Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United Arab Emirates instead of Barbados, you would:
Health
live 6.7 years longer
In Barbados, the average life expectancy is 76 years (74 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 83 years (82 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024.
be 19.8% less likely to be obese
In Barbados, 39.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 31.6% of people as of 2024.
see 3.2 times more spent on your healthcare
Barbados spends $1,153 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United Arab Emirates spends $3,727 as of 2023.
be 51.1% less likely to die by suicide
Barbados has a suicide rate of 3.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United Arab Emirates, it is 1.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 66.7% less likely to be unemployed
In Barbados, 6.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 2.2% as of 2025.
make 77.2% more money
Barbados has a GDP per capita of $28,365 as of 2025, while in United Arab Emirates, the GDP per capita is $50,274 as of 2024.
Life
be 91.4% 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 United Arab Emirates, 3.0 women do as of 2023.
be 58.2% 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 United Arab Emirates, on the other hand, 3.8 children do as of 2024.
have 11.7% fewer children
In Barbados, there are approximately 11.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, there are 9.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 42.1% more likely to have internet access
In Barbados, approximately 70.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, about 100.0% do as of 2024.
Geography
see 13.6 times more coastline
Barbados has a total of 97 km of coastline. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 1,318 km.
Safety
be 90.7% less likely to be murdered
Barbados has a homicide rate of 7.4 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 0.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 41.0% less likely to die in a road accident
In Barbados, road accidents kill 10.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In United Arab Emirates, they kill 5.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 17.3 times more strain on fresh water
Barbados withdraws 88% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United Arab Emirates withdraws 1510% as of 2022.
Environment
be 3.7 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Barbados, air pollution causes 19.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United Arab Emirates, it causes 70.0 as of 2019.
emit 7.2 times more CO2
Barbados emits 2.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United Arab Emirates emits 18.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Barbados vs. United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates: At a glance
How big is United Arab Emirates compared to Barbados? See an in-depth size comparison.