Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Barbados

Barbados: Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates was 6.0% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
6.0%
Change on year
down 7.8%
World rank
76th
of 185 countries
All-time high
24.5%
in 1993
All-time low
6.0%
in 2024
Years of data
41
1976–2024

Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Barbados, 1976–2024

5101520251976200020241976: 15.6 %1977: 15.7 %1978: 13.7 %1979: 11.3 %1980: 11.4 %1981: 10.9 %1982: 13.8 %1983: 15 %1984: 17.1 %1985: 18.9 %1986: 17.9 %1987: 17.9 %1988: 17.6 %1989: 14.1 %1990: 15 %1991: 17.1 %1992: 23 %1993: 24.5 %1994: 21.9 %1995: 19.7 %1996: 15.8 %1997: 14.6 %1998: 12.4 %1999: 10.6 %2000: 9.3 %2001: 9.8 %2002: 10.3 %2003: 11 %2009: 10 %2010: 10.7 %2013: 11.5 %2014: 12.3 %2015: 9.8 %2016: 8.2 %2017: 8.6 %2018: 8.3 %2019: 8.4 %2021: 11 %2022: 7.3 %2023: 6.5 %2024: 6 %

Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Barbados is 6.0%, measured in 2024. 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 rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Barbados peaked at 24.5% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 6.0%, in 2024.

Barbados ranks 76th of 185 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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest 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

  1. 73 Belgium 6.2% compare
  2. 74 Italy 6.1% compare
  3. 74 Romania 6.1% compare
  4. 77 Portugal 6.0% compare
  5. 78 Egypt 5.9% compare
  6. 79 Liberia 5.9% compare

See the full ranking of 185 places →

More reference data data for Barbados

All data for Barbados →

Frequently asked questions

What is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Barbados?
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Barbados was 6.0% in 2024, according to Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in Barbados?
The highest recorded value was 24.5% in 1993.
What is the lowest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in Barbados?
The lowest recorded value was 6.0% in 2024.
How does Barbados rank for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates?
Barbados ranks 76th out of 185 countries with data for 2024.
Is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates 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, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 41 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates
Unit
%
Source
Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
185 places, 5,169 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

Share of the labor force without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon. Figures refer to national estimates and may not be fully comparable across countries.