Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Barbados instead of United Arab Emirates, you would:
Health
live 6.7 years less
In United Arab Emirates, the average life expectancy is 83 years (82 years for men, 84 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 24.7% more likely to be obese
In United Arab Emirates, 31.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Barbados, that number is 39.4% of people as of 2024.
see 69.1% less spent on your healthcare
United Arab Emirates spends $3,727 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Barbados spends $1,153 as of 2023.
be 2.0 times more likely to die by suicide
United Arab Emirates has a suicide rate of 1.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Barbados, it is 3.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 3.0 times more likely to be unemployed
In United Arab Emirates, 2.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Barbados, that number is 6.5% as of 2025.
make 43.6% less money
United Arab Emirates has a GDP per capita of $50,274 as of 2024, while in Barbados, the GDP per capita is $28,365 as of 2025.
Life
have 13.2% more children
In United Arab Emirates, there are approximately 9.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Barbados, there are 11.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 11.7 times more likely to die during childbirth
In United Arab Emirates, approximately 3.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Barbados, 35.0 women do as of 2023.
be 2.4 times more likely to die during infancy
In United Arab Emirates, approximately 3.8 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 29.6% less likely to have internet access
In United Arab Emirates, approximately 100.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Barbados, about 70.4% do as of 2024.
Geography
see 92.6% less coastline
United Arab Emirates has a total of 1,318 km of coastline. In Barbados, that number is 97 km.
Safety
be 10.8 times more likely to be murdered
United Arab Emirates has a homicide rate of 0.7 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In Barbados, that number is 7.4 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 69.5% more likely to die in a road accident
In United Arab Emirates, road accidents kill 5.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Barbados, they kill 10.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 94.2% less strain on fresh water
United Arab Emirates withdraws 1510% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Barbados withdraws 88% as of 2022.
Environment
be 72.9% less likely to die from air pollution
In United Arab Emirates, air pollution causes 70.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Barbados, it causes 19.0 as of 2019.
emit 86.2% less CO2
United Arab Emirates emits 18.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Barbados emits 2.5 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: United Arab Emirates vs. Barbados
Barbados: At a glance
How big is Barbados compared to United Arab Emirates? See an in-depth size comparison.