Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Barbados instead of United Kingdom, you would:
Health
be 63.4% less likely to die by suicide
United Kingdom has a suicide rate of 9.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Barbados, it is 3.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 5.1 years less
In United Kingdom, the average life expectancy is 81 years (80 years for men, 83 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 43.9% more likely to be obese
In United Kingdom, 27.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Barbados, that number is 39.4% of people as of 2024.
see 82.5% less spent on your healthcare
United Kingdom spends $6,606 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Barbados spends $1,153 as of 2023.
have 10.4% fewer doctors per person
United Kingdom has 33.0 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Barbados has 29.6 as of 2022.
have 12.5% less access to essential health services
United Kingdom scores 88 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Barbados scores 77 as of 2021.
Economy
be 37.3% more likely to be unemployed
In United Kingdom, 4.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Barbados, that number is 6.5% as of 2025.
be 38.2% more likely to live below the poverty line
In United Kingdom, 18.6% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Barbados, however, that number is 25.7% as of 2016.
make 50.8% less money
United Kingdom has a GDP per capita of $57,602 as of 2025, while in Barbados, the GDP per capita is $28,365 as of 2025.
Life
have 12.4% more children
In United Kingdom, there are approximately 9.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Barbados, there are 11.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 4.4 times more likely to die during childbirth
In United Kingdom, approximately 8.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Barbados, 35.0 women do as of 2023.
be 2.2 times more likely to die during infancy
In United Kingdom, approximately 4.1 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 26.3% less likely to have internet access
In United Kingdom, approximately 95.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Barbados, about 70.4% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 39.8% less on education
United Kingdom spends 5.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Barbados spends 3.6% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 51.5% less on healthcare
United Kingdom spends 11.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Barbados, that number is 5.4% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 99.2% less coastline
United Kingdom has a total of 12,429 km of coastline. In Barbados, that number is 97 km.
Safety
be 6.6 times more likely to be murdered
United Kingdom has a homicide rate of 1.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Barbados, that number is 7.4 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 4.2 times more likely to die in a road accident
In United Kingdom, road accidents kill 2.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Barbados, they kill 10.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 11.1% less home broadband
United Kingdom has 42.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Barbados has 37.5 as of 2022.
live with 6.1 times more strain on fresh water
United Kingdom withdraws 14% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Barbados withdraws 88% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 40.3% less CO2
United Kingdom emits 4.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Barbados emits 2.5 tonnes as of 2024.
be 46.2% more likely to die from air pollution
In United Kingdom, air pollution causes 13.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Barbados, it causes 19.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2016–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: United Kingdom vs. Barbados
Barbados: At a glance
How big is Barbados compared to United Kingdom? See an in-depth size comparison.