Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Barbados instead of South Korea, you would:
Health
have 13.3% more doctors per person
South Korea has 26.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Barbados has 29.6 as of 2022.
be 87.3% less likely to die by suicide
South Korea has a suicide rate of 27.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Barbados, it is 3.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 7.3 years less
In South Korea, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024. In Barbados, that number is 76 years (74 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024.
be 4.7 times more likely to be obese
In South Korea, 8.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Barbados, that number is 39.4% of people as of 2024.
see 77.3% less spent on your healthcare
South Korea spends $5,081 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Barbados spends $1,153 as of 2023.
have 13.5% less access to essential health services
South Korea scores 89 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Barbados scores 77 as of 2021.
Economy
be 2.4 times more likely to be unemployed
In South Korea, 2.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Barbados, that number is 6.5% as of 2025.
be 78.5% more likely to live below the poverty line
In South Korea, 14.4% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Barbados, however, that number is 25.7% as of 2016.
make 21.7% less money
South Korea has a GDP per capita of $36,227 as of 2025, while in Barbados, the GDP per capita is $28,365 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.4 times more children
In South Korea, there are approximately 4.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Barbados, there are 11.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 8.8 times more likely to die during childbirth
In South Korea, approximately 4.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Barbados, 35.0 women do as of 2023.
be 4.0 times more likely to die during infancy
In South Korea, approximately 2.3 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.
Basic Needs
be 28.1% less likely to have internet access
In South Korea, approximately 97.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Barbados, about 70.4% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 34.2% less on education
South Korea spends 5.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Barbados spends 3.6% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 37.8% less on healthcare
South Korea spends 8.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Barbados, that number is 5.4% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 96.0% less coastline
South Korea has a total of 2,413 km of coastline. In Barbados, that number is 97 km.
Safety
be 15.5 times more likely to be murdered
South Korea has a homicide rate of 0.5 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Barbados, that number is 7.4 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 44.9% more likely to die in a road accident
In South Korea, road accidents kill 6.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Barbados, they kill 10.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 21.6% less home broadband
South Korea has 47.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Barbados has 37.5 as of 2022.
Environment
emit 77.8% less CO2
South Korea emits 11.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Barbados emits 2.5 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2016–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), The World Factbook (2016), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: South Korea vs. Barbados
Barbados: At a glance
How big is Barbados compared to South Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.