Unemployment rate in Barbados
Barbados: Unemployment rate was 6.52 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
6.52
Change on year
up 1.2%
World rank
69th
of 186 countries
All-time high
24.54
in 1993
All-time low
6.45
in 2024
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Unemployment rate in Barbados, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment rate in Barbados is 6.52, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 1.2% on the previous year and down 33.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Barbados peaked at 24.54 in 1993 and was at its lowest, 6.45, in 2024.
Barbados ranks 69th of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment rate in Barbados, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 22.41 | — |
| 1992 | 22.94 | +2.4% |
| 1993 | 24.54 | +7.0% |
| 1994 | 22.98 | -6.4% |
| 1995 | 19.66 | -14.4% |
| 1996 | 14.71 | -25.2% |
| 1997 | 14.61 | -0.7% |
| 1998 | 12.4 | -15.1% |
| 1999 | 10.61 | -14.4% |
| 2000 | 9.35 | -11.9% |
| 2001 | 9.85 | +5.3% |
| 2002 | 10.32 | +4.8% |
| 2003 | 11 | +6.6% |
| 2004 | 9.57 | -13.0% |
| 2005 | 9.08 | -5.1% |
| 2006 | 8.73 | -3.9% |
| 2007 | 7.41 | -15.1% |
| 2008 | 8.12 | +9.6% |
| 2009 | 10.02 | +23.4% |
| 2010 | 10.69 | +6.7% |
| 2011 | 11.19 | +4.7% |
| 2012 | 11.59 | +3.6% |
| 2013 | 11.55 | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 12.17 | +5.4% |
| 2015 | 9.8 | -19.4% |
| 2016 | 8.25 | -15.9% |
| 2017 | 8.62 | +4.5% |
| 2018 | 8.32 | -3.5% |
| 2019 | 8.41 | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 10.59 | +25.9% |
| 2021 | 11.02 | +4.1% |
| 2022 | 7.26 | -34.1% |
| 2023 | 6.54 | -9.9% |
| 2024 | 6.45 | -1.4% |
| 2025 | 6.52 | +1.2% |
Barbados compared with similar countries
- Barbados's 6.52 is above the median for high income countries, which is 5.04, 1.3× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Barbados's 6.52 is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 5.99, 1.1× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 18.32 | 10.61 | 24.54 | 9 |
| 2000s | 9.35 | 7.41 | 11 | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.06 | 8.25 | 12.17 | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.06 | 6.45 | 11.02 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Barbados
More work & labour data for Barbados
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.7079 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.6853 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.7302 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.9854 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.8257 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 114.42 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 165.89 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 97.75 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 96.95 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 194.7 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rate in Barbados?
- Unemployment rate in Barbados was 6.52 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in Barbados?
- The highest recorded value was 24.54 in 1993.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Barbados?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.45 in 2024.
- How does Barbados rank for unemployment rate?
- Barbados ranks 69th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Barbados?
- Over the last ten years it is down 33.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Barbados data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).