Barbados

FOR MUCH OF ITS HISTORY, the economy of the Caribbean island of Barbados was dependent on the production of sugar, rum, and molasses. After gaining independence in 1966, the government initiated social [Page 66]and political reforms that led to a more diverse economy. By the 1990s, tourism and manufacturing had become the island's major sources of revenue, along with offshore finance and information services. The island's natural resources include petroleum, fish, and natural gas. Around 37.21 percent of the land on Barbados is arable, but only 10 percent of the labor force are now engaged in agriculture.

While Barbados is an upper-middle-income nation, its poverty rate is eight percent, and women and children tend to be the poorest segment of the population. In 1998, the Barbadian government established the Poverty Alleviation Bureau to oversee antipoverty programs and to accept applications for the Poverty Eradication Fund, which dispenses government assistance. To qualify for this program, individuals must have incomes lower than the projected poverty line of $5,503 per year. Most of the beneficiaries of this fund are single mothers and elderly females. Needy individuals may also apply to Relief 2000, a program that offers financial assistance, housing, employment, and training.

The projected life span has been steadily increasing in Barbados. The population of 279,254 enjoys a life expectancy of 71.41 years, with females living an average of four years longer than males. The median age is 34.15 years. Some 20.6 percent of the population are under the age of 14 and 8.8 percent have reached the age of 65. Over 97 percent of Barbadians are likely to see the age of 40. All Barbadians have access to safe water and proper sanitation. There are 136 physicians for every 100,000 residents, and only five percent of the population are unable to afford essential drugs.

Between 1970 and 2002, infant mortality declined from 40 deaths per 1,000 live births to 12 per 1,000. During that same period, the mortality rate of children under the age of 5 decreased from 54 to 14 per 1,000. Ten percent of Barbadian babies are underweight at birth. Six percent of under-5s experience malnutrition, and one percent are severely underweight. Seven percent suffer from moderate to severe stunting, and five percent suffer from moderate to severe wasting. Childhood immunization rates are in the 80 to 90 percent range.

Fertility in Barbados is low at 1.65 children per woman. That rate decreased from 2.7 children during the 1970s. Adolescent fertility is recorded at 51 out of 1,000 births. Some 55 percent of all Barbadian women use contraceptives of some sort. Trained medical staff attend 91 percent of all births, but the rate of attended births has declined from 100 percent in 1990. In 2000, maternal mortality was estimated at 95 deaths per 100,000 live births.

Illiteracy has been steadily declining over the past decades. Barbadians define literacy as having attended school. Using this criterion, 98 percent of males and 96.8 percent offemales are literate. Most Barbadians are expected to attend school for 14 years. From 1999 to 2002, the primary school completion rate of males rose from 99 to 110 percent while the completion rate of females increased from 96 to 109 percent. Approximately 21 percent of all Barbadians attending school at the tertiary level are enrolled in math, science, and engineering.

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