Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United Kingdom instead of Barbados, you would:
Health
live 5.1 years longer
In Barbados, the average life expectancy is 76 years (74 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024. In United Kingdom, that number is 81 years (80 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2024.
be 30.5% less likely to be obese
In Barbados, 39.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United Kingdom, that number is 27.4% of people as of 2024.
see 5.7 times more spent on your healthcare
Barbados spends $1,153 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United Kingdom spends $6,606 as of 2024.
have 11.6% more doctors per person
Barbados has 29.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. United Kingdom has 33.0 as of 2023.
have 14.3% more access to essential health services
Barbados scores 77 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. United Kingdom scores 88 as of 2021.
be 2.7 times more likely to die by suicide
Barbados has a suicide rate of 3.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United Kingdom, it is 9.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 27.1% less likely to be unemployed
In Barbados, 6.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United Kingdom, that number is 4.8% as of 2025.
be 27.6% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Barbados, 25.7% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In United Kingdom, however, that number is 18.6% as of 2017.
make 2.0 times more money
Barbados has a GDP per capita of $28,365 as of 2025, while in United Kingdom, the GDP per capita is $57,602 as of 2025.
Life
be 77.1% 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 Kingdom, 8.0 women do as of 2023.
be 54.9% 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 Kingdom, on the other hand, 4.1 children do as of 2024.
have 11.1% fewer children
In Barbados, there are approximately 11.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United Kingdom, there are 9.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 35.7% more likely to have internet access
In Barbados, approximately 70.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In United Kingdom, about 95.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 66.0% more on education
Barbados spends 3.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. United Kingdom spends 5.9% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
spend 2.1 times more on healthcare
Barbados spends 5.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In United Kingdom, that number is 11.1% of GDP as of 2024.
Geography
see 128.1 times more coastline
Barbados has a total of 97 km of coastline. In United Kingdom, that number is 12,429 km.
Safety
be 84.9% less likely to be murdered
Barbados has a homicide rate of 7.4 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In United Kingdom, that number is 1.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
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 United Kingdom, they kill 2.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 12.5% more home broadband
Barbados has 37.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. United Kingdom has 42.2 as of 2024.
live with 83.6% less strain on fresh water
Barbados withdraws 88% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United Kingdom withdraws 14% as of 2022.
Environment
be 31.6% less likely to die from air pollution
In Barbados, air pollution causes 19.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United Kingdom, it causes 13.0 as of 2019.
emit 67.5% more CO2
Barbados emits 2.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United Kingdom emits 4.2 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2016–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Barbados vs. United Kingdom
United Kingdom: At a glance
How big is United Kingdom compared to Barbados? See an in-depth size comparison.