Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United States instead of Barbados, you would:
Health
live 2.6 years longer
In Barbados, the average life expectancy is 76 years (74 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024. In United States, that number is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.
see 11.7 times more spent on your healthcare
Barbados spends $1,153 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United States spends $13,473 as of 2023.
have 24.4% more doctors per person
Barbados has 29.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. United States has 36.8 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. United States scores 86 as of 2021.
be 4.5 times more likely to die by suicide
Barbados has a suicide rate of 3.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United States, it is 15.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 35.6% less likely to be unemployed
In Barbados, 6.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United States, that number is 4.2% as of 2025.
make 3.2 times more money
Barbados has a GDP per capita of $28,365 as of 2025, while in United States, the GDP per capita is $90,027 as of 2025.
Life
be 51.4% 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 States, 17.0 women do as of 2023.
be 39.6% 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 United States, on the other hand, 5.5 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 34.6% more likely to have internet access
In Barbados, approximately 70.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In United States, about 94.7% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 52.2% more on education
Barbados spends 3.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. United States spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
spend 3.1 times more on healthcare
Barbados spends 5.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In United States, that number is 16.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 205.4 times more coastline
Barbados has a total of 97 km of coastline. In United States, that number is 19,924 km.
Safety
be 22.6% less likely to be murdered
Barbados has a homicide rate of 7.4 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In United States, that number is 5.8 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 42.0% more likely to die in a road accident
In Barbados, road accidents kill 10.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In United States, they kill 14.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 67.8% less strain on fresh water
Barbados withdraws 88% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United States withdraws 28% as of 2022.
Environment
be 26.3% less likely to die from air pollution
In Barbados, air pollution causes 19.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United States, it causes 14.0 as of 2019.
emit 5.4 times more CO2
Barbados emits 2.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United States emits 13.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Barbados vs. United States
United States: At a glance
How big is United States compared to Barbados? See an in-depth size comparison.