Antigua & Barbuda

By Vexen Crabtree 2013

Antigua & Barbuda
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	99th best
Capital	Saint John's
Land Area	440km²₁
Location	North America, The Americas, The Caribbean
Groupings	Small Islands
Population	96 286₂
Life Expectancy	76.24yrs (2017)₃
GNI	$20 907 (2017)₄
ISO3166-1 Codes	AG, ATG, 28₅
Internet Domain	.ag₆
Currency	Dollar (XCD)₇
Telephone	+₈

1. Overview

“The Siboney were the first people to inhabit the islands of Antigua and Barbuda in 2400 B.C., but Arawak Indians populated the islands when COLUMBUS landed on his second voyage in 1493. Early Spanish and French settlements were succeeded by an English colony in 1667. Slavery, established to run the sugar plantations on Antigua, was abolished in 1834. The islands became an independent state within the British Commonwealth of Nations in 1981.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Frolic on the beach, play golf, indulge in a fancy meal or explore Britain´s naval history in Antigua. ... This improbably shaped splotch of land is ringed with beaches of the finest white sand, made all the more dramatic by the azure waters, which are so clear they´ll bring a tear to your eye or a giggle to your holiday-hungry throat. ... Or escape to remote, unspoiled Barbuda, ... one smooth, sandy low-rise amid the reef-filled waters. Birds, especially the huffing and puffing frigates, greatly outnumber people. Meanwhile, back on Antigua, there are lots of people, many famous. Guitar-picker Eric Clapton, rag-trader Giorgio Armani and tastemaker for the masses Oprah all have winter homes here. Some of the Caribbean's most exclusive resorts shelter in the myriad bays and inlets. But don't worry; mere mortals thrive here as well. No matter your budget, you will find a beach with your name on it.”
"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Antigua & Barbuda National and Social Development

#economics #human_development

UN HDI (2016)₁₁
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₁₁
1	Norway	1
2	Australia	2
3	Switzerland	2
	...
59	Malaysia	59
60	Palau	60
61	Panama	60
62	Antigua & Barbuda	62
63	Seychelles	63
64	Mauritius	64
65	Trinidad & Tobago	65
66	Costa Rica	66
	World Avg	94.3
q=188.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2011)₁₂
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $₁₂
1	Qatar	$129 916
2	Singapore	$78 162
3	Kuwait	$76 075
	...
55	Bahamas	$21 565
56	Equatorial Guinea	$21 517
57	Argentina	$20 945
58	Antigua & Barbuda	$20 907
59	Croatia	$20 291
60	Panama	$19 470
61	Romania	$19 428
62	Uruguay	$19 148
	World Avg	$17 240
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index₁₃_,₁₄
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₃_,₁₄
1	Norway	30.8
2	Denmark	31.8
3	Sweden	33.9
	...
96	Morocco	89.3
97	El Salvador	89.5
98	St Kitts & Nevis	90.4
99	Antigua & Barbuda	90.9
100	Ghana	91.2
101	Oman	91.2
102	Paraguay	91.8
103	Bahrain	92.1
	World Avg	88.0
q=195.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Antigua & Barbuda's Demographics

#demographics #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #population

Population:

Antigua & Barbuda's population is predicted to rise to 104 643 by 2030.

Population (2018)₂
Pos.		Population₂
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
182	St Vincent & Grenadines	0.1m
183	Tonga	0.1m
184	Seychelles	97 096
185	Antigua & Barbuda	96 286
186	Andorra	77 006
187	Dominica	71 625
188	Marshall Islands	58 413
189	St Kitts & Nevis	52 441
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy (2015)₁₂
Pos.		Higher is better Years₁₂
1	Hong Kong	84.16
2	Japan	83.68
3	Italy	83.34
	...
53	Argentina	76.46
54	Slovakia	76.41
55	Montenegro	76.40
56	Antigua & Barbuda	76.24
57	Ecuador	76.12
58	China	75.96
59	Vietnam	75.94
60	Jamaica	75.82
	World Avg	71.27
q=190.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio (2016)₁₅
Pos.		Lower is better Per 100₁₅
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3	Chad	04.7
	...
113	Tunisia	18.6
114	Azerbaijan	18.7
115	Colombia	18.8
116	Antigua & Barbuda	19.0
117	St Vincent & Grenadines	19.7
118	Seychelles	19.8
119	St Lucia	19.9
120	Brazil	19.9
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Migration:

Immigrants (2017)₁₆
Pos.		%₁₆
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
15	Lebanon	31.9%
16	Switzerland	29.6%
17	Australia	28.8%
18	Antigua & Barbuda	28.1%
19	Brunei	25.3%
20	Israel	23.6%
21	Palau	23.0%
22	New Zealand	22.7%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants (2010)₁₇
Pos.		%₁₇
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
4	Grenada	65.5%
5	St Kitts & Nevis	61.1%
6	Guyana	56.9%
7	Monaco	56.3%
8	Antigua & Barbuda	47.6%
9	Tonga	45.4%
10	Albania	45.4%
11	Barbados	41.0%
12	Suriname	39.0%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Antigua & Barbuda's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freethought #gender_equality #homosexuality #human_rights #international_law #morals #politics #prejudice #religious_tolerance #tolerance #women

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2020)₁₈_,₁₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₈_,₁₉
1	Sweden	9.9
2	Denmark	14.7
3	Norway	15.5
	...
124	Lebanon	102.8
125	Guyana	102.9
126	Bahamas	105.3
127	Antigua & Barbuda	105.4
128	Jordan	105.5
129	Dominica	105.6
130	Rwanda	107.1
131	Morocco	107.6
132	Togo	107.8
	World Avg	89.0
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Denmark and Norway₁₈. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are The Solomon Islands, Palestine and Somalia₁₈.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are statistics on commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, supporting press freedom, eliminating modern slavery, opposing gender inequality, the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₁₈, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Micronesia and Australasia₁₈.

For more, see:

"Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2020)

Human Rights & Tolerance:

Nominal Commitment to HR (2009)₂₀
Pos.		Higher is better Treaties₂₀
1	Argentina	24
2	Chile	23
3	Costa Rica	23
	...
131	Afghanistan	13
132	Gambia	13
133	Equatorial Guinea	13
134	Antigua & Barbuda	13
135	Nepal	13
136	Djibouti	13
137	Ethiopia	12
138	Haiti	12
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

HR Treaties Lag (2019)₂₁
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Yrs/Treaty₂₁
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
146	Haiti	12.61
147	Pakistan	12.66
148	Monaco	12.76
149	Antigua & Barbuda	12.76
150	Georgia	12.77
151	Suriname	12.81
152	Andorra	12.91
153	Bhutan	13.01
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

Gender Equality:

The 1950s saw a late rush of 43 countries, including Antigua & Barbuda and many developing nations, move to cease preventing women from voting.

See:

"Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)

Year Women Can Vote
Pos.		Lower is better Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
82	Barbados	1950
83	India	1950
84	Haiti	1950
85	Antigua & Barbuda	1951
86	Grenada	1951
87	Nepal	1951
88	Dominica	1951
89	St Kitts & Nevis	1951
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Prejudice:

LGBT Equality (2017)₂₂
Pos.		Higher is better Score₂₂
1	Netherlands	103
2	Belgium	90
3	Sweden	86
	...
136	S. Sudan	-10
137	Papua New Guinea	-10
138	Sri Lanka	-10
139	Antigua & Barbuda	-10
140	St Vincent & Grenadines	-10
141	Mauritius	-10
142	Myanmar (Burma)	-10
143	Barbados	-10
	World Avg	12.6
q=196.

Freedom of Thought (2021)₂₃
Pos.		Lower is better₂₃
1	Belgium	1.0
2	Netherlands	1.0
3	Taiwan	1.0
	...
32	Barbados	2.0
33	Benin	2.3
34	Greece	2.3
35	Antigua & Barbuda	2.3
36	Japan	2.3
37	Kiribati	2.3
38	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.3
39	Cape Verde	2.3
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

5. Antigua & Barbuda's Health

#alcohol #health #life_expectancy #longevity #obesity #parenting #population #smoking #vaccines

Health (2020)₂₄_,₂₅
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₄_,₂₅
1	Hong Kong	18.0
2	Singapore	41.5
3	Maldives	43.3
	...
36	Netherlands	76.4
37	Cuba	76.4
38	UAE	76.6
39	Antigua & Barbuda	77.7
40	Myanmar (Burma)	78.3
41	Belgium	78.4
42	Eritrea	78.4
43	Nepal	78.6
44	Bahrain	79.0
	World Avg	92.3
q=187.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Hong Kong, Singapore and The Maldives₂₄. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are S. Sudan, Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea₂₄.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Asia and Europe₂₄, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Polynesia₂₄.

For more, see:

"Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2020)

Health:

Antigua & Barbuda does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Antigua & Barbuda comes in the best 20 when it comes to its immunizations take-up₂₆ (amongst the best in The Americas). It does better than average in terms of its average life expectancy₁₂ and in its smoking rate₂₇ (but bad for The Americas). Antigua & Barbuda does not succeed in everything, however. It does worse than average in its adolescent birth rate₂₈ (still good for The Americas), its alcohol consumption rate₂₉ and in its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₀. The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the last 40 years.

Life Expectancy (2015)₁₂
Pos.		Higher is better Years₁₂
1	Hong Kong	84.16
2	Japan	83.68
3	Italy	83.34
	...
53	Argentina	76.46
54	Slovakia	76.41
55	Montenegro	76.40
56	Antigua & Barbuda	76.24
57	Ecuador	76.12
58	China	75.96
59	Vietnam	75.94
60	Jamaica	75.82
	World Avg	71.27
q=190.

Alcohol Consumption (2016)₂₉
Pos.		Lower is better Per Capita₂₉
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
102	Belize	6.8
103	Sao Tome & Principe	6.8
104	Dominican Rep.	6.9
105	Antigua & Barbuda	7.0
106	Niue	7.0
107	China	7.2
108	Paraguay	7.2
109	Mongolia	7.4
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Smoking Rates (2014)₂₇
Pos.		Higher is worse₂₇
182	Montenegro	4 125
181	Belarus	3 831
180	Lebanon	3 023
	...
71	Belize	400
70	S. Sudan	398
69	Yemen	388
68	Antigua & Barbuda	362
67	Colombia	359
66	Hong Kong	345
65	St Vincent & Grenadines	338
64	Barbados	333
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance (2017)₃₀
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₀
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
121	Guinea-Bissau	121
122	Argentina	122
123	Laos	123
124	Antigua & Barbuda	124
125	Burkina Faso	125
126	Mauritius	126
127	Congo, DR	127
128	Gabon	128
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults (2016)₃₁
Pos.		Lower is better %₃₁
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
	...
70	Botswana	43.4
71	Tajikistan	45.3
72	Trinidad & Tobago	46.0
73	Antigua & Barbuda	48.0
74	St Lucia	48.1
75	Uzbekistan	48.2
76	Kyrgyzstan	48.3
77	Yemen	48.8
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate (2015)₂₈
Pos.		Lower is better Per 1000₂₈
1	N. Korea	0.5
2	S. Korea	1.6
3	Switzerland	2.9
	...
97	Barbados	40.7
98	Vanuatu	43.1
99	Thailand	44.6
100	Antigua & Barbuda	44.8
101	Fiji	44.8
102	S. Africa	45.5
103	Cuba	45.6
104	Suriname	46.1
	World Avg	47.9
q=185.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 (2015)₂₆
Pos.		Higher is better Avg %₂₆
1	Hungary	99.0
2	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
14	Saudi Arabia	98.0
15	Luxembourg	98.0
16	Oman	98.0
17	Antigua & Barbuda	98.0
18	Cuba	97.9
19	Belgium	97.8
20	Thailand	97.8
21	Mauritius	97.6
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

6. Antigua & Barbuda's Modernity and Learning

#education #modernity #technology #the_internet

Modernity and Learning (2020)₃₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₂
1	Finland	8.0
2	Belgium	9.1
3	Denmark	10.0
	...
129	Paraguay	91.3
130	El Salvador	91.3
131	Laos	91.7
132	Antigua & Barbuda	92.8
133	Sao Tome & Principe	92.8
134	Nicaragua	93.3
135	Cape Verde	93.5
136	Botswana	93.5
137	Namibia	94.2
	World Avg	69.0
q=180.

Modernity and Education:

Length of Schooling (2018)₃₃
Pos.		Higher is better Years₃₃
1	Australia	22.1
2	Belgium	19.7
3	Finland	19.3
	...
115	Benin	12.6
116	Togo	12.6
117	Samoa	12.5
118	Antigua & Barbuda	12.5
119	Azerbaijan	12.4
120	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	12.4
121	Marshall Islands	12.4
122	India	12.3
	World Avg	13.2
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours (2017)₃₀
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₀
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
88	Pakistan	88
89	Seychelles	89
90	Iran	90
91	Antigua & Barbuda	91
92	Burkina Faso	92
93	Trinidad & Tobago	93
94	Malawi	94
95	Mexico	95
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users (2016)₃₄
Pos.		Higher is better₃₄
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
66	Dominica	66%
67	Italy	66%
68	Uruguay	65%
69	Antigua & Barbuda	65%
70	Greece	65%
71	Saudi Arabia	65%
72	French Polynesia	64%
73	Albania	63%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake (2017)₃₅
Pos.		Higher is better Ratio₃₅
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
110	Kuwait	0.0
111	Guernsey	0.0
112	Bahamas	0.0
113	Antigua & Barbuda	0.0
114	Venezuela	0.0
115	Kazakhstan	0.0
116	New Caledonia	0.0
117	Maldives	0.0
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

7. National Culture

Creativity and Culture (2017)₃₀
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₀
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
71	Trinidad & Tobago	71
72	Botswana	72
73	Dominica	73
74	Antigua & Barbuda	74
75	Turkey	75
76	Kyrgyzstan	76
77	Togo	77
78	Albania	78
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid and Development (2017)₃₀
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₀
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
136	Namibia	136
137	Yemen	137
138	Cambodia	138
139	Antigua & Barbuda	139
140	Afghanistan	140
141	Belize	141
142	Slovakia	142
143	Tanzania	143
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

8. Peace Versus Instability

Peacekeeping and Security (2017)₃₀
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₀
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
100	Luxembourg	100
101	Niger	101
102	Lesotho	102
103	Antigua & Barbuda	103
104	Latvia	104
105	Laos	105
106	Mozambique	106
107	Poland	107
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees and UN Treaties (2017)₃₀
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₀
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
128	Yemen	128
129	Pakistan	129
130	Samoa	130
131	Antigua & Barbuda	131
132	Azerbaijan	132
133	Togo	133
134	St Vincent & Grenadines	134
135	Afghanistan	135
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

9. The Natural Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #over-exploitation #the_environment

Forest Area Change 1990-2015 (2015)₃₆
Pos.		Higher is better %₃₆
1	Iceland	+205.6
2	Bahrain	+144.4
3	Uruguay	+131.3
	...
119	Bangladesh	-04.4
120	Ecuador	-04.4
121	Burundi	-04.5
122	Antigua & Barbuda	-04.9
123	Congo, DR	-04.9
124	Peru	-05.1
125	Angola	-05.1
126	Singapore	-05.2
	World Avg	+02.8
q=184.

Environmental Performance (2018)₃₇
Pos.		Higher is better₃₇
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
73	Dominica	59.4
74	Argentina	59.3
75	Malaysia	59.2
76	Antigua & Barbuda	59.2
77	UAE	58.9
78	Jamaica	58.6
79	Namibia	58.5
80	Iran	58.2
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Convention on Biological Diversity
Pos.		Earlier is better Signed
1	China	1993 Dec 29
2	Guinea	1993 Dec 29
3	Cook Islands	1993 Dec 29
	...
13	Marshall Islands	1993 Dec 29
14	Seychelles	1993 Dec 29
15	Mauritius	1993 Dec 29
16	Antigua & Barbuda	1993 Dec 29
17	Mongolia	1993 Dec 29
18	St Kitts & Nevis	1993 Dec 29
19	New Zealand	1993 Dec 29
20	Japan	1993 Dec 29
	World Avg	1899 Dec 30
q=197.

10. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₃₈:

Christian	93%
Muslim	0.6%
Hindu	0.2%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	3.6%
Jew	0.1%
Unaffiliated	1.7%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Protestant 76.4% (Anglican 25.7%, Seventh-Day Adventist 12.3%, Pentecostal 10.6%, Moravian 10.5%, Methodist 7.9%, Baptist 4.9%, Church of God 4.5%), Roman Catholic 10.4%, other Christian 5.4%, other 2%, none or unspecified 5.8% (2001 census)₃₉.

Links:

A List of All Religions and Belief Systems