Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Afghanistan instead of Barbados, you would:
Health
be 47.8% less likely to be obese
In Barbados, 39.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Afghanistan, that number is 20.6% of people as of 2024.
live 10.0 years less
In Barbados, the average life expectancy is 76 years (74 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024. In Afghanistan, that number is 66 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024.
see 71.4% less spent on your healthcare
Barbados spends $1,153 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Afghanistan spends $330 as of 2023.
have 89.3% fewer doctors per person
Barbados has 29.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Afghanistan has 3.2 as of 2023.
have 46.8% less access to essential health services
Barbados scores 77 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Afghanistan scores 41 as of 2021.
Economy
be 2.0 times more likely to be unemployed
In Barbados, 6.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Afghanistan, that number is 13.3% as of 2025.
be 83.3% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Barbados, 25.7% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Afghanistan, however, that number is 47.1% as of 2019.
make 98.5% less money
Barbados has a GDP per capita of $28,365 as of 2025, while in Afghanistan, the GDP per capita is $417 as of 2024.
Life
have 3.1 times more children
In Barbados, there are approximately 11.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Afghanistan, there are 35.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 14.9 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Barbados, approximately 35.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Afghanistan, 521.0 women do as of 2023.
be 5.3 times more likely to die during infancy
In Barbados, approximately 9.1 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Afghanistan, on the other hand, 48.3 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 14.7% less likely to have access to electricity
In Barbados, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Afghanistan, that number is 85% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 81% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 77.1% less likely to have internet access
In Barbados, approximately 70.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Afghanistan, about 16.1% do as of 2024.
be 18.5% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Barbados, approximately 99% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Afghanistan, 81% of people do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.8 times more on healthcare
Barbados spends 5.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Afghanistan, that number is 15.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 45.8% less likely to be murdered
Barbados has a homicide rate of 7.4 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Afghanistan, that number is 4.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 2.4 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Barbados, road accidents kill 10.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Afghanistan, they kill 24.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 37.4% less strain on fresh water
Barbados withdraws 88% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Afghanistan withdraws 55% as of 2022.
find 99.8% less home broadband
Barbados has 37.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Afghanistan has 0.1 as of 2023.
Environment
emit 88.9% less CO2
Barbados emits 2.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Afghanistan emits 0.3 tonnes as of 2024.
be 7.5 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Barbados, air pollution causes 19.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Afghanistan, it causes 143.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2016–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Barbados vs. Afghanistan
Afghanistan: At a glance
How big is Afghanistan compared to Barbados? See an in-depth size comparison.