Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Barbados

Barbados: Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) was 5.4% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
5.4%
Change on year
down 22.0%
World rank
107th
of 181 countries
All-time high
27.7%
in 1993
All-time low
5.4%
in 2024
Years of data
41
1976–2024

Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Barbados, 1976–2024

510152025301976200020241976: 201977: 22.11978: 16.91979: 16.21980: 14.81981: 15.11982: 18.11983: 19.81984: 22.11985: 24.21986: 231987: 23.31988: 23.31989: 18.71990: 20.21991: 211992: 25.81993: 27.71994: 25.61995: 22.71996: 18.91997: 181998: 16.51999: 13.42000: 11.52001: 11.82002: 12.12003: 12.62009: 9.82010: 10.62013: 11.42014: 12.82015: 92016: 8.72017: 8.82018: 8.52019: 7.32021: 11.62022: 7.62023: 6.92024: 5.4

Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).

Analysis

In 2024, unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Barbados stood at 5.4%. That is the lowest value across all 41 years on record.

The figure is down 22.0% on the previous year and down 57.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Barbados peaked at 27.7% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 5.4%, in 2024.

That places Barbados 107th out of 181 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 41 years of available data.

Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Barbados, year by year

Annual values for Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) (national estimate) in Barbados, 1976 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1976 20.0%
1977 22.1% +10.5%
1978 16.9% -23.5%
1979 16.2% -4.1%
1980 14.8% -8.6%
1981 15.1% +1.9%
1982 18.1% +19.8%
1983 19.8% +9.4%
1984 22.1% +11.7%
1985 24.2% +9.6%
1986 23.0% -5.1%
1987 23.3% +1.3%
1988 23.3% +0.3%
1989 18.7% -19.8%
1990 20.2% +7.9%
1991 21.0% +4.1%
1992 25.8% +22.7%
1993 27.7% +7.3%
1994 25.6% -7.4%
1995 22.7% -11.3%
1996 18.9% -16.8%
1997 18.0% -4.8%
1998 16.5% -8.2%
1999 13.4% -18.8%
2000 11.5% -14.5%
2001 11.8% +3.0%
2002 12.1% +2.8%
2003 12.6% +3.4%
2009 9.8% -21.9%
2010 10.6% +8.2%
2013 11.4% +7.8%
2014 12.8% +12.0%
2015 9.0% -30.0%
2016 8.7% -3.5%
2017 8.8% +1.5%
2018 8.5% -2.8%
2019 7.3% -14.8%
2021 11.6% +59.0%
2022 7.6% -34.5%
2023 6.9% -8.8%
2024 5.4% -22.0%

Barbados compared with similar countries

  • Barbados's 5.4% is below the median for high income countries, which is 5.5%, 98% of the median. (75 countries reporting)
  • Barbados's 5.4% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 7.9%, 68% of the median. (35 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 18.8% 16.2% 22.1% 4
1980s 20.2% 14.8% 24.2% 10
1990s 21.0% 13.4% 27.7% 10
2000s 11.6% 9.8% 12.6% 5
2010s 9.6% 7.3% 12.8% 8
2020s 7.9% 5.4% 11.6% 4

Countries ranked near Barbados

  1. 104 Kazakhstan 5.5% compare
  2. 105 New Zealand 5.4% compare
  3. 106 Austria 5.4% compare
  4. 108 Nicaragua 5.3% compare
  5. 109 Ethiopia 5.3% compare
  6. 110 Naoero 5.2% compare

See the full ranking of 205 places →

More work & labour data for Barbados

All data for Barbados →

Frequently asked questions

What is unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Barbados?
Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Barbados was 5.4% in 2024, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
What is the highest unemployment, female (% of female labor force) recorded in Barbados?
The highest recorded value was 27.7% in 1993.
What is the lowest unemployment, female (% of female labor force) recorded in Barbados?
The lowest recorded value was 5.4% in 2024.
How does Barbados rank for unemployment, female (% of female labor force)?
Barbados ranks 107th out of 181 countries with data for 2024.
Is unemployment, female (% of female labor force) rising or falling in Barbados?
Over the last ten years it is down 57.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Barbados data come from?
The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Barbados. Statizoid, drawing on Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO). Retrieved 13 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/unemployment-female-percent-of-female-labor-force-national-estimate/barbados/

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About this data

Indicator
Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) (national estimate)
Source
Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
205 places, 5,402 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.