Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Barbados instead of Bhutan, you would:
Health
live 3.1 years longer
In Bhutan, the average life expectancy is 73 years (72 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024. In Barbados, that number is 76 years (74 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024.
see 70.4% more spent on your healthcare
Bhutan spends $677 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Barbados spends $1,153 as of 2023.
have 5.3 times more doctors per person
Bhutan has 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Barbados has 29.6 as of 2022.
have 28.3% more access to essential health services
Bhutan scores 60 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Barbados scores 77 as of 2021.
be 28.6% less likely to die by suicide
Bhutan has a suicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Barbados, it is 3.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 3.0 times more likely to be obese
In Bhutan, 13.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Barbados, that number is 39.4% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 6.3 times more money
Bhutan has a GDP per capita of $4,493 as of 2025, while in Barbados, the GDP per capita is $28,365 as of 2025.
be 2.0 times more likely to be unemployed
In Bhutan, 3.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Barbados, that number is 6.5% as of 2025.
Life
be 25.5% less likely to die during childbirth
In Bhutan, approximately 47.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Barbados, 35.0 women do as of 2023.
be 33.6% less likely to die during infancy
In Bhutan, approximately 13.7 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Barbados, on the other hand, 9.1 children do as of 2024.
have 11.3% fewer children
In Bhutan, there are approximately 12.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Barbados, there are 11.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 22.9% less likely to have internet access
In Bhutan, approximately 91.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Barbados, about 70.4% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 39.1% less on education
Bhutan spends 5.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Barbados spends 3.6% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 22.2% more on healthcare
Bhutan spends 4.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Barbados, that number is 5.4% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 18.0% less likely to die in a road accident
In Bhutan, road accidents kill 12.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Barbados, they kill 10.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 3.0 times more likely to be murdered
Bhutan has a homicide rate of 2.5 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Barbados, that number is 7.4 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Infrastructure
find 12.8 times more home broadband
Bhutan has 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Barbados has 37.5 as of 2022.
live with 62.1 times more strain on fresh water
Bhutan withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Barbados withdraws 88% as of 2022.
Environment
be 66.7% less likely to die from air pollution
In Bhutan, air pollution causes 57.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Barbados, it causes 19.0 as of 2019.
emit 25.4% more CO2
Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Barbados emits 2.5 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Bhutan vs. Barbados
Barbados: At a glance
How big is Barbados compared to Bhutan? See an in-depth size comparison.