What Is The Ethnic Composition Of The Population Of Barbados?

People in the ocean in Barbados. Editorial credit: Styve Reineck / Shutterstock.com.

Barbados is an island nation that prides itself to be among the premier tourist destinations in the world. The sovereign island nation is located on a land area which is 431 square kilometers in size. It is the 4th most densely populated state in the Americas. English is the official language used for communication in Barbados. It is also used in learning institutions as well as public service. In informal settings, a variation of English known as Bajan is commonly spoken by the locals. This form of English is often unintelligible to the regular English speaker due to the influence of other Caribbean dialects on it. As of 2019, the population of Barbados is approximately 287,026. The country’s capital city is Bridgetown and its economic growth rate is 0.13%. Barbados is made up of four major ethnic groups namely Black, White, Asian, and mixed races.

Africans or Afro-Caribbean

Barbados is predominantly inhabited by people of African descent who form about 92.4% of its population. Prior to the abolishment of the slave trade in Europe in 1833, Barbados served as a popular slave trade center. Most of the enslaved people were transported from Africa, especially areas that are today countries like Togo, Ghana, Benin, and Nigeria.

White, Mixed, and Asian

White people make up 2.7% of the ethnic composition in Barbados. The majority are from the United Kingdom and Ireland. These groups of people are also known as the White-Bajans or Euro-Bajans. The Asian population comprises of the East and South Asians whose numbers amount to 1.3% of the population in Barbados.