Photo: Berit Watkin , derivative work (crop) by Globe-trotter · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 08 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Barbados: Gender & Equality
How wide is the gap between women's and men's lives?
Barbados is placed 82nd of 183 countries on gender & equality in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 4 key statistics. Readings behind it: Women, Business and the Law 80 (2025); Women's Political Empowerment Index 0.895 (2025).
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Gender & Equality
82nd
of 183 countries placed
Placed from 3 of 4 key statistics
- 80Women, Business and the Law, 2025WBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity)
- 0.895Women's Political Empowerment Index, 2025Women's political empowerment index (0–1)
- 16.87Firms with a Female Top Manager, 2025Firms with a female top manager (%)
- —Social Institutions and Gender Index, 2023No reading for this country
01The evidence
The 4 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Barbados on gender & equality — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used — or, for a survey-based key, each country’s latest reading; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
80
WBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity)
Higher is better
Barbados: 80. Across the 190 countries in this edition, values run from 3.125 (Afghanistan) to 100 (Sweden); the world median is 81.25.
- World median
- 81.25
- Best in Caribbean
- 86.25 Dominican Republic
Key 2 of 4
Women's Political Empowerment Index
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY-SA 4.0
0.895
Women's political empowerment index (0–1)
Higher is better
Barbados: 0.895. Across the 176 countries in this edition, values run from 0.028 (Afghanistan) to 0.954 (Denmark); the world median is 0.772.
- World median
- 0.772
- Best in Caribbean
- 0.929 Jamaica
Key 3 of 4
Firms with a Female Top Manager
World Bank Group
Latest reading per country, 2016–2025 · Barbados’s is from 2023 · CC BY 4.0
16.87
Firms with a female top manager (%)
Higher is better
Barbados: 16.87. Across the 179 countries at their latest reading, values run from 1.429 (Qatar) to 62.9 (Kiribati); the world median is 19.16.
- World median
- 19.16
- Best in Caribbean
- 37.89 Jamaica
Key 4 of 4
Social Institutions and Gender Index
OECD
2023 edition · data for 2023 · OECD Terms and Conditions — data clause
No reading
SIGI score (0 = no discrimination, 100 = absolute)
Lower is better
OECD publishes no 2023 figure for Barbados, so the standing rests on the other keys.
Across the 140 countries in this edition, values run from 6.7 (Norway) to 67.4 (Mauritania); the world median is 25.2.
- World median
- 25.2
- Best in Caribbean
- 14.8 Dominican Republic
02Over time
Which way Barbados is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Women, Business and the Law
WBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity) · higher is better
BarbadosWorld median
Barbados rose from 70.63 in 2000 to 80 in 2025; the world median went from 63.13 to 81.25.
Every year’s figures
Year Barbados World median 2025 80 81.3 2023 80 81.3 2022 80 80.3 2021 80 80.0 2020 80 79.7 2019 77 78.8 2018 77 77.5 2017 71 77.5 2016 71 76.9 2015 71 75.9 2014 71 75.6 2013 71 75.0 2012 71 73.8 2011 71 73.1 2010 71 73.1 2009 71 72.5 2008 71 71.3 2007 71 69.7 2006 71 68.8 2005 71 67.2 2004 71 66.9 2003 71 64.7 2002 71 63.8 2001 71 63.8 2000 71 63.1 Women's Political Empowerment Index
Women's political empowerment index (0–1) · higher is better
BarbadosWorld median
Barbados rose from 0.853 in 2000 to 0.895 in 2025; the world median went from 0.681 to 0.772.
Every year’s figures
Year Barbados World median 2025 0.895 0.7715 2024 0.895 0.7745 2023 0.895 0.7755 2022 0.894 0.7825 2021 0.889 0.7785 2020 0.886 0.7755 2019 0.881 0.7665 2018 0.881 0.7715 2017 0.874 0.7710 2016 0.880 0.7780 2015 0.880 0.7755 2014 0.867 0.7795 2013 0.867 0.7730 2012 0.850 0.7740 2011 0.850 0.7650 2010 0.850 0.7610 2009 0.850 0.7515 2008 0.850 0.7505 2007 0.860 0.7380 2006 0.860 0.7290 2005 0.860 0.7350 2004 0.860 0.7205 2003 0.852 0.7160 2002 0.853 0.7150 2001 0.853 0.6950 2000 0.853 0.6810
03In context
Barbados beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 183 countries on gender & equality, never a place within the region.
Barbados and Caribbean
Barbados has no land border, so the table compares it with its sub-region. Standing among all 183; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| Country | Standing | Women, Business and the LawWBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity) | Women's Political Empowerment IndexWomen's political empowerment index (0–1) | Firms with a Female Top ManagerFirms with a female top manager (%) | Social Institutions and Gender IndexSIGI score (0 = no discrimination, 100 = absolute) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Jamaica | =34th | 74.38 | 0.929 | 37.89 | 18.4 |
 Saint Lucia | 45th | 83.75 | — | 27.42 | — |
 Dominican Republic | 53rd | 86.25 | 0.825 | 20.41 | 14.8 |
 Grenada | 54th | 80.63 | — | 28.91 | — |
 Antigua and Barbuda | 73rd | 71.25 | — | 37.06 | — |
 Trinidad and Tobago | =75th | 75 | 0.874 | 23.5 | 25.3 |
| Barbados | 82nd | 80 | 0.895 | 16.87 | — |
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | =116th | 68.13 | — | 21.53 | — |
 Haiti | 160th | 61.25 | 0.403 | — | 46.4 |
 Anguilla | not placed | — | — | — | — |
 Aruba | not placed | — | — | — | — |
 Bahamas | not placed | 81.25 | — | 33.22 | — |
 British Virgin Islands | not placed | — | — | — | — |
 Cayman Islands | not placed | — | — | — | — |
 Cuba | not placed | — | 0.71 | — | — |
 Curaçao | not placed | — | — | — | — |
 Dominica | not placed | 62.5 | — | 23.61 | — |
 Montserrat | not placed | — | — | — | — |
 Puerto Rico | not placed | 83.75 | — | — | — |
 Saint Kitts and Nevis | not placed | 71.25 | — | 21.06 | — |
 Saint Martin | not placed | — | — | — | — |
 Sint Maarten | not placed | — | — | — | — |
 Turks and Caicos Islands | not placed | — | — | — | — |
 United States Virgin Islands | not placed | — | — | — | — |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Caribbean
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 183.
- Jamaica=34th
- Saint Lucia45th
- Dominican Republic53rd
- Grenada54th
- Antigua and Barbuda73rd
- Trinidad and Tobago=75th
- Barbados82nd
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines=116th
- Haiti160th
- Anguillanot placed
- Arubanot placed
- Bahamasnot placed
- British Virgin Islandsnot placed
- Cayman Islandsnot placed
- Cubanot placed
- Curaçaonot placed
- Dominicanot placed
- Montserratnot placed
- Puerto Riconot placed
- Saint Kitts and Nevisnot placed
- Saint Martinnot placed
- Sint Maartennot placed
- Turks and Caicos Islandsnot placed
- United States Virgin Islandsnot placed
Placed either side on gender & equality
The countries immediately above and below Barbados in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where Barbados is ahead of the world, and behind
20 more statistics filed under gender & equality, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Ahead of the world median10
Statistics on which Barbados does better than the middle country measured.
Institutional DeliveriesUNICEF · 2025 · world median 96.910096.9No earlier reading
Barbados: 100 · world median 96.9 · Live births delivered in a health facility (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 11.5 to 100; higher is better.
Female Share of Senior and Middle ManagementILO · 2024 · world median 35.8650.3735.86▼ Worsened since 2016
Barbados: 50.37 · world median 35.86 · Women in senior and middle management (% of managers). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 7.226 to 56.69; higher is better.
Position 4th of 86 · derived.
Women Who Think a Husband Is Justified in Hitting or Beating His WifeUNICEF · 2025 · world median 22.43.322.4No earlier reading
Barbados: 3.3 · world median 22.4 · Women aged 15-49 who say a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 1.2 to 80.2; lower is better.
Position 116th of 125 · derived, 1st = worst.
Female Labour Force Participation RateILO · 2025 · world median 53.3661.0353.36▼ Worsened since 2015
Barbados: 61.03 · world median 53.36 · Women aged 15+ in the labour force (%). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 4.663 to 82.91; higher is better.
Position 44th of 182 · derived.
Antenatal Care Coverage, At Least Four VisitsUNICEF · 2025 · world median 8187.981No earlier reading
Barbados: 87.9 · world median 81 · Women with a live birth who had 4+ antenatal visits (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 22.6 to 100; higher is better.
Position 53rd of 153 · derived.
Demand for Family Planning Satisfied by Modern MethodsUN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 71.2574.671.25No real change since 2013
Barbados: 74.6 · world median 71.25 · Share of women aged 15–49 wanting to avoid pregnancy who use a modern method (%). UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 8.4 to 92.4; higher is better.
Position 82nd of 196 · derived.
Maternal Mortality RatioMMEIG · 2023 · world median 46.6534.8846.65▼ Worsened since 2013
Barbados: 34.88 · world median 46.65 · Maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (MMEIG), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.11 to 992.83; lower is better.
Position 110th of 195 · derived, 1st = worst.
Gender Inequality IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.3510.2970.351No real change since 2013
Barbados: 0.297 · world median 0.351 · GII (0 = full equality, 1 = maximum inequality). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.003 to 0.838; lower is better.
Ranked 76th of 172 by UNDP Human Development Report Office.
Gender Development IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.9711.0350.971▼ Worsened since 2013
Barbados: 1.035 · world median 0.971 · Gender Development Index (1.000 = parity). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.407 to 1.038; higher is better.
Position 95th of 184 · derived.
Gender Parity Index, Tertiary EnrolmentUIS · 2024 · world median 1.2441.511.244▼ Worsened since 2014
Barbados: 1.51 · world median 1.244 · Adjusted gender parity index, tertiary gross enrolment (1 = parity). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.74 to 1.83; higher is better.
Position 87th of 95 · derived.
Behind the world median5
Statistics on which Barbados does worse than the middle country measured.
Firms with Female Participation in OwnershipWorld Bank Group · 2026 · world median 35.1232.5735.12No earlier reading
Barbados: 32.57 · world median 35.12 · Firms with at least one woman among the owners (%). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 1.273 to 86.78; higher is better.
Position 102nd of 181 · derived.
Adolescent Birth Rate (Ages 15–19)UN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 27.4645.3327.46▼ Worsened since 2013
Barbados: 45.33 · world median 27.46 · Live births per 1,000 women aged 15–19. UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.465 to 163.09; lower is better.
Position 75th of 222 · derived, 1st = worst.
Child MarriageUNICEF · 2025 · world median 17.129.217.1No earlier reading
Barbados: 29.2 · world median 17.1 · Women 20–24 married before 18 (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 76.3; lower is better.
Position 36th of 143 · derived, 1st = worst.
Length of Paid Maternity LeaveWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 988498▼ Worsened since 2015
Barbados: 84 · world median 98 · Paid maternity leave set in law (calendar days). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 410; higher is better.
Length of Paid Paternity LeaveWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 303▼ Worsened since 2015
Barbados: 0 · world median 3 · Paid paternity leave set in law (calendar days). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 196; higher is better.
Level with the median, or no median to compare1
Births Attended by Skilled Health StaffUNICEF and WHO (Joint Database on Skilled Birth Attendance) · 2023 · world median 99.399.399.3▲ Improved since 2013
Barbados: 99.3 · world median 99.3 · Births attended by skilled health staff (%). UNICEF and WHO (Joint Database on Skilled Birth Attendance), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 60.9 to 100; higher is better.
Position 41st of 84 · derived.
No better end4
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
Female-Headed HouseholdsUN DESA Population Division · 2026 · world median 33.2147.2333.21No earlier reading
Barbados: 47.23 · world median 33.21 · Households headed by a woman (% of households). UN DESA Population Division, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 5.33 to 64.59.
Caesarean Section RateUNICEF · 2025 · world median 20.6521.320.65No earlier reading
Barbados: 21.3 · world median 20.65 · Live births delivered by caesarean section (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.6 to 72.2.
Sex Ratio at BirthUN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 105.1103.5105.1No real change since 2013
Barbados: 103.5 · world median 105.1 · Male births per 100 female births. UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 101.1 to 116.3.
Mean Age at First Marriage, WomenUN DESA Population Division · 2019 · world median 24.651724.65No earlier reading
Barbados: 17 · world median 24.65 · Singulate mean age at marriage, women (years). UN DESA Population Division, 2019 edition, data for 2019.
Published values in that edition run from 17 to 34.
No current reading for Barbados
Account Ownership Among Women, Female Genital Mutilation Prevalence, Female Share of Researchers, Female Share of STEM Graduates (last 2011), Gender Social Norms Index, Global Gender Parity Index, Legal Guarantees of Women's Equal Rights to Land, Social Institutions and Gender Index, Women's Empowerment Index and Women's Share of Agricultural Landowners. Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing
05Country Index 2026
Gender & Equality among Barbados’s 16 topics
Gender & Equality is Barbados’s 9th best-placed topic of 16. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Peace & Securityjoint 7th of 1772/4 keys
- Risk & Resilience30th of 1933/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Libertiesjoint 38th of 1984/4 keys
- Governance & Institutions45th of 1944/4 keys
- Work & Labourjoint 54th of 1824/4 keys
- Food & Agriculture58th of 1844/4 keys
- Health & Wellbeing78th of 2002/4 keys
- Development & Human Capital79th of 1963/3 keys
- Gender & Equality82nd of 1833/4 keys
- Poverty & Inequality76th of 1592/3 keys
- Education & Knowledge107th of 1984/4 keys
- Economy & Innovation96th of 1762/4 keys
- Mobility & Tradejoint 128th of 1773/4 keys
- Energy130th of 1652/3 keys
- Digital & Technology157th of 1983/4 keys
- Environment & Sustainability174th of 1863/4 keys
06The top of the list
Who leads on gender & equality
The three countries placed highest of 183, and the leaders Barbados can most readily be measured against.
1
LatviaNorthern Europe
1st of 183 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Marcin Szala · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2
TaiwanEastern Asia
2nd of 183 · 3 of 4 keys
Photo: xiangyang17 · CC BY-SA 2.0, greyscale
3
ItalySouthern Europe
3rd of 183 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Francisco Antunes · CC BY 2.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest in Americas
Costa Rica5th4/4 keysHighest in Caribbean
Jamaica=34th4/4 keysThis page
Barbados82nd3/4 keys
Positions out of 183 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Questions
Barbados on gender & equality: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does Barbados rank on gender & equality?
Barbados is placed 82nd of 183 countries on Gender & Equality in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 4 key statistics (Women, Business and the Law, Women's Political Empowerment Index and Firms with a Female Top Manager). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest Women, Business and the Law figure for Barbados?
80 in 2025 (wBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity)), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was 81.25.
What is the latest Women's Political Empowerment Index figure for Barbados?
0.895 in 2025 (women's political empowerment index (0–1)), according to V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg. The world median in the same edition was 0.772.
How have Barbados’s gender & equality figures changed?
Women, Business and the Law rose from 70.63 in 2000 to 80 in 2025; Women's Political Empowerment Index rose from 0.853 in 2000 to 0.895 in 2025.
Which gender & equality statistics are missing for Barbados?
No current reading is published for Barbados on Account Ownership Among Women, Female Genital Mutilation Prevalence, Female Share of Researchers, Female Share of STEM Graduates, Gender Social Norms Index, Global Gender Parity Index, Legal Guarantees of Women's Equal Rights to Land, Social Institutions and Gender Index, Women's Empowerment Index and Women's Share of Agricultural Landowners. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
08Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
Violence against women is not a key here, because comparable data covers too few countries. The Gender Inequality Index is published here as context rather than as a key: its reading is driven largely by maternal and adolescent health, which moves with a country’s overall development and is already measured under Development and Health. Women’s labour force participation, women in management and child marriage are published here as context too.
How the Gender & Equality standing is decided
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 4 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 4 keys to be placed.
The gender & equality method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
The key statistics and their licences
- Women, Business and the Law — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Women's Political Empowerment Index — V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Firms with a Female Top Manager — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Social Institutions and Gender Index — OECD, OECD Terms and Conditions — data clause
The other 20 statistics on this page come from 8 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
Barbados’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Barbados (banner) — Berit Watkin , derivative work (crop) by Globe-trotter, CC BY 2.0
- Latvia — Marcin Szala, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Taiwan — xiangyang17, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Italy — Francisco Antunes, CC BY 2.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Barbados: Gender & Equality — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/barbados/gender