Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley has stated that Barbados is owed $4.9 trillion (£3.9 trillion) in reparations for the historical role of former colonial powers in the transatlantic slave trade.
The figure was presented during a lecture at the London School of Economics in December 2023 and is based on an economic report by the Brattle Group, a U.S.-based consulting firm. The report attempts to estimate the economic impact of slavery and colonialism, including stolen labor, lost wealth, and the long-term effects passed down through generations.
According to the same report, the United Kingdom’s estimated reparations liability to 14 Caribbean nations affected by transatlantic slavery totals approximately $24 trillion.
Prime Minister Mottley has also emphasized that she is not calling for an immediate lump-sum payment, acknowledging that the harm occurred over centuries and that any reparatory process would be long-term.
As Mottley stated:
“We’re not expecting that the reparatory damages will be paid in a year, or two, or five because the extraction of wealth and the damages took place over centuries. But we are demanding that we be seen and that we are heard.”
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