ratio at birth 103.5
Women in Barbados are projected to live 4.9 years longer than men, which is why the female side of the pyramid widens relative to the other at older ages (see the life expectancy gap ranking). Infant mortality has fallen from 147 to 10.5 deaths per 1,000 live births since 1950, ranking #107 of 237 in the infant mortality ranking (highest first). A mean age at childbearing of 27.7 years sets the spacing between generations, and so how far apart echo cohorts sit in the pyramid.
Median age, fertility rate, and global ranks for Barbados
The median age of 39.7 years splits the population into two equal halves. A total fertility rate of 1.70 births per woman is below the replacement level of roughly 2.1, and life expectancy at birth is 76.6 years.
These ranks compare all 237 countries and areas in this dataset using the same 2026 UN medium projection. Ranks use the stored source precision, so displayed rounding can make adjacent values look identical; small differences should not be overinterpreted.
| Indicator | 2026 value | Global rank | Ranking direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 282,724 | #187 | Largest first |
| Median age | 39.7 years | #64 | Oldest first |
| Fertility rate | 1.70 | #137 | Highest first |
| Annual growth | +0.0% | #171 | Fastest first |
| Life expectancy | 76.6 years | #109 | Highest first |
| Population aged 65+ | 17.6% | #65 | Highest share first |
Largest age groups in Barbados
The five largest cohorts identify where the 2026 population is concentrated. They can reflect past birth patterns, survival, and migration; the chart alone does not establish which cause dominates.
| Rank | Age group | Population | Share of total | Male / female |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 50–54 | 19,225 | 6.8% | 9.1K / 10.1K |
| 2 | 40–44 | 19,029 | 6.7% | 9.2K / 9.8K |
| 3 | 60–64 | 18,965 | 6.7% | 8.6K / 10.4K |
| 4 | 55–59 | 18,721 | 6.6% | 8.8K / 9.9K |
| 5 | 25–29 | 18,571 | 6.6% | 9.4K / 9.2K |
Sex ratio and the balance by age
In the 2026 projection, Barbados has 135,581 males and 147,143 females. That is 92.1 males per 100 females, ranking #203 when the dataset is ordered from the highest male-to-female ratio to the lowest.
Males account for 48.0% of the population and females for 52.0%. There are 11,562 more females than males overall. Among people aged 65 and older, the ratio is 73.6 males per 100 females.
The overall balance can conceal large differences by age; how sex ratios change with age explains the usual pattern. The ratio reflects the male/female categories in the UN source and is not a measure of gender identity. Compare all profiles in the sex-ratio ranking.
At birth, 103.5 boys are projected to be born for every 100 girls in 2026, close to the biological norm of about 105 (compare the sex ratio at birth ranking). The ratio at birth sets the balance at the base of the pyramid; how it changes with age then depends on survival and migration.
How Barbados has changed since 1950
The population has increased from 209,917 in 1950 to 282,724 in 2026, a change of 35%. Over the same span, median age moved from 21.7 to 39.7 years.
The under-15 share changed from 36.5% to 16.9%, while the share aged 65 and older changed from 5.2% to 17.6%. These shifts show why total population growth and age-structure change need to be read separately.
How the population could change by 2050
Under the UN medium scenario, Barbados’s population is projected to decline by about 7%, reaching 264,216 in 2050. The median age changes from 39.7 to 44.3 years.
The 65+ share is projected to rise by 6.8 percentage points to 24.4%. At the same time, the under-15 share is projected at 14.9%. How UN projections work explains the assumptions behind these figures.
The annual UN series reaches its highest projected population of 282,793 in 2028. That turning point depends on the medium scenario and may move in later revisions. Compare timing across countries in the population peak ranking.
Population trend: 1950–2100
Mid-year population for every year. Estimates through 2023; dashed line shows the UN medium projection.
| Year | Population | Median age | Fertility | Life exp. | Births | Deaths | Net migration | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 209,917 | 21.7 | 4.47 | 53.6 | 7,272 | 3,258 | −340 | +1.8% |
| 1960 | 230,893 | 20.8 | 4.71 | 64.1 | 8,078 | 2,129 | −3,315 | +1.1% |
| 1970 | 249,387 | 21.3 | 3.08 | 68.5 | 6,009 | 1,737 | −4,852 | -0.2% |
| 1980 | 251,524 | 24.3 | 1.78 | 72.1 | 3,950 | 1,557 | −1,687 | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 258,582 | 28.1 | 1.84 | 73.5 | 4,286 | 2,184 | −1,474 | +0.2% |
| 2000 | 262,063 | 32.4 | 1.93 | 74.6 | 3,969 | 2,393 | −2,628 | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 275,243 | 35.6 | 1.78 | 75.5 | 3,514 | 2,533 | −36 | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 281,698 | 38.2 | 1.71 | 76.6 | 3,193 | 2,690 | 0 | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 282,336 | 38.9 | 1.71 | 76.2 | 3,155 | 2,996 | −80 | +0.0% |
| 2024* | 282,467 | 39.2 | 1.71 | 76.3 | 3,140 | 2,890 | −70 | +0.1% |
| 2026* | 282,724 | 39.7 | 1.70 | 76.6 | 3,107 | 2,937 | −98 | +0.0% |
| 2030* | 282,490 | 40.4 | 1.70 | 77.3 | 3,014 | 3,085 | −175 | -0.1% |
| 2040* | 276,346 | 42.5 | 1.68 | 78.8 | 2,731 | 3,502 | −217 | -0.4% |
| 2050* | 264,216 | 44.3 | 1.68 | 80.3 | 2,479 | 3,622 | −194 | -0.5% |
| 2060* | 250,870 | 45.8 | 1.67 | 81.8 | 2,279 | 3,442 | −204 | -0.6% |
| 2070* | 237,282 | 47.0 | 1.66 | 83.2 | 2,075 | 3,268 | −199 | -0.6% |
| 2080* | 223,393 | 48.3 | 1.66 | 84.5 | 1,892 | 3,154 | −170 | -0.6% |
| 2090* | 208,992 | 49.3 | 1.66 | 85.7 | 1,734 | 3,036 | −142 | -0.7% |
| 2100* | 194,698 | 50.1 | 1.66 | 86.9 | 1,585 | 2,839 | −138 | -0.7% |
* 2024 onward is the UN medium projection. Fertility is births per woman; life expectancy is years at birth; births, deaths, and net migration are counts for that calendar year.
Download every year, 1950–2100 (CSV)
2026 population by age and sex
The table provides the counts behind the chart. Age groups are five-year bands, with everyone aged 100 or older combined.
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 7,898 | 7,652 | 15,550 | 5.5% |
| 5–9 | 8,087 | 7,827 | 15,914 | 5.6% |
| 10–14 | 8,334 | 8,063 | 16,397 | 5.8% |
| 15–19 | 9,220 | 8,835 | 18,055 | 6.4% |
| 20–24 | 9,095 | 8,934 | 18,029 | 6.4% |
| 25–29 | 9,387 | 9,184 | 18,571 | 6.6% |
| 30–34 | 8,964 | 9,133 | 18,097 | 6.4% |
| 35–39 | 9,027 | 9,297 | 18,324 | 6.5% |
| 40–44 | 9,245 | 9,784 | 19,029 | 6.7% |
| 45–49 | 8,641 | 9,380 | 18,021 | 6.4% |
| 50–54 | 9,130 | 10,095 | 19,225 | 6.8% |
| 55–59 | 8,825 | 9,896 | 18,721 | 6.6% |
| 60–64 | 8,608 | 10,357 | 18,965 | 6.7% |
| 65–69 | 7,795 | 9,676 | 17,471 | 6.2% |
| 70–74 | 6,101 | 7,848 | 13,949 | 4.9% |
| 75–79 | 4,041 | 5,539 | 9,580 | 3.4% |
| 80–84 | 2,111 | 3,316 | 5,427 | 1.9% |
| 85–89 | 835 | 1,613 | 2,448 | 0.9% |
| 90–94 | 206 | 591 | 797 | 0.3% |
| 95–99 | 30 | 116 | 146 | 0.1% |
| 100+ | 1 | 9 | 10 | 0.0% |
Countries with the most similar age structure
These profiles have the 2026 age distributions closest to Barbados’s, measured by the total difference in the share of the population in each five-year band. Similar shapes can arise from very different histories, so the match is a starting point for comparison, not an explanation.
- Montenegro97% overlap · median age 40.4
- North Macedonia97% overlap · median age 41.4
- United States97% overlap · median age 38.7
- New Zealand96% overlap · median age 38.0
- Norway96% overlap · median age 40.1
- United Kingdom96% overlap · median age 40.2
To calculate school-age, working-age, or older groups with other boundaries, use the age-group calculator for Barbados.
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APA
World Population Pyramid. (2026, October 19). Barbados Population Pyramid 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/barbados/
MLA
“Barbados Population Pyramid 2026.” World Population Pyramid, 19 Oct. 2026, worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/barbados/.
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World Population Pyramid. “Barbados Population Pyramid 2026.” Last modified October 19, 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/barbados/.
Underlying data: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024.
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Barbados in 2026?
Under the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium scenario, Barbados's population in 2026 is projected at 282,724.
What is the median age in Barbados?
The projected median age in Barbados in 2026 is 39.7 years: half the population is younger and half is older.
What is the fertility rate in Barbados?
The projected total fertility rate in 2026 is 1.70 births per woman, below the replacement level of about 2.1 in low-mortality populations.
Is Barbados's population projected to grow?
Between 2026 and 2050, the UN medium scenario indicates the population will decline by about 7%, from 282.7K to 264.2K.
What share of Barbados is aged 65 or older?
In 2026, 17.6% of the projected population is aged 65 or older. By 2050, the medium scenario places the share at 24.4%.
How many babies are born in Barbados each year?
The UN medium scenario projects 3,107 births and 2,937 deaths in 2026, about 9 births a day. Births exceed deaths by 170.
What is life expectancy in Barbados for men and women?
Life expectancy at birth in 2026 is projected at 79.0 years for women and 74.1 years for men, a gap of 4.9 years in favour of women.
Does Barbados have more immigrants or emigrants?
Barbados is projected to lose about 98 more people through emigration than it gains in 2026. Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates cumulative net migration of −620.
What is the sex ratio in Barbados?
The projected 2026 population sex ratio is 92.1 males per 100 females. This all-age ratio is different from the sex ratio at birth and can vary substantially by age.
Sources and notes
- United Nations, DESA, Population Division: World Population Prospects 2024, medium scenario.
- Population values are mid-year figures. Source values published in thousands are converted to people; displayed figures may imply more precision than is appropriate for planning.
- Historical values through 2023 are estimates. Values from 2024 onward are projections.
- Calculations follow the site methodology.