Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Barbados
Barbados: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) was 6.0% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Barbados, 1976–2024
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2024, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Barbados stood at 6.0%. That is the lowest value across all 41 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 7.8% on the previous year and down 51.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Barbados peaked at 24.5% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 6.0%, in 2024.
Barbados ranks 78th of 187 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 41 years of available data.
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Barbados, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 15.6% | — |
| 1977 | 15.7% | +0.6% |
| 1978 | 13.7% | -12.7% |
| 1979 | 11.3% | -17.5% |
| 1980 | 11.4% | +0.9% |
| 1981 | 10.9% | -4.7% |
| 1982 | 13.8% | +26.6% |
| 1983 | 15.0% | +9.2% |
| 1984 | 17.1% | +13.9% |
| 1985 | 18.9% | +10.3% |
| 1986 | 17.9% | -5.2% |
| 1987 | 17.9% | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 17.6% | -2.0% |
| 1989 | 14.1% | -20.0% |
| 1990 | 15.0% | +7.0% |
| 1991 | 17.1% | +13.7% |
| 1992 | 23.0% | +34.7% |
| 1993 | 24.5% | +6.6% |
| 1994 | 21.9% | -10.8% |
| 1995 | 19.7% | -10.2% |
| 1996 | 15.8% | -19.7% |
| 1997 | 14.6% | -7.5% |
| 1998 | 12.4% | -15.1% |
| 1999 | 10.6% | -14.4% |
| 2000 | 9.3% | -11.9% |
| 2001 | 9.8% | +5.4% |
| 2002 | 10.3% | +4.8% |
| 2003 | 11.0% | +6.6% |
| 2009 | 10.0% | -9.1% |
| 2010 | 10.7% | +7.0% |
| 2013 | 11.5% | +7.9% |
| 2014 | 12.3% | +6.5% |
| 2015 | 9.8% | -20.3% |
| 2016 | 8.2% | -15.9% |
| 2017 | 8.6% | +4.5% |
| 2018 | 8.3% | -3.5% |
| 2019 | 8.4% | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 11.0% | +31.0% |
| 2022 | 7.3% | -34.1% |
| 2023 | 6.5% | -9.9% |
| 2024 | 6.0% | -7.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 14.1% | 11.3% | 15.7% | 4 |
| 1980s | 15.4% | 10.9% | 18.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 17.5% | 10.6% | 24.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 10.1% | 9.3% | 11.0% | 5 |
| 2010s | 9.7% | 8.2% | 12.3% | 8 |
| 2020s | 7.7% | 6.0% | 11.0% | 4 |
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, total (% of total labor force) in Barbados?
- Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Barbados was 6.0% in 2024, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Barbados?
- The highest recorded value was 24.5% in 1993.
- What is the lowest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Barbados?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.0% in 2024.
- How does Barbados rank for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?
- Barbados ranks 78th out of 187 countries with data for 2024.
- Is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) rising or falling in Barbados?
- Over the last ten years it is down 51.0%. 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, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
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.