Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zambia instead of Barbados, you would:
Health
be 70.6% less likely to be obese
In Barbados, 39.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 11.6% of people as of 2024.
be 9.4 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Barbados, 1.0% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 9.4% of people as of 2024.
live 9.8 years less
In Barbados, the average life expectancy is 76 years (74 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 67 years (64 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024.
see 78.9% less spent on your healthcare
Barbados spends $1,153 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zambia spends $244 as of 2023.
have 89.0% fewer doctors per person
Barbados has 29.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Zambia has 3.2 as of 2022.
have 27.3% less access to essential health services
Barbados scores 77 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Zambia scores 56 as of 2021.
be 2.0 times more likely to die by suicide
Barbados has a suicide rate of 3.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Zambia, it is 7.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 95.4% less money
Barbados has a GDP per capita of $28,365 as of 2025, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $1,318 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.9 times more children
In Barbados, there are approximately 11.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Zambia, there are 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 2.4 times more 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 Zambia, 85.0 women do as of 2023.
be 3.8 times more 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 Zambia, on the other hand, 34.6 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 48.9% less likely to have access to electricity
In Barbados, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Zambia, that number is 51% of people on average (90% in urban areas, and 18% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 75.7% less likely to have internet access
In Barbados, approximately 70.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Zambia, about 17.1% do as of 2024.
be 26.0% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Barbados, approximately 99% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Zambia, 73% of people do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 14.3% more on education
Barbados spends 3.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Zambia spends 4.1% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 10.7% more on healthcare
Barbados spends 5.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Zambia, that number is 6.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 71.0% more likely to die in a road accident
In Barbados, road accidents kill 10.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Zambia, they kill 17.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 96.8% less strain on fresh water
Barbados withdraws 88% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zambia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
find 97.9% less home broadband
Barbados has 37.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Zambia has 0.8 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 78.6% less CO2
Barbados emits 2.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Zambia emits 0.5 tonnes as of 2024.
be 2.6 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Barbados, air pollution causes 19.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Zambia, it causes 50.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Barbados vs. Zambia
Zambia: At a glance
How big is Zambia compared to Barbados? See an in-depth size comparison.