Barbados - 75.75
41
A government that operates in Island Time
Barbados, the highest-scoring Caribbean island (excluding American, British, French, and Dutch overseas holdings) made the transition away from the Queen’s rule to a fully autonomous democracy. Barbados ditched the Queen on November 30th, 2021, and swore in their first president, Sandra Mason. This also makes Barbados the only country on Earth to have had exclusively female presidents. The president is still appointed through a Byzantine chain of command, similarly to the Senate, but the Bajan democracy remains free and fair. Bajan politics and society is dominated by the country’s laid-back attitude. Drug laws go unenforced, unenforced laws go unrepealed, and the government is generally regarded as being slow to act. The administration of Prime Minister Mia Mottley has not conducted a single corruption investigation during its tenure. This inaction has hurt some of the most vulnerable people in Barbados, as homosexuality remains illegal despite laws banning it being unconstitutional. Despite this, the human rights condition in Barbados is generally good and statutes banning homosexuality go unenforced.
Human Rights - 68
Barbados has functionally abolished the death penalty - the last execution was carried out in 1984. Bajan prisons generally do not suffer from the same overcrowding as prisons on other Caribbean islands, largely due to the country’s unenforced drug laws. Despite this, detainees can spend several months in pretrial detention as Bajan courts are severely backlogged. Homosexuality is illegal but the law goes unenforced. This law is also unconstitutional, according to Barbados’ Commonwealth Constitution, which is still in effect despite the country’s rejection of the monarchy. Abortion is legal to preserve the physical, mental, and financial health of the couple and in cases of rape, incest, and fetal impairment.
Democracy - 94
Barbados officially left the commonwealth on November 30th, 2021, and swore in President Mason, the former Governor General, on the same day. The president is chosen through a Byzantine system of appointments and a chain of command. The prime minister and the opposition leader agree on a president, and the assembly can choose to object to the president's appointment, but if they don’t then the president is never voted on. The prime minister is appointed by the parliament. The leader of the opposition holds significant power. The lower house of parliament, the Assembly, is directly elected while the Senate is appointed by the prime minister and the opposition leader. Barbados has been under a two-party system since its independence but party formation is not limited. The Barbados Labor Party (BLP) currently holds all but one seat in parliament, with the final seat being held by a former member of the BLP who renounced his membership to become the opposition and by default, its leader. Barbados allows foreigners with seven years of residency to vote, swinging the vote in favor of wealthy British expats instead of the generally poorer Bajan citizens.
Freedom - 96
Cannabis is legal for medicinal and research purposes but is illegal for recreational use. This law goes generally unenforced and a legal loophole allows anyone with a high school diploma to obtain a “personal research permit.” Laws criminalizing other drugs carry minimal penalties and see limited enforcement. Bajan gun laws are ambiguous but there are few guns in Barbados.
Economy - 73
Health - 75
Barbados has a life expectancy of 79 years and an infant mortality rate of 1.2%. 31% of Bajans are obese and 4.5% are malnourished. All Bajan citizens and permanent residents receive free care from one public hospital and five clinics throughout the country. All Bajans have access to clean, running water, but Barbados is in the midst of a water crisis, and citizens in certain areas are forced to ration water. Barbados has minor issues with Hepatitis A and B.
Corruption - 60
Petty corruption is generally low but the infrastructure to investigate corruption is minimal. The administration of Prime Minister Mottley has not conducted a single corruption investigation during its tenure. It is generally understood in Barbados that public services will be slow to act unless bribed. The semi-private Barbados water authority has been accused of embezzling tax money and the government refuses to investigate.
Competency - 54
The government is failing to repeal or use unenforced laws, including those of pressing importance. A rising pride movement has been growing in Barbados and LGBT issues have risen to the forefront. Pride events have occurred in the country’s capital, Bridgetown. Despite all these pressing factors the government has failed to repeal an unconstitutional law banning homosexuality. The Bajan court system is severely backlogged and pretrial detainees can sit in pretrial detention for months on end. The government has failed to protect the rights of citizens over non-citizens, allowing non-citizen permanent residents to vote and swinging politics in favor of a wealthy class of British expats rather than poorer Bajan citizens. The government is also failing to control the water crisis in the country.
Future - 66
Barbados is in the midst of a fairly major economic slump worsened by COVID. Despite this, Barbados has a bright democratic future with the removal of the Queen as the head of state and the “election” of a president. Unlike other islands, Barbados is not under immediate threat from climate change. Barbados, a volcanic island, has been rising above sea-level at a rate near constant with climate change to this point.
Actions Abroad - 65
The Bajan military consists of an army, navy, and air force, and while not involving itself in any foreign conflicts since the American invasion of Grenada, does still exist. Barbados is not an outright tax haven but maintains very low taxes and encourages foreign investment. Many British tourism companies are involved in Bajan tax avoidance schemes. Beyond this, Barbados is generally isolationist.
No Bajans live below the international poverty line and 17.6% live below the national poverty line. Barbados has a high economic disparity, driven by wealthy British expats living on the island. 12.8% of Bajans are unemployed. The minimum wage in Barbados is $3.10 per hour. Barbados has a strong universal healthcare system. All Bajan citizens and permanent residents are covered by one public hospital and five clinics around the country. The Bajan economy shrunk 17.1% in 2020 and shrunk 0.1% in 2019.