n Antigua and Barbuda, one in three residents was born abroad. In St. Lucia, it’s one in twenty. Across CARICOM, migration shapes each nation differently.
Data from the IOM’s latest migration report, drawing on UNDESA mid-year 2024 estimates, shows migrant populations ranging from 33% of the population in Antigua and Barbuda to just 5% in St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Montserrat (32%) and a cluster of three at 17% – Belize, The Bahamas, and St. Kitts and Nevis – round out the upper tier. Barbados and Dominica each sit at 13%, while Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago both record 8%.
At the lower end, Guyana (7%), Grenada and Jamaica (6% each), and St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines (5% each) host proportionally smaller migrant communities.
The variation reflects geography, economic opportunity, and historical ties. For some nations, migration is central to the social fabric. For others, it plays a quieter role.
As the year closes, the data offers a reminder: the Caribbean has always been shaped by movement.
Source: IOM Displacement Tracking Matrix, Migration Trends in the English and Dutch Speaking Caribbean, 2024 (using UNDESA mid-year 2024 data)
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One in three does not necessarily mean migration to Antigua. Since the 60s Antiguan women have been going to the US to have their babies. Including former PM Lester Bird. First it was St. Thomas and St. Croix and over the past 30 years it has been New York and Miami..Antiguans never wanted to be Antiguan and it is the only country in the Caribbean that lacks a national culture and genuine love of country. Antigua me come from is more of an aggressive defense than a sense of patriotic pride.
Well we all know why Montserrat is at the top of the list.. 75% of the natives left after the Volcano blew. Montserrat was almost unknown to the outside world before the volcano.
So it shouldn’t be in the equation.
But I see what you’re trying to do here..very slick indeed.
There is more to those numbers than what you are eluding to.
Sorry *alluded to*
I absolutely do not believe that in the case of Antigua, people can always come up with figures to justify anything they want to bamboozle you with
I am correct on data again. My goodness I am good. My other prediction is within 5 to 10 years there will be hardly any Antigua and Barbuds culture left in the United Islands of Antigua and Barbuda. The country doesn’t have a dominant folkway and this will make it even easier to conquer culturally, and in folkways, and even dishes. You will find more jerk pork, jerk chicken, bleaching, and other patterns of other countries overwhelmingly in Antigua.
You will also find a horrific crime rate, and drug addiction level in 5 to 10 years. Guaranteed based on my analysis. But those people in authority, not too intelligent to see what is happening now to care and mitigate.
It is common knowledge that at least up until the last year, many pregnant Antiguan and Barbudan citizens used to travel to the United States to give birth to their babies. The idea was to give the children as American born citizens a better opportunity at health care, advanced education and all the other perks afforded to American citizens. DJT has now put the breaks on that. The influx of Caricom and international citizens over the years, many of whom have now acquired citizenship, also adds to those numbers.
@ My Way of Helping. That’s how those in authority want it, that is how they stay in power, the country be damned, the sad thing is the ORDINARY MAN and WOMAN in this country isn’t recognizing the danger and get rid of these CHARLATANS who are using them
@My Way Of Helping. Everson, no you are not good, you are mental.
It’s funny that you have this fantasy of the United Islands of Antigua and Barbuda😜 and how bad immigrants have messed up this place, the crime rate, drug addiction, blah, blah, blah, but the reality is YOU are an immigrant to the US who lives in New York or New Jersey with millions of other immigrants with a crime rate that is off the charts. Pot, kettle, black!
The only guarantee I see is that one day, you will be in the care of a mental institution somewhere.
@ Born and Bred Antigua, it is clear they do not care and this must be their intent.
The only reason Antigua and Barbuda’s rate is so high is that our politicians insist on importing voters while born-and-breds leave for greener pastures. When compared to other Caribbean countries, our twin island state’s rate is double the rate of others, or more. This is alarming and quite frankly its an embarrassment! My way of helping, “those people in authority” are verrry well aware, they just don’t care. Actually, they do care. They care that if anything is done about it, there would be a decline in votes, come election time. How else can they stay in power? Certainly not the honest way. While it is true that politics is naturally a dirty game, I highly doubt that the governing party can win any election fairly. They’d probably fall terribly ill if they even tried.
@ Audley Phillip,
You obviously did not go to the data sources. Antiguan and Barbadans women had been involved in birth tourism so sometime now.
While Antiguan women have gone to the USVI and the US, Barbudans tend to go to the UK. Several past members and a current member of Barbuda Council are UK born.
What’s important is the data trend, as well as the social cultural and economic impact of this growing influx of migrants.
Further, the data ignores migrants from Europe etc. It clearly shows the influx from CARICOM countries.
In other countries there are Policy Advisors who would make recommendations on critical issues such as this.
What does this report mean to the local politicians? Their only interests is to monetize the ignorance.
Minister Moleyn Joseph recently spoke about the 25,000 visits to SLBMC. The underlying reason is the result of a broken healthcare system. The lack of an ambulatory care network. Rather than acknowledging the fundamental problems; his solution is to have meeting with administrators.
Administrator can not set aside money for a capital budget to address the lack of primary care facilities(polytechnics) to relieve the burden on the main hospital emergency unit.
It is well known that Antiguan families normally headed off to the US to give the children American born citizenship and a better opportunity at health care, advanced education and all the other perks afforded to American citizens.
We are being informed that US immigration policy is likely to have an adverse impact on that practice.
Rather than digitizing the ignorance, and igniting debate; with this information that is jarring; will the local politicians who are the policy makers; examine and address the growing foreign population who are now burdening public services including health services.
Let’s stop this nonsense of simplistic rhetoric and address the problem.
Antigua snd Barbuda has an open door policy to all and everyone who are not on the Wanted List of their country of origin while Antiguans pursue tourism birth.
That policy is creating a society where Antiguan and Barbudans in the near future will be struggling to maintain their identity, and their tax burden increases to accommodate for whatever reason the highest migrant numbers shown in in this data set.
If this is not alarming enough to warrant immediate changes. It calls for public debate.
Well why don’t you grow your economy by kicking out the “foreigners”?
Why dont people consider that the country has to import talent because it’s doing well.
As far as the guy who is talking about jerk chicken etc. Most Jamaican don’t bleach or smoke Ganja.
for menial jobs in Europe…
Imagingine the conditions here in antigua after 1945 (mother england destroyed)…
patriotism was ingrained in us for the mother not antigua.
Here is a surprise: OUR PATRIOTIC ALLEGIANCE & DEFENCE WILL AGAIN BE AFRICA.
TIME IS THE MASTER
I want to thank the ABLP blogger who said I am mental. Thank you for observing how much I use my brain (mental). Thank you for bringing that to the attention of all. You are so kind.
What is your name, there is a particular class and ethics used that when you mentioned the name of others you must give your name too. You should have such class, ethics, and consideration by providing your name.
Thirdly, comparing gigantic US states, with gigantic populations (in comparison to Antigua and Barbuda) in terms of harming culture, customs, folkways, opportunity, and other important factors aren’t you even slightly intelligent to see why the significant increase in foreigners in a tiny country is substantially and permanently harmful to a tiny area and tiny population? Sense and analysis is not your thing?
You mentioned millions of foreigners in the US, that statement allow me to see your mind. US is gigantic and the United Islands of Antigua and Barbuda are tiny space and population). I have to make you appreciate/consider this?
I want to also thank you for constantly admiring my work and for admiring me. I will continue to be your hero.
Post your true name so we can all reward you ABLP person. You deserve so much for your work and I genuinely want to have the honor to morally and legally present you with your reward for the work you have done for ABLP.
One final thing, immigrants moving to a country in a year should not be more than the yearly birth rate of locals. To preserve the country’s identity, culture, norms, folkways, etcetera.
@Countryman Abroad. You put it well pertaining to the substance of your point. You are making the same vitally important points as me, if they do not listen to me, at least listen to this blogger.
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