Demographics of Antigua and Barbuda

The demographics of Antigua and Barbuda reflect colonial history, the forced migration from West Africa through slavery, modern waves of immigration from neighbouring Caribbean islands and centuries of cultural mixing. According to theNational Bureau of Statistics, the country’s estimated population reached 106,365 in 2026 — 24% higher than the official figure from the 2011 census. Estimates by the United Nations and some international organisations range from 94,000 to 104,000, owing to different methods of counting long-term residents and immigrants.

A striking feature of the population structure is the highest share of foreign-born residents in the Americas — about 30% according to the 2011 census. Most of the population is of African-Caribbean descent, with a heritage dating from British colonial times, alongside minority groups of white, Middle Eastern, Hispanic and Asian people. This article analyses the key aspects of the country’s population structure, from size and distribution to age structure, ethnicity, religion and migration trends.

Detailed article onthe country of Antigua and Barbuda.

Population and census history

The census is the official method Antigua and Barbuda uses to determine the size and characteristics of its population. The most recent completed census, on 27/05/2011, recorded 86,295 usual residents. The next census was scheduled for 2021 but was postponed several times and finally carried out in June 2025. The official results are being processed by the National Bureau of Statistics and released in stages.

Census taking in Antigua and Barbuda dates back to British colonial times. Censuses have been held every 10 years, including in 1960, 1970, 1981, 1991, 2001 and 2011. The population has grown significantly: from about 54,000 in 1960 to 86,295 in 2011 and an estimated more than 100,000 in 2026. The average population growth rate has slowed in recent decades to about 1% a year.

Population density is estimated at 215–240 people/km² in 2026, based on a total land area of 440 km² and the actual population. Antigua is home to about 97% of the total population, while Barbuda has only about 1,500–1,800 residents — fewer than before Hurricane Irma in 2017, as many people have not returned since the storm. Redonda has no permanent residents.

Geographic distribution

The population of Antigua and Barbuda is unevenly distributed between the two islands and within Antigua. Saint John’s — the capital and largest city — has about 22,000 inhabitants and is the country’s administrative, commercial and tourism centre. Other large settlements on Antigua include:

• All Saints: about 3,500 inhabitants, a traditional farming village in central Antigua
• Liberta: about 2,500 inhabitants, one of the first villages founded after emancipation in 1834
• Bolans: about 2,000 inhabitants, focused on services and retail
• Potter’s Village: about 1,800 inhabitants, a suburb south of Saint John’s
• Parham: about 1,500 inhabitants, one of the oldest port towns

Barbuda has only one town, Codrington — the island’s main settlement, with about 1,500 inhabitants. Almost all of Barbuda’s residents live in Codrington or nearby outlying areas. Hurricane Irma in September 2017 flattened more than 90% of the buildings on the island and forced the entire population to evacuate to Antigua. The reconstruction of Barbuda took years, and some residents decided not to return, settling permanently on Antigua or abroad instead.

Administratively, Antigua is divided into 6 parishes: Saint John, Saint George, Saint Mary, Saint Paul, Saint Peter and Saint Philip. Saint John is the most populous parish, with more than half of the country’s total population, because it includes the capital and its large suburbs.

Age and sex structure

The demographics of Antigua and Barbuda are currently in a demographic transition towards an older population structure. According tothe United Nations World Population Prospectsupdated in 2024, the median age in 2026 is 36.7 years — significantly higher than 23.7 years in 1960. Life expectancy is 75.5 years: 73.5 years for men and 77.6 years for women.

The total fertility rate (TFR) is close to the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman — enough to sustain the population naturally without immigration. Population structure by age group (2026 estimates):

• Under 15: about 19–21%
• 15–64 (working age): about 70–72%
• 65 and over: about 9–11%

The sex ratio is lower than the world average, with 904–914 men per 1,000 women. This imbalance reflects women’s longer life expectancy and some male emigration for work abroad. Among older people (over 65), women clearly predominate.

Natural population growth (births minus deaths) in 2026 is expected to be about 1,075 people, while net migration is about -13 (meaning slightly more people leave than arrive). Total population growth is therefore expected to be about 1,062 people in 2026, bringing the estimated population to 104,734 by early 2027 according to UN sources, or over 107,000 according to National Bureau of Statistics estimates.

Ethnic composition

According to the 2011 census, residents of Antigua and Barbuda identified with 15 different ethnic groups. The main groups are:

• African descent: 87.27% — the overwhelming majority, mainly descendants of enslaved people brought from West Africa during British colonial rule
• Other mixed: 3.80% — including various mixed backgrounds
• Hispanic: 2.75% — mainly immigrants from the Dominican Republic and Latin American countries
• White: 1.65% — mainly of British or Irish descent
• East Indian: 1.11% — descendants of indentured labourers who came to the Caribbean in the late 19th century
• Other: 0,94%
• Mixed black/white: 0,93%
• Not stated: 0,88%
• Syrian or Lebanese: 0,67%

Other small groups include Amerindians (0.37%), Chinese (0.17%), other Asians (0.14%) and Portuguese (0.11%) — mainly descendants of immigrants from Madeira in the mid-19th century. In the colonial-era demographics of Antigua and Barbuda, the five main ethnic groups were organised in a hierarchy: the dominant British, mixed-race people (mulattoes), Madeirans, Middle Easterners and Afro-Antiguans/Afro-Barbudans. This hierarchy disappeared after independence, although some socio-economic differences persist.

Languages

English is the official language of Antigua and Barbuda, used in administration, education, the media, business and all legal documents. Antiguan Creole — an English-based pidgin/Creole with influences from West African languages — is spoken by many local people in everyday communication, especially within families and communities.

Antiguan Creole has some structural features that differ from standard English:

• A simplified pronoun system, with few distinctions by grammatical case
• Tense is expressed mainly through particles rather than verb inflection
• Vocabulary combines English, Yoruba/Akan/Igbo (West African languages) and some loanwords from French/Spanish
• Pronunciation shares features with other Caribbean Creoles (Jamaica, Saint Kitts)

Spanish is spoken by about 10,000 people — mainly immigrants from the Dominican Republic. Chinese and Arabic are spoken in small immigrant communities. Adult literacy is above 99% — one of the highest rates in the Caribbean and Latin America.

Religion

Christianity is the religion of the overwhelming majority of the population of Antigua and Barbuda. According to 2011 census data and Pew Research Center studies:

• Protestant: 68.3% — the majority branch
• Anglican: 17.6% — the largest Protestant denomination
• Seventh-day Adventist: 12,4%
• Pentecostal: 12,2%
• Moravian: 8,3%
• Methodist: 5,6%
• Wesleyan Holiness: 4,5%
• Baptist: 4,9%
• Other Protestant: 2,7%
• Roman Catholic: 8,2%
• Other religions (Islam, Hinduism, Rastafari, Baháʼí): 12,2%
• No religion: 5,9%

The diversity of Protestant denominations reflects the history of missionary activity during and after the colonial period. Anglicanism was the established religion under British colonial rule and remains the largest denomination today. Freedom of religion is protected by the 1981 Constitution and consistently respected in practice. Relations between religious groups are generally harmonious, with no significant religious conflict in modern history.

Muslim (mainly Sunni, from the Middle Eastern community), Hindu (from the Indian community), Rastafarian (a religious movement originating in Jamaica) and Baháʼí communities exist on a small scale. A Sephardic Jewish community has also been present since the late colonial period, concentrated in Saint John’s.

Immigration and the diaspora

Antigua and Barbuda has the highest share of foreign-born residents in the Americas. According to the 2001 census, 19,425 people (30% of the population) reported being born in another country. The largest immigrant groups are:

• Dominican Republic: construction and agricultural workers
• Guyana: mainly service workers
• Jamaica: service and professional workers
• United Kingdom: business people, retirees and returnees after living abroad
• United States: retirees and business people
• China: traders and construction workers
• Middle East (Syria, Lebanon): a long-established trading community

The citizenship by investment programme launched in 2013 has added a selective stream of immigrants — mainly investors from China, the Middle East, Africa and some Eurasian countries. Although small in number, this group has significant economic influence through real estate investment and budget contributions. Details of the programme are set out in the articleAntigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment.

Conversely, a significant number of people of Antiguan origin live abroad — especially in the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada. This community, often called the “Antiguan diaspora”, maintains close ties with the homeland through remittances, investment and cultural events. About 4,500 Americans live in Antigua and Barbuda — one of the largest American communities in the English-speaking Eastern Caribbean.

Health and health indicators

Life expectancy in Antigua and Barbuda is about 75.5 years in 2025–2026, higher than the world average (71 years). By sex: 73.5 years for men and 77.6 years for women. United Nations projections put life expectancy at 81.5 years by 2050.

Basic health indicators:

• Infant mortality rate: about 12–15 per 1,000 live births
• Under-5 mortality rate: about 14–17 per 1,000 live births
• Crude birth rate (CBR): about 14–15 per 1,000 people
• Crude death rate (CDR): about 6–7 per 1,000 people
• Rate of natural increase: about 0.8–0.9% a year

The main causes of death are cardiovascular disease (40%), cancer (15%), diabetes (10%) and stroke — reflecting the epidemiological profile of high-income countries. HIV/AIDS prevalence is low for the Caribbean region, at about 1.2% of adults. Public and private health systems work together to provide basic health care, with Mount Saint John’s Medical Centre in Saint John’s as the main facility. Serious illnesses sometimes require transfer to neighbouring islands or the United States.

Households and living conditions

Household structure in Antigua and Barbuda reflects Caribbean cultural traits and urbanisation trends. According to the 2011 census, most households (84%) live in detached houses, 8% live in apartments or condos, and the rest mainly in duplexes or townhouses.

Forms of home ownership:

• Owned outright: 45%
• Rented (private): 30%
• Mortgaged: 13%
• Other: 12%

Average household size is about 2.8–3.0 people, down from 4.0+ in previous generations. The shrinking household size reflects a common pattern in Caribbean countries: falling birth rates, more single-person households, emigration of young people and rising divorce rates.

Demographics of Antigua and Barbuda — a summary

The demographics of Antigua and Barbuda show the characteristics of a small Caribbean island state with a colonial legacy and a diverse modern structure. A modest population — about 100,000–106,000 people — combined with the highest share of foreign-born residents in the Americas creates a dynamic, multicultural population structure. The African-descended ethnic majority and the Protestant religious majority reflect the historical legacy of British colonial rule and missionary activity.

Key trends shaping demographics over the next decade include: population ageing due to falling birth rates and rising life expectancy, continued immigration from neighbouring Caribbean islands, the impact of the citizenship by investment programme on population structure, and urbanisation pressure around Saint John’s. The results of the 2025 census (being released in stages) will provide more detailed, up-to-date data on these trends.