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Antigua & Barbuda - Society

KEY FACTS 2005

  • Birth Rate: 17 per 1,000
  • Population per sq km: 155
  • Life Expectancy: 72 years
  • Infant Mortality: 11 per 1,000
  • Adult illiteracy: 14.2% (1995–2005)

Population: 77,000 (2007); 38% lives in urban areas; growth 0.5% p.a. 1970–90 and 1.7% p.a. 1990–2004; birth rate (2005) 17 per 1,000 people (26 in 1970); life expectancy 72 years (67 in 1970). Most of the population is of African descent.

Religion: Mainly Christians (Anglicans and other Protestants, some Roman Catholics).

Language: English; English-based Creole is also spoken.

Media: State-owned Antigua and Barbuda Broadcasting Services (ABS) runs ABS Television. Cable television is widely available.

ABS operates ABS Radio, and Crusader Radio is run by the United Progressive Party. Observer Radio was the country’s first independent radio station, launched in 2001.

Several of Antigua and Barbuda’s private TV and radio stations are affiliated to the Antigua Labour Party.

Antigua Sun and Daily Observer are dailies; The Worker’s Voice (Antigua Labour Party) is published twice weekly, and The Sunday Scoop weekly (from September 2004). There are 10,000 internet users (2002).

Education: Public spending on education was 3.8% of GDP in 2002/03. There are 12 years of compulsory education starting at age five. The school year starts in September.

Antigua State College in St John’s provides technical and teacher education, GCE A-Level and first-year University of the West Indies courses. Antigua and Barbuda is a partner in the regional University of the West Indies, which has campuses in Barbados, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Health: 91% of the population uses an improved drinking water source and 98% in urban areas have access to adequate sanitation facilities (2004/2005). The country has a general hospital (220 beds), a private clinic, seven health centres and 17 associated clinics. Government finances visits by specialists in diabetics, heart disease, hypertension and glaucoma. A new hospital was built in the late 1990s. Infant mortality was 11 per 1,000 live births in 2005.

Communications: Country code 1 268. Mobile phone coverage is good and roaming agreements exist with most international mobile phone companies. Visitors with TDMA handsets can make calls without registering, provided they can give a credit card number.

Internet cafes can be found in the resort areas. Many hotels have high-speed connections, and some bars and restaurants provide Wi-Fi access.

There are 493 main telephone lines and 701 mobile phones per 1,000 people (2004).

Public holidays: New Year’s Day, Labour Day (early May), Queen’s Official Birthday (June), CARICOM Day (early July), Carnival (two days in early August), Merchant Holiday (7 October), Independence Day (1 November), Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Religious and other festivals whose dates vary from year to year include Good Friday, Easter Monday and Whit Monday.

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