Britain took 25 million years of life and work through slavery in Barbados: report
A report presented in Barbados said that British colonial practices drained nearly 25 million years of life and forced labor from enslaved Africans. The value lost through this extraction could reach £1.6 trillion, as researchers seek to measure the historical damage.
The research relies on tools such as economic modeling, demographic data and historical records to measure the depth of exploitation across more than two centuries of property-based slavery. A report from The Guardian cites economist Coleman Bazelon, who is leading the research through Public Interest Experts, a non-profit organisation. The Guardian’s coverage is based on evidence presented in court, expert commentary and official statements provided during the study’s release.Researchers estimate that the unpaid labor done by enslaved people in Barbados created wealth worth between £400 billion and £560 billion. The additional loss from shorter lives adds another £900bn to £1.05tn. Bazelon noted that these numbers show harm that goes beyond just lost wages. The report aims less to set prices and more to shape understanding. “This research does not create a bill for anyone to pay,” Bazelon said.
“It is an accounting of the harm that has been done… Acknowledging the harm that has been done is the starting point for reconciliation.”It is noted in the document that about 379,000 Africans arrived in Barbados, while approximately 78,000 people lost their lives during the sea voyage. Through studies, about 335,000 others entered slavery by being born on the island. These figures contribute to the calculation of the total years of life and labor extracted under British rule. Since the 1700s, Barbados has stood at the heart of British colonial expansion through large-scale agricultural settlements. The island now forms part of the Caribbean Community, an alliance that supports demands for historical redress. The report builds on previous research, including a 2023 assessment by Brattle focusing on forced labor systems across the US territories and the Caribbean. At that time, in 1834, Britain granted £20 million to slave owners to abolish slavery, while the enslaved received no compensation.
Professor Alan Lister from the University of Sussex stated that this decision had deepened inequality. This imbalance had lasting effects; Wealth gaps have widened over time. Even after independence, Caribbean countries faced limited capital and increasing debt.Trevor Prescod, Minister of African Affairs and Heritage of Barbados, said the report would eventually go to Cabinet for approval. “I feel that the public should walk with us to our destination… Many of the areas of progress that have been denied us will be at the heart of our advocacy and demands for reparations and reparative justice,” he said.However, the international debate continues. Although the United Nations General Assembly recently classified chattel slavery as an atrocity, some countries have chosen not to support the proposal. Compensation through direct financial transfers is off the table under British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s position, which is shifting attention towards dialogue and alternative forms of redress.Some advocacy organizations, including the heirs of slavery, are demanding recognition of historical responsibility.
