Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Switzerland instead of Barbados, you would:
Health
live 8.1 years longer
In Barbados, the average life expectancy is 76 years (74 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024. In Switzerland, that number is 84 years (83 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2024.
be 71.4% less likely to be obese
In Barbados, 39.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Switzerland, that number is 11.3% of people as of 2024.
see 9.2 times more spent on your healthcare
Barbados spends $1,153 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Switzerland spends $10,602 as of 2023.
have 51.4% more doctors per person
Barbados has 29.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Switzerland has 44.8 as of 2022.
have 11.7% more access to essential health services
Barbados scores 77 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Switzerland scores 86 as of 2021.
be 4.0 times more likely to die by suicide
Barbados has a suicide rate of 3.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Switzerland, it is 14.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 25.3% less likely to be unemployed
In Barbados, 6.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Switzerland, that number is 4.9% as of 2025.
make 4.0 times more money
Barbados has a GDP per capita of $28,365 as of 2025, while in Switzerland, the GDP per capita is $114,769 as of 2025.
Life
be 85.7% 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 Switzerland, 5.0 women do as of 2023.
be 62.6% 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 Switzerland, on the other hand, 3.4 children do as of 2024.
have 21.8% fewer children
In Barbados, there are approximately 11.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Switzerland, there are 8.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 38.3% more likely to have internet access
In Barbados, approximately 70.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Switzerland, about 97.3% do as of 2025.
Expenditures
spend 36.5% more on education
Barbados spends 3.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Switzerland spends 4.9% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 2.2 times more on healthcare
Barbados spends 5.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Switzerland, that number is 11.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 91.9% less likely to be murdered
Barbados has a homicide rate of 7.4 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Switzerland, that number is 0.6 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 76.0% less likely to die in a road accident
In Barbados, road accidents kill 10.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Switzerland, they kill 2.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 25.5% more home broadband
Barbados has 37.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Switzerland has 47.0 as of 2024.
live with 92.6% less strain on fresh water
Barbados withdraws 88% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Switzerland withdraws 6% as of 2022.
Environment
be 47.4% less likely to die from air pollution
In Barbados, air pollution causes 19.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Switzerland, it causes 10.0 as of 2019.
emit 48.8% more CO2
Barbados emits 2.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Switzerland emits 3.8 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Barbados vs. Switzerland
Switzerland: At a glance
How big is Switzerland compared to Barbados? See an in-depth size comparison.