Living in Barbados

What stands out in Barbados is how tightly the job market is held. The pay holds up against most of the world and tax stays light, leaving most of an income intact, but the openings gather around hospitality and tourism and seldom go to someone without a local foothold. English is the language of work everywhere, so the obstacle is access rather than communication. For an outsider, simply breaking in is the real test.

Barbados sits in near-balance, leaning slightly toward arrivals. About 20.8K residents were born abroad — 7% of the population — coming mainly from Guyana, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and the United Kingdom. The figure has barely moved, up 2% over the decade, and it edges out a diaspora of roughly 19,600, most of whom have settled in Canada.