Antigua and Barbuda

Broadcast media

state-controlled Antigua and Barbuda Broadcasting Service (ABS) operates 1 TV station; multi-channel cable TV subscription services are available; ABS operates 1 radio station; roughly 15 radio stations, some broadcasting on multiple frequencies (2009)

Internet country code

.ag

Internet users

total: 60,000 | percent of population: 65.2% (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 174

Telephone system

general assessment: good automatic telephone system | domestic: fixed-line teledensity roughly 24 per 100 persons (2016); mobile-cellular teledensity is about 135 per 100 persons (2015) | international: country code - 1-268; landing points for the East Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) and the Global Caribbean Network (GCN) submarine cable systems with links to other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad; satellite earth stations - 2; tropospheric scatter to Saba (Netherlands) and Guadeloupe (France) (2016)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 22,504 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 24 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 172

Telephones - mobile cellular

total: 126,000 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 136 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 189

Agriculture - products

cotton, fruits, vegetables, bananas, coconuts, cucumbers, mangoes, sugarcane; livestock

Budget

revenues: $279.1 million | expenditures: $301.7 million (2016 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-1.6% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 76

Central bank discount rate

6.5% (31 December 2010) | 6.5% (31 December 2009) | country comparison to the world: 60

Commercial bank prime lending rate

9.61% (31 December 2016 est.) | 9.84% (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 87

Current account balance

$2 million (2016 est.) | $-175.4 million (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 77

Debt - external

$441.2 million (31 December 2012) | $458 million (June 2010) | country comparison to the world: 181

Economy - overview

Tourism continues to dominate Antigua and Barbuda's economy, accounting for nearly 60% of GDP and 40% of investment. The dual-island nation's agricultural production is focused on the domestic market and constrained by a limited water supply and a labor shortage stemming from the lure of higher wages in tourism and construction. Manufacturing comprises enclave-type assembly for export with major products being bedding, handicrafts, and electronic components. | Like other countries in the region, Antigua's economy was severely hit by effects of the global economic recession in 2009. The country suffered from the collapse of its largest private sector employer, a steep decline in tourism, a rise in debt, and a sharp economic contraction between 2009 and 2011. Antigua has not yet returned to its pre-crisis growth levels. | Prospects for economic growth in the medium term will continue to depend on tourist arrivals from the US, Canada, and Europe and could be disrupted by potential damage from natural disasters. The new government, elected in 2014 and led by Prime Minister Gaston Browne, continues to face significant fiscal challenges. The government places some hope in a new Citizenship by Investment Program to both reduce public debt levels and spur growth.

Exchange rates

East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - | 2.7 (2016 est.) | 2.7 (2015 est.) | 2.7 (2014 est.) | 2.7 (2013 est.) | 2.7 (2012 est.)

Exports

$56.5 million (2016 est.) | $58 million (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 200

Exports - commodities

petroleum products, bedding, handicrafts, electronic components, transport equipment, food and live animals

Exports - partners

Poland 53.2%, UK 12.7%, Cameroon 7.2%, Germany 5.5%, US 4.5% (2016)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP (official exchange rate)

$1.46 billion (2016 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$2.288 billion (2016 est.) | $2.145 billion (2015 est.) | $2.039 billion (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 192

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 69.2% | government consumption: 16.3% | investment in fixed capital: 21.9% | investment in inventories: 0.1% | exports of goods and services: 32.9% | imports of goods and services: -40.4% (2016 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 2.3% | industry: 20.2% | services: 77.5% (2016 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$25,400 (2016 est.) | $24,400 (2015 est.) | $23,700 (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 76

GDP - real growth rate

5.3% (2016 est.) | 4.1% (2015 est.) | 5.1% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 74

Gross national saving

24.5% of GDP (2016 est.) | 30.7% of GDP (2015 est.) | 26.4% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 109

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% | highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$407.3 million (2016 est.) | $439.2 million (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 194

Imports - commodities

food and live animals, machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, oil

Imports - partners

US 44.3%, Japan 4.7%, China 4.1% (2016)

Industrial production growth rate

3.2% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 74

Industries

tourism, construction, light manufacturing (clothing, alcohol, household appliances)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

-0.5% (2016 est.) | 1% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 29

Labor force

30,000 (1991) | country comparison to the world: 205

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 7% | industry: 11% | services: 82% (1983)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Public debt

92.7% of GDP (2016 est.) | 99.1% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 22

Stock of broad money

$1.194 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $1.148 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 170

Stock of domestic credit

$913 million (31 December 2016 est.) | $882.6 million (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 168

Stock of narrow money

$293 million (31 December 2016 est.) | $257.1 million (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 180

Taxes and other revenues

20% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 156

Unemployment rate

11% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 138

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

600,000 Mt (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 177

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 85

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 88

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 103

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2017 es) | country comparison to the world: 103

Electricity - consumption

306.9 million kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 183

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 97

Electricity - from fossil fuels

96.6% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 45

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 215

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 34

Electricity - from other renewable sources

4.6% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 99

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 117

Electricity - installed generating capacity

87,000 kW (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 180

Electricity - production

330 million kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 178

Electricity access

population without electricity: 9,358 | electrification - total population: 91% | electrification - urban areas: 100% | electrification - rural areas: 80% (2012)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 153

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 58

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 80

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 102

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 es) | country comparison to the world: 109

Refined petroleum products - consumption

5,000 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 177

Refined petroleum products - exports

90.55 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 122

Refined petroleum products - imports

4,884 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 168

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 112

Area

total: 442.6 sq km (Antigua 280 sq km; Barbuda 161 sq km) | land: 442.6 sq km | water: 0 sq km | note: includes Redonda, 1.6 sq km | country comparison to the world: 201

Area - comparative

2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation

Coastline

153 km

Elevation

mean elevation: NA | elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m | highest point: Mount Obama 402 m

Environment - current issues

water management - a major concern because of limited natural freshwater resources - is further hampered by the clearing of trees to increase crop production, causing rainfall to run off quickly

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling | signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

17 03 N, 61 48 W

Geography - note

Antigua has a deeply indented shoreline with many natural harbors and beaches; Barbuda has a large western harbor

Irrigated land

1.3 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

agricultural land: 20.5% | arable land 9.1%; permanent crops 2.3%; permanent pasture 9.1% | forest: 22.3% | other: 57.2% (2011 est.)

Location

Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm | contiguous zone: 24 nm | exclusive economic zone: 200 nm | continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Natural hazards

hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October); periodic droughts

Natural resources

NEGL; pleasant climate fosters tourism

Population - distribution

the island of Antigua is home to approximately 97% of the population; nearly the entire population of Barbuda lives in Codrington

Terrain

mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands, with some higher volcanic areas

Administrative divisions

6 parishes and 2 dependencies*; Barbuda*, Redonda*, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mary, Saint Paul, Saint Peter, Saint Philip

Capital

name: Saint John's | geographic coordinates: 17 07 N, 61 51 W | time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: yes | citizenship by descent: yes | dual citizenship recognized: yes | residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years

Constitution

several previous; latest presented 31 July 1981, effective 31 October 1981 (Antigua and Barbuda Constitutional Order 1981); amended 2009, 2011 (2016)

Country name

conventional long form: none | conventional short form: Antigua and Barbuda | etymology: "antiguo" is Spanish for "ancient" or "old"; the island was discovered by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1493 and, according to tradition, named by him after the church of Santa Maria la Antigua (Old Saint Mary's) in Seville; "barbuda" is Spanish for "bearded" and the adjective may refer to the alleged beards of the indigenous people or to the island's bearded fig trees

Diplomatic representation from the US

the US does not have an embassy in Antigua and Barbuda; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Antigua and Barbuda

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Sir Ronald SANDERS (since 17 September 2015) | chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 | telephone: [1] (202) 362-5122 | FAX: [1] (202) 362-5525 | consulate(s) general: Miami, New York

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Rodney WILLIAMS (since 14 August 2014) | head of government: Prime Minister Gaston BROWNE (since 13 June 2014) | cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister | elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the governor general

Flag description

red, with an inverted isosceles triangle based on the top edge of the flag; the triangle contains three horizontal bands of black (top), light blue, and white, with a yellow rising sun in the black band; the sun symbolizes the dawn of a new era, black represents the African heritage of most of the population, blue is for hope, and red is for the dynamism of the people; the "V" stands for victory; the successive yellow, blue, and white coloring is also meant to evoke the country's tourist attractions of sun, sea, and sand

Government type

parliamentary democracy (Parliament) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

Independence

1 November 1981 (from the UK)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s): the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC - headquartered on St. Lucia - consists of the Court of Appeal - headed by the chief justice and 4 judges - and the High Court with 18 judges; the Court of Appeal is itinerant, travelling to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts; High Court judges reside at the member states with 2 assigned to Antigua and Barbuda | judge selection and term of office: chief justice of Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court appointed by the Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62 | subordinate courts: Industrial Court; Magistrates' Courts

Legal system

common law based on the English model

Legislative branch

description: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (17 seats; members appointed by the governor general) and the House of Representatives (17 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms) | elections: House of Representatives - last held on 12 June 2014 (next to be held in 2019) | election results: percent of vote by party - ALP 56.5%, UPP 42%, other 1.5%; seats by party - ALP 14, UPP 3

National anthem

name: "Fair Antigua, We Salute Thee" | lyrics/music: Novelle Hamilton RICHARDS/Walter Garnet Picart CHAMBERS | note: adopted 1967; as a Commonwealth country, in addition to the national anthem, "God Save the Queen" serves as the royal anthem (see United Kingdom)

National holiday

Independence Day, 1 November (1981)

National symbol(s)

fallow deer; national colors: red, white, blue, black, yellow

Political parties and leaders

Antigua Caribbean Liberation Movement or ACLM | Antigua Labor Party or ALP [Gaston BROWNE] | Barbuda People's Movement or BPM [Trevor WALKER] | Barbuda People's Movement for Change [Arthur NIBBS] | Barbudans for a Better Barbuda [Ordrick SAMUEL] | Progressive Labor Movement or PLM | United National Democratic Party or UNDP | United Progressive Party or UPP [W. Baldwin SPENCER] (a coalition of ACLM, PLM, UNDP)

Political pressure groups and leaders

Antigua Trades and Labor Union or ATLU [Wigley GEORGE] | People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Hugh MARSHALL]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

The Siboney were the first people to inhabit the islands of Antigua and Barbuda in 2400 B.C., but Arawak Indians populated the islands when COLUMBUS landed on his second voyage in 1493. Early Spanish and French settlements were succeeded by an English colony in 1667. Slavery, established to run the sugar plantations on Antigua, was abolished in 1834. The islands became an independent state within the British Commonwealth of Nations in 1981. On 6 September 2017, Hurricane Irma passed over the island of Barbuda devastating the island and forcing the evacuation of the population to Antigua. Almost all the structures on Barbuda were destroyed and the vegetation stripped, but Antigua was spared the worst.

Military branches

Ministry of National Security, Royal Antigua and Barbuda Defense Force (includes Antigua and Barbuda Coast Guard) (2012)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; Governor-General has powers to call up men for national service and set the age at which they could be called up (2012)

Age structure

0-14 years: 23.09% (male 11,116/female 10,760) | 15-24 years: 16.83% (male 7,939/female 8,008) | 25-54 years: 42.19% (male 18,268/female 21,695) | 55-64 years: 9.83% (male 4,179/female 5,130) | 65 years and over: 8.06% (male 3,279/female 4,357) (2017 est.)

Birth rate

15.7 births/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 118

Death rate

5.7 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 175

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 45.2 | youth dependency ratio: 35.7 | elderly dependency ratio: 9.6 | potential support ratio: 10.5 (2015 est.)

Drinking water source

urban: 97.9% of population | rural: 97.9% of population | total: 97.9% of population | urban: 2.1% of population | rural: 2.1% of population | total: 2.1% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

2.6% of GDP (2009) | country comparison to the world: 159

Ethnic groups

black 87.3%, mixed 4.7%, hispanic 2.7%, white 1.6%, other 2.7%, unspecified 0.9% (2011 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Health expenditures

5.5% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 127

Hospital bed density

2.1 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Infant mortality rate

total: 12.1 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 13.9 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 10.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 118

Languages

English (official), Antiguan creole

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 76.7 years | male: 74.6 years | female: 79 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 84

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling | total population: 99% | male: 98.4% | female: 99.4% (2012 est.)

Major infectious diseases

note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus (2016)

Major urban areas - population

SAINT JOHN'S (capital) 22,000 (2014)

Median age

total: 31.9 years | male: 30 years | female: 33.5 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 103

Nationality

noun: Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s) | adjective: Antiguan, Barbudan

Net migration rate

2.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 45

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

18.9% (2016) | country comparison to the world: 113

Population

94,731 (July 2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 197

Population distribution

the island of Antigua is home to approximately 97% of the population; nearly the entire population of Barbuda lives in Codrington

Population growth rate

1.21% (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 100

Religions

Protestant 68.3% (Anglican 17.6%, Seventh Day Adventist 12.4%, Pentecostal 12.2%, Moravian 8.3%, Methodist 5.6%, Wesleyan Holiness 4.5%, Church of God 4.1%, Baptist 3.6%), Roman Catholic 8.2%, other 12.2%, unspecified 5.5%, none 5.9% (2011 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 91.4% of population | rural: 91.4% of population | total: 91.4% of population | urban: 8.6% of population | rural: 8.6% of population | total: 8.6% of population (2011 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 14 years | male: 13 years | female: 15 years (2012)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 0.99 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 0.84 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 0.82 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female | total population: 0.9 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

Total fertility rate

2 children born/woman (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 119

Urbanization

urban population: 23% of total population (2017) | rate of urbanization: -0.38% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

considered a minor transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; more significant as an offshore financial center

Trafficking in persons

current situation: Antigua and Barbuda is a destination and transit country for adults and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor; forced prostitution has been reported in bars, taverns, and brothels, while forced labor occurs in domestic service and the retail sector | tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List – Antigua and Barbuda does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government made no discernible progress in convicting traffickers in 2014 but charged two individuals in separate cases; efforts to convict traffickers have been impeded by a 2014 ruling that found the 2010 anti-trafficking act was unconstitutional because jurisdiction rests with the Magistrate’s Court rather than the High Court; no new prosecutions, convictions, or punishments were recorded in 2014; credible sources have raised concerns about trafficking-related complicity among some off-duty police officers, which could hinder investigations or victims willingness to report offenses; prevention efforts were sustained, but progress in protecting victims was uneven; seven victims were assisted, which was an increase over 2013 (2015)

Airports

3 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 193

Airports - with paved runways

total: 2 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 | under 914 m: 1 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 1 | under 914 m: 1 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

V2 (2016)

Merchant marine

total: 1,257 | by type: bulk carrier 49, cargo 753, carrier 6, chemical tanker 4, container 407, liquefied gas 12, refrigerated cargo 7, roll on/roll off 17, vehicle carrier 2 | foreign-owned: 1,215 (Albania 1, Colombia 1, Denmark 20, Estonia 10, Germany 1094, Greece 4, Iceland 10, Latvia 16, Lithuania 3, Mexico 1, Netherlands 17, Norway 9, NZ 2, Poland 2, Russia 3, Switzerland 7, Turkey 7, UK 1, US 7) (2010) | country comparison to the world: 9

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 1 | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 9 | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 1,039,809 | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 526,545 mt-km (2015)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Saint John's

Roadways

total: 1,170 km | paved: 386 km | unpaved: 784 km (2011) | country comparison to the world: 183