Factbook
History of Barbados — Timeline
Key dates in the history of Barbados, from the Magna Factbook and the Universal Encyclopedia.
Last updated: October 2026
1627Barbados was uninhabited when first settled by the British in 1627.
1720By 1720, Barbados was no longer a dominant force within the sugar industry, having been surpassed by the Leeward Islands and Jamaica.
1966Independence: 30 November 1966 (from the UK).
1966The gradual introduction of social and political reforms in the 1940s and 1950s led to independence from the UK in 1966.
2018Major urban areas: 89,000 BRIDGETOWN (capital) (2018) high-income Eastern Caribbean economy; high standard of living among regional peers; key tourism, construction, and financial sectors driving recent GDP growth; declining but still very high public debt leading to IMF support programs; susceptible to natural disasters and reliance on import partners Inflation: -0.5% (2024 est.).
2021Barbados became a republic in 2021, with the former Governor-General Sandra MASON elected as the first president.
2023Generation mix — fossil fuels: 91.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 7.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) Energy use: 68.293 million Btu/person (2023 est.).
2023Industries: tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export Agriculture: sugarcane, chicken, vegetables, milk, eggs, sweet potatoes, pork, coconuts, tropical fruits, pulses (2023) Electricity access: 100% (2022 est.).
2023Languages: English (official), Bajan (English-based creole language, widely spoken in informal settings) Religions: Protestant 66.4% (includes Anglican 23.9%, other Pentecostal 19.5%, Adventist 5.9%, Methodist 4.2%, Wesleyan 3.4%, Nazarene 3.2%, Church of God 2.4%, Baptist 1.8%, Moravian 1.2%, other Protestant 0.9%), Roman Catholic 3.8%, other Christian 5.4% (includes Jehovah's Witness 2.0%, o Urban population: 31.4% of total population (2023).
2024Military spending: 0.7% of GDP (2024 est.).