Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Barbados instead of Puerto Rico, you would:
Health
be 35.4% less likely to die by suicide
Puerto Rico has a suicide rate of 5.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Barbados, it is 3.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 5.6 years less
In Puerto Rico, the average life expectancy is 82 years (78 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024. In Barbados, that number is 76 years (74 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024.
Economy
make 30.2% less money
Puerto Rico has a GDP per capita of $40,620 as of 2025, while in Barbados, the GDP per capita is $28,365 as of 2025.
Life
have 95.1% more children
In Puerto Rico, there are approximately 5.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Barbados, there are 11.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 3.2 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Puerto Rico, approximately 11.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Barbados, 35.0 women do as of 2023.
be 50.7% more likely to die during infancy
In Puerto Rico, approximately 6.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Barbados, on the other hand, 9.1 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 19.4% less likely to have internet access
In Puerto Rico, approximately 87.3% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Barbados, about 70.4% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 16.6% less on education
Puerto Rico spends 4.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Barbados spends 3.6% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
Geography
see 80.6% less coastline
Puerto Rico has a total of 501 km of coastline. In Barbados, that number is 97 km.
Safety
be 49.0% less likely to be murdered
Puerto Rico has a homicide rate of 14.6 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Barbados, that number is 7.4 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 20.0% less likely to die in a road accident
In Puerto Rico, road accidents kill 12.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Barbados, they kill 10.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 33.9% more home broadband
Puerto Rico has 28.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Barbados has 37.5 as of 2022.
live with 4.5 times more strain on fresh water
Puerto Rico withdraws 20% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Barbados withdraws 88% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 47.7% less CO2
Puerto Rico emits 4.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Barbados emits 2.5 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), The World Factbook (2022), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Puerto Rico vs. Barbados
Barbados: At a glance
How big is Barbados compared to Puerto Rico? See an in-depth size comparison.