British Virgin Islands population pyramid 2026
Latin America and the Caribbean · Caribbean
39,936 people in 2026 (projected). The British Virgin Islands nearly doubled in population between 2000 and 2023 through migration, while fertility fell to about one child per woman.
- 2026 population
- 39.9Krank 218 of 237
- Median age
- 39.1 yearsoldest rank 69
- Fertility rate
- 1.07births per woman · below replacement
- Structure
- Older10.6% age 65+
British Virgin Islands 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.
British Virgin Islands age distribution in 2026
Children under 15 account for 13.8% of the population, while 10.6% are aged 65 or older. The remaining 75.6% are in the conventional working-age range of 15–64. On these shares, the site classifies British Virgin Islands’s age structure as older; the guide to constrictive population pyramids explains what that shape implies.
The total age dependency ratio is 32.3: about 32 people under 15 or 65+ for every 100 people aged 15–64 (18.2 children and 14.1 older people). This is an age-balance indicator, not a literal count of economic dependants per worker.
What shapes British Virgin Islands’s population pyramid
A working-age bulge from abroad
The territory had about 7,400 people in 1950 and 20,000 in 2000; by 2023 it had about 39,000. Most of that recent growth came from migration, a net gain of about 16,000 people over 2000–23, against a natural increase of about 3,000. Migrants tend to arrive at working ages, which helps explain why the pyramid bulges between about 30 and 55 and why the 40–44 band, born around 1982–86, is the largest. A second, smaller bulge at 15–19 marks children born around 2007–11.
More women than men
The overall sex ratio is about 90 men per 100 women. Children are balanced, but from the late twenties women predominate, with 85 men per 100 women at 30–34 and 83 at 40–44. This points to a migrant population with more women than men, though the chart alone cannot identify the occupations or origins involved.
Fertility has fallen from about five children per woman in 1950 to about 1.0 in 2023, so the base of the pyramid keeps narrowing. Because no five-year band holds more than about four thousand people, small changes in migration can reshape it quickly.
Under the medium scenario the population peaks at about 41,000 in 2039 and deaths overtake births from 2034. The closest structures are the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Cayman Islands, two other Caribbean financial and tourism centres shaped by migration.
What to notice across the years
Distinctive cohorts and turning points
Comparing each five-year band with its neighbours picks out the cohorts that break a smooth slope. These irregularities usually record past surges or deficits in births, or migration concentrated at particular ages; the pattern alone does not identify which. The guide to baby booms and echo cohorts explains how to date and interpret them.
| Age band in 2026 | Born about | Feature | Versus neighbouring bands |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15–19 | 2007–2011 | Bulge (larger cohort) | +12% |
Births outnumber deaths in 2026; the medium scenario projects deaths to exceed births from 2034. People aged 65 and older are projected to outnumber children under 15 by 2030.
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, British Virgin Islands is projected to record 321 births (about 321 births a year) and 251 deaths, a natural increase of 70. Net migration adds +105 people, ranking #42 in the net migration rate ranking.
Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates 6,821 births, 3,740 deaths, and cumulative net migration of +16,262. Over that period migration moved the total more than the balance of births and deaths did. See how migration shapes a pyramid and birth rate versus fertility rate. The medium scenario assumes net migration of +1,933 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
- 80.5 years54.6 in 1950
- Life expectancy, men
- 75.0 years52.2 in 1950
- Further years at 65
- 17.0 yearsboth sexes
- Infant mortality
- 10.1per 1,000 births · 124 in 1950
- Under-five mortality
- 11.6per 1,000 births
- Mother’s mean age at birth
- 28.7 yearssex ratio at birth 105.3
Women in British Virgin Islands are projected to live 5.5 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 124 to 10.1 deaths per 1,000 live births since 1950, ranking #113 of 237 in the infant mortality ranking (highest first). A mean age at childbearing of 28.7 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 British Virgin Islands
The median age of 39.1 years splits the population into two equal halves. A total fertility rate of 1.07 births per woman is below the replacement level of roughly 2.1, and life expectancy at birth is 77.8 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 | 39,936 | #218 | Largest first |
| Median age | 39.1 years | #69 | Oldest first |
| Fertility rate | 1.07 | #226 | Highest first |
| Annual growth | +0.4% | #139 | Fastest first |
| Life expectancy | 77.8 years | #89 | Highest first |
| Population aged 65+ | 10.6% | #113 | Highest share first |
Largest age groups in British Virgin Islands
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 | 40–44 | 3,914 | 9.8% | 1.8K / 2.1K |
| 2 | 45–49 | 3,779 | 9.5% | 1.7K / 2.1K |
| 3 | 35–39 | 3,456 | 8.7% | 1.5K / 1.9K |
| 4 | 50–54 | 3,166 | 7.9% | 1.5K / 1.7K |
| 5 | 30–34 | 3,019 | 7.6% | 1.4K / 1.6K |
Sex ratio and the balance by age
In the 2026 projection, British Virgin Islands has 18,897 males and 21,039 females. That is 89.8 males per 100 females, ranking #219 when the dataset is ordered from the highest male-to-female ratio to the lowest.
Males account for 47.3% of the population and females for 52.7%. There are 2,142 more females than males overall. Among people aged 65 and older, the ratio is 82.9 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, 105.3 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 British Virgin Islands has changed since 1950
The population has increased from 7,372 in 1950 to 39,936 in 2026, a change of 442%. Over the same span, median age moved from 17.7 to 39.1 years.
The under-15 share changed from 43.4% to 13.8%, while the share aged 65 and older changed from 8.6% to 10.6%. 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, British Virgin Islands’s population is projected to remain broadly stable, reaching 40,340 in 2050. The median age changes from 39.1 to 49.2 years.
The 65+ share is projected to rise by 17.5 percentage points to 28.1%. At the same time, the under-15 share is projected at 11.1%. How UN projections work explains the assumptions behind these figures.
The annual UN series reaches its highest projected population of 41,208 in 2039. 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 | 7,372 | 17.7 | 5.05 | 53.3 | 253 | 141 | −92 | +0.7% |
| 1960 | 7,950 | 16.6 | 4.81 | 62.7 | 264 | 84 | −59 | +1.7% |
| 1970 | 9,933 | 19.7 | 3.74 | 66.4 | 341 | 73 | −101 | +1.7% |
| 1980 | 11,130 | 22.3 | 2.92 | 69.6 | 283 | 77 | +58 | +2.3% |
| 1990 | 15,704 | 25.9 | 1.78 | 72.4 | 272 | 86 | +351 | +3.4% |
| 2000 | 20,241 | 29.7 | 1.84 | 74.8 | 294 | 92 | +313 | +2.6% |
| 2010 | 27,676 | 32.7 | 1.18 | 76.3 | 275 | 140 | −125 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 37,135 | 36.3 | 0.97 | 76.9 | 304 | 215 | +888 | +2.6% |
| 2023 | 38,985 | 37.5 | 1.04 | 77.3 | 325 | 233 | +587 | +1.8% |
| 2024* | 39,471 | 38.0 | 1.05 | 77.4 | 324 | 239 | +212 | +0.7% |
| 2026* | 39,936 | 39.1 | 1.07 | 77.8 | 321 | 251 | +105 | +0.4% |
| 2030* | 40,592 | 41.3 | 1.10 | 78.4 | 314 | 282 | +110 | +0.3% |
| 2040* | 41,200 | 46.0 | 1.16 | 80.1 | 304 | 380 | +63 | -0.0% |
| 2050* | 40,340 | 49.2 | 1.22 | 81.6 | 264 | 482 | +36 | -0.5% |
| 2060* | 38,342 | 51.4 | 1.27 | 83.1 | 248 | 567 | +41 | -0.7% |
| 2070* | 35,406 | 52.6 | 1.31 | 84.4 | 240 | 600 | +67 | -0.8% |
| 2080* | 32,470 | 51.7 | 1.35 | 85.6 | 225 | 552 | +60 | -0.8% |
| 2090* | 29,976 | 51.3 | 1.38 | 86.8 | 210 | 479 | +87 | -0.6% |
| 2100* | 27,890 | 51.3 | 1.40 | 87.9 | 202 | 434 | +21 | -0.8% |
* 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 | 845 | 810 | 1,655 | 4.1% |
| 5–9 | 894 | 861 | 1,755 | 4.4% |
| 10–14 | 1,056 | 1,036 | 2,092 | 5.2% |
| 15–19 | 1,329 | 1,288 | 2,617 | 6.6% |
| 20–24 | 1,284 | 1,286 | 2,570 | 6.4% |
| 25–29 | 1,308 | 1,389 | 2,697 | 6.8% |
| 30–34 | 1,389 | 1,630 | 3,019 | 7.6% |
| 35–39 | 1,541 | 1,915 | 3,456 | 8.7% |
| 40–44 | 1,778 | 2,136 | 3,914 | 9.8% |
| 45–49 | 1,722 | 2,057 | 3,779 | 9.5% |
| 50–54 | 1,468 | 1,698 | 3,166 | 7.9% |
| 55–59 | 1,288 | 1,440 | 2,728 | 6.8% |
| 60–64 | 1,072 | 1,173 | 2,245 | 5.6% |
| 65–69 | 839 | 915 | 1,754 | 4.4% |
| 70–74 | 525 | 648 | 1,173 | 2.9% |
| 75–79 | 327 | 404 | 731 | 1.8% |
| 80–84 | 164 | 215 | 379 | 0.9% |
| 85–89 | 54 | 96 | 150 | 0.4% |
| 90–94 | 15 | 36 | 51 | 0.1% |
| 95–99 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 0.0% |
| 100+ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
Countries with the most similar age structure
These profiles have the 2026 age distributions closest to British Virgin Islands’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.
- Turks and Caicos Islands95% overlap · median age 39.6
- Cayman Islands95% overlap · median age 39.1
- Trinidad and Tobago93% overlap · median age 38.2
- Saint Lucia93% overlap · median age 35.1
- Saint Kitts and Nevis93% overlap · median age 36.5
- Palau92% overlap · median age 38.9
To calculate school-age, working-age, or older groups with other boundaries, use the age-group calculator for British Virgin Islands.
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APA
World Population Pyramid. (2026, October 19). British Virgin Islands Population Pyramid 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/british-virgin-islands/
MLA
“British Virgin Islands Population Pyramid 2026.” World Population Pyramid, 19 Oct. 2026, worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/british-virgin-islands/.
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World Population Pyramid. “British Virgin Islands Population Pyramid 2026.” Last modified October 19, 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/british-virgin-islands/.
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 British Virgin Islands in 2026?
Under the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium scenario, British Virgin Islands's population in 2026 is projected at 39,936.
What is the median age in British Virgin Islands?
The projected median age in British Virgin Islands in 2026 is 39.1 years: half the population is younger and half is older.
What is the fertility rate in British Virgin Islands?
The projected total fertility rate in 2026 is 1.07 births per woman, below the replacement level of about 2.1 in low-mortality populations.
Is British Virgin Islands's population projected to grow?
Between 2026 and 2050, the UN medium scenario indicates the population will remain broadly stable, from 39.9K to 40.3K.
What share of British Virgin Islands is aged 65 or older?
In 2026, 10.6% of the projected population is aged 65 or older. By 2050, the medium scenario places the share at 28.1%.
How many babies are born in British Virgin Islands each year?
The UN medium scenario projects 321 births and 251 deaths in 2026, about 321 births a year. Births exceed deaths by 70.
What is life expectancy in British Virgin Islands for men and women?
Life expectancy at birth in 2026 is projected at 80.5 years for women and 75.0 years for men, a gap of 5.5 years in favour of women.
Does British Virgin Islands have more immigrants or emigrants?
British Virgin Islands is projected to gain about 105 more people through migration than it loses in 2026. Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates cumulative net migration of +16,262.
What is the sex ratio in British Virgin Islands?
The projected 2026 population sex ratio is 89.8 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.