🇧🇧 Barbados
Unitary state, parliamentary republicLiberal democracy
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Mia Mottley
Prime Minister · 3,067 days in office
How the political system works in Barbados
Barbados is governed as a unitary state with a parliamentary republic. Its prime minister, Mia Mottley, has led the country since May 25, 2018. Barbados has had 8 prime ministers since 1953. Under the Regimes of the World classification, it counts as a liberal democracy.
Tenure records
Longest-serving
Owen Arthur
4,880 days
Shortest-serving
David Thompson
1,011 days
Average tenure
2,534 days
Mia Mottley: 21% above average
Female leaders
1 of 8
First: Mia Mottley (2018)
Recent prime ministers by days in office
Is a leader's tenure getting longer or shorter in Barbados?
Across 8 completed terms, the average prime minister of Barbados has served 2,534 days (about 6.9 years). That has stayed fairly steady: the last five completed terms averaged 2,337 days.
One completed term Average tenure per decade
All prime ministers of Barbados
| # | Name | Took office | Left office | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 |  Mia Mottley | May 25, 2018 | Incumbent | 3,067 |
| 8 |  Freundel Stuart | Oct 23, 2010 | May 25, 2018 | 2,771 |
| 7 |  David Thompson | Jan 16, 2008 | Oct 23, 2010 | 1,011 |
| 6 |  Owen Arthur | Sep 6, 1994 | Jan 16, 2008 | 4,880 |
| 5 |  Lloyd Erskine Sandiford | Jun 1, 1987 | Sep 6, 1994 | 2,654 |
| 4 |  Errol Barrow | May 29, 1986 | Jun 1, 1987 | 368 |
| 3 |  Tom Adams | Sep 8, 1976 | Mar 11, 1985 | 3,106 |
| 2 | Errol Barrow | Nov 18, 1966 | Sep 8, 1976 | 3,582 |
| 1 |  Grantley Herbert Adams | Feb 1, 1953 | Apr 17, 1958 | 1,901 |
Officeholder history via Wikidata. Multiple rows for one person indicate separate terms.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is the Prime Minister of Barbados?
- Mia Mottley has been Prime Minister of Barbados since May 25, 2018.
- How is the leader of Barbados chosen?
- Barbados is governed as a unitary state with a parliamentary republic. Its prime minister, Mia Mottley, has led the country since May 25, 2018. Barbados has had 8 prime ministers since 1953. Under the Regimes of the World classification, it counts as a liberal democracy.
- Who is the longest-serving Prime Minister of Barbados?
- Owen Arthur, with 4,880 days in office.
- Are leaders serving longer or shorter terms in Barbados?
- Across 8 completed terms, the average prime minister of Barbados has served 2,534 days (about 6.9 years). That has stayed fairly steady: the last five completed terms averaged 2,337 days.
- Has Barbados ever had a female prime minister?
- Yes. Barbados has had 1 female prime minister. The first was Mia Mottley, who took office in 2018.