Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Palau instead of Barbados, you would:
Health
see 61.0% more spent on your healthcare
Barbados spends $1,153 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Palau spends $1,857 as of 2023.
live 7.0 years less
In Barbados, the average life expectancy is 76 years (74 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024. In Palau, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.
have 38.9% fewer doctors per person
Barbados has 29.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Palau has 18.1 as of 2023.
have 15.6% less access to essential health services
Barbados scores 77 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Palau scores 65 as of 2021.
Economy
make 31.1% less money
Barbados has a GDP per capita of $28,365 as of 2025, while in Palau, the GDP per capita is $19,532 as of 2025.
Life
be 2.5 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 Palau, 89.0 women do as of 2023.
be 2.0 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 Palau, on the other hand, 18.6 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 19.3% more likely to have internet access
In Barbados, approximately 70.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Palau, about 83.9% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.0 times more on healthcare
Barbados spends 5.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Palau, that number is 10.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 15.7 times more coastline
Barbados has a total of 97 km of coastline. In Palau, that number is 1,519 km.
Safety
be 2.2 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Barbados, road accidents kill 10.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Palau, they kill 22.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 80.4% less home broadband
Barbados has 37.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Palau has 7.3 as of 2023.
Environment
emit 32.9 times more CO2
Barbados emits 2.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Palau emits 82.8 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Barbados vs. Palau
Palau: At a glance
How big is Palau compared to Barbados? See an in-depth size comparison.