By the end of January 2025, Barbados had recorded at least seven homicides between January 1st and 31st. In comparison, the same period in 2024 saw three homicides, marking an increase of 133%.
Disclaimer: My count and analysis are based solely on media reports; the figures and insights provided below should not be considered official or final.
The map in Image 1 illustrates the distribution of homicides across Barbados for January 2025, with a total of seven recorded cases. St. Michael had the highest count, with three homicides, while St. Philip, Christ Church, St. Thomas, and St. Lucy each recorded one. The remaining parishes—St. James, St. Andrew, St. Peter, St. Joseph, St. George, and St. John—reported no homicides.
A new column, “Approach Method,” was added to Table 1. This captures, when available through news reports, how the attacker approached the victim. For example, was it a drive-by, or did the assailant(s) drive to the scene, exit the vehicle, and then attack? In both cases, I would categorize it as ‘Motorcar.’ Alternatively, was the attack carried out on foot, such as a fight that broke out in a bar or an attacker approaching the victim on the street? This variable is subjective, as it relies on the specific details available from reports.
Chart 2 displays the number of homicides recorded in Barbados for January 2025, with a total of seven incidents. No data is yet available for the remaining months, suggesting this may be an ongoing record for the year. January’s homicide count serves as an early indicator of crime trends for 2025.
Chart 3 shows the distribution of homicides across Barbados’ parishes for January 2025. St. Michael recorded the highest number of homicides (3), making it the most affected parish. St. Philip, Christ Church, St. Thomas, and St. Lucy each recorded one homicide. The remaining parishes—St. James, St. Andrew, St. Peter, St. Joseph, St. George, and St. John—recorded no homicides.
Table 2 above, and Chart 5 below, present homicide rates per 100,000 people across Barbados’ parishes for January 2025. St. Lucy had the highest per capita rate at 10.2 per 100,000, followed by St. Thomas (7.0), St. Michael (3.4), St. Philip (3.3), and Christ Church (1.8). The other parishes reported no homicides.
Despite St. Michael having the most homicides overall (3), its larger population resulted in a lower per capita rate than St. Lucy and St. Thomas. These figures highlight crime distribution relative to population size.
Chart 5 categorizes the methods used in homicides across Barbados for January 2025. Shooting-related incidents dominate, accounting for 4 cases, making firearms the most prevalent weapon in violent crimes for the year. Blade/Edge-related weapons, such as knives or machetes, were the second most common, with 2 cases. Other methods (fighting/beating) accounted for 1 case.
Chart 6 categorizes the age group of homicide victims in Barbados for January 2025. The age group of 25 to 34 stands out with the highest number of victims, with 3 homicides for the year so far. The youngest victim was 19 years old, while the eldest was 50 years old. No age data was available for one victim.
Chart 7 reveals a significant gender disparity in homicide victims in Barbados for January 2025. 6 males lost their lives to, compared to 1 female.
Chart 8 categorizes the timing of homicides in Barbados for January 2025. The majority of the homicides (4) occurred during the workweek, compared to 3 on the weekend. Note: I define the workweek as Monday to Thursday.
Chart 9 chart categorizes homicides in Barbados for January 2025 by day of the week. The majority of homicides took place on Thursday (2). Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday each had 1 homicide.
Chart 10 categorizes the number of homicides in Barbados during January 2025, broken down by specific time slots. Most homicides occurred during the 8 PM to 12 AM (midnight) period, with a count of 2, and 8 AM to 12 PM (noon), also 2. One homicide took place during the 4 PM to 8 PM period. Additionally, there was 1 homicide categorized as “Unknown” in terms of time.
Summary
In January 2025, Barbados experienced a total of 7 homicides, with 3 occurring in St. Michael. Among these incidents, 4 were shooting-related, and the victims included 6 males and 1 female, with 3 individuals aged between 25 to 34 years. 4 of the homicides occurred during the workweek and 3 over the weekend. In terms of days of the week, Thursday was particularly notable with 2 homicides recorded, every other day, except Monday, recorded 1 homicide. The majority of these violent events took place during the time slots of 8 AM to 12 PM and 8 PM to 12 AM.
caribbeansignal.com is the personal blog of Amit Uttamchandani. Posts or comments made by Amit on this blog represent His personal views, opinions, thoughts, et cetera. Furthermore, the information presented in this particular do not represent official crime statistics. Finally, the raw data, i.e., the Excel file(s) used to create this post, as well as raw data dumps from the Barbados Homicide Database are available for purchase.
