Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Puerto Rico instead of Barbados, you would:
Health
live 5.6 years longer
In Barbados, the average life expectancy is 76 years (74 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024. In Puerto Rico, that number is 82 years (78 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024.
be 54.9% more likely to die by suicide
Barbados has a suicide rate of 3.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Puerto Rico, it is 5.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 43.2% more money
Barbados has a GDP per capita of $28,365 as of 2025, while in Puerto Rico, the GDP per capita is $40,620 as of 2025.
Life
be 68.6% less 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 Puerto Rico, 11.0 women do as of 2023.
be 33.6% less 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 Puerto Rico, on the other hand, 6.0 children do as of 2022.
have 48.7% fewer children
In Barbados, there are approximately 11.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Puerto Rico, there are 5.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 24.1% more likely to have internet access
In Barbados, approximately 70.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Puerto Rico, about 87.3% do as of 2022.
Expenditures
spend 19.9% more on education
Barbados spends 3.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Puerto Rico spends 4.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
Geography
see 5.2 times more coastline
Barbados has a total of 97 km of coastline. In Puerto Rico, that number is 501 km.
Safety
be 96.1% more likely to be murdered
Barbados has a homicide rate of 7.4 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Puerto Rico, that number is 14.6 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 25.0% more likely to die in a road accident
In Barbados, road accidents kill 10.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Puerto Rico, they kill 12.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 77.7% less strain on fresh water
Barbados withdraws 88% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Puerto Rico withdraws 20% as of 2022.
find 25.3% less home broadband
Barbados has 37.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Puerto Rico has 28.0 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 91.3% more CO2
Barbados emits 2.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Puerto Rico emits 4.8 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), The World Factbook (2022), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Barbados vs. Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico: At a glance
How big is Puerto Rico compared to Barbados? See an in-depth size comparison.