If you lived in Barbados instead of Yemen, you would:

Health

live 6.9 years longer

In Yemen, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Barbados, that number is 76 years (74 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 6.8 times more spent on your healthcare

Yemen spends $169 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Barbados spends $1,153 as of 2023.

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have 30.2 times more doctors per person

Yemen has 1.0 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Barbados has 29.6 as of 2022.

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have 83.3% more access to essential health services

Yemen scores 42 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Barbados scores 77 as of 2021.

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be 16.9% less likely to die by suicide

Yemen has a suicide rate of 4.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Barbados, it is 3.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 3.0 times more likely to be obese

In Yemen, 13.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Barbados, that number is 39.4% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

be 62.4% less likely to be unemployed

In Yemen, 17.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Barbados, that number is 6.5% as of 2025.

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be 47.1% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Yemen, 48.6% live below the poverty line as of 2014. In Barbados, however, that number is 25.7% as of 2016.

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Life

be 70.3% less likely to die during childbirth

In Yemen, approximately 118.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Barbados, 35.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 42.1% more likely to be literate

In Yemen, the literacy rate is 70.1% as of 2015. In Barbados, it is 99.6% as of 2014.

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be 73.1% less likely to die during infancy

In Yemen, approximately 33.8 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.

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have 67.6% fewer children

In Yemen, there are approximately 34.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Barbados, there are 11.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 19.6% more likely to have access to electricity

In Yemen, approximately 84% of people have electricity access (96% in urban areas, and 75% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Barbados, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 4.0 times more likely to have internet access

In Yemen, approximately 17.7% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Barbados, about 70.4% do as of 2024.

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be 32.1% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Yemen, approximately 75% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Barbados, 99% of people do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 44.3% less on healthcare

Yemen spends 9.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Barbados, that number is 5.4% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 94.9% less coastline

Yemen has a total of 1,906 km of coastline. In Barbados, that number is 97 km.

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Safety

be 66.4% less likely to die in a road accident

In Yemen, road accidents kill 29.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Barbados, they kill 10.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 29.5 times more home broadband

Yemen has 1.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Barbados has 37.5 as of 2022.

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live with 48.5% less strain on fresh water

Yemen withdraws 170% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Barbados withdraws 88% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 82.6% less likely to die from air pollution

In Yemen, air pollution causes 109.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Barbados, it causes 19.0 as of 2019.

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emit 9.7 times more CO2

Yemen emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Barbados emits 2.5 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2016–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), The World Factbook (2014–2015), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Barbados: At a glance

Barbados is a sovereign country in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 430 sq km. The island was uninhabited when first settled by the British in 1627. African slaves worked the sugar plantations established on the island until 1834 when slavery was abolished. The economy remained heavily dependent on sugar, rum, and molasses production through most of the 20th century. The gradual introduction of social and political reforms in the 1940s and 1950s led to complete independence from the UK in 1966. In the 1990s, tourism and manufacturing surpassed the sugar industry in economic importance.
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How big is Barbados compared to Yemen? See an in-depth size comparison.

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