• Barbados:
• Society

Barbados - Society

Population: 294,000 (2007); 52% lives in urban areas; growth 0.4% p.a. 1970–90 and 0.3% p.a. 1990–2004; birth rate (2005) 13 per 1,000 people (22 in 1970); life expectancy 75 years (69 in 1970). The population is 90% of African descent, 4% of European descent, and the remaining 6% of Asian or mixed descent.

Religion: Mainly Christians (Anglicans 40%, Pentecostals 8%, Methodists 7%, Roman Catholics 4%), with small Jewish, Hindu and Muslim communities.

Language: English is the official and first language. English Creole is also widely spoken.

Media: There is freedom of press and broadcasting in Barbados, and diverse political views are openly discussed and widely presented.

The only terrestrial television channel is CBC TV, which is operated by the state-owned Caribbean Broadcasting Company (CBC). CBC also runs CBC Radio; Faith 102 FM is a religious radio station operated by Barbados Broadcasting Services.

All the newspapers are privately owned. Dailies are Barbados Advocate/Sunday Advocate and The Nation, and weeklies, Broad Street Journal (business) and Weekend Investigator; Caribbean Week is a fortnightly.

There are 125 personal computers (2004) and 595 internet users (2006) per 1,000 people.

Education: Public spending on education was 6.9% of GDP in 2005. There are 11 years of compulsory education starting at age four. Net enrolment ratios are 98% for primary and 96% for secondary (2005). The pupil–teacher ratio for primary is 15:1 and for secondary, 16:1 (2005). Computers are widely available to schools. The school year starts in September.

About 38% of the relevant age group is enrolled in tertiary education (2000/01). The University of the West Indies has a campus at Cave Hill, Barbados, as well as in Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago. Other tertiary institutions include the Barbados Community College, with its Hospitality Institute, Samuel Jackson Prescod Polytechnic and Erdiston College (offering teacher education). There is virtually no illiteracy among people age 15–24.

Health: Barbados has a national health service and the general health profile and life expectancy of a developed country; virtually the entire population uses an improved drinking water source and adequate sanitation facilities (2005). Infant mortality was 11 per 1,000 live births in 2005 (74 in 1960). At the end of 2005, 1.2% of people age 15 and over were HIV positive.

Communications: Country code 1 246. Mobile phone coverage is good on the island and roaming agreements exist with many international mobile phone companies. Internet connections exist in most parts of the country and internet cafes can be found in many of the resort areas. There are also Wi-Fi hotspots for visitors to access.

There are 501 main telephone lines and 767 mobile phones per 1,000 people (2006).

Public holidays: New Year’s Day, Errol Barrow Day (21 January), Heroes Day (28 April), Labour Day (early May), Emancipation Day (1 August), Kadooment Day (early August), Independence Day (30 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.