Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Colombia instead of British Virgin Islands, you would:

Health

live 4.8 years less

In British Virgin Islands, the average life expectancy is 80 years (78 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2022. In Colombia, that number is 75 years (71 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 45.0% less money

British Virgin Islands has a GDP per capita of $34,200 as of 2017, while in Colombia, the GDP per capita is $18,800 as of 2023.

be 3.3 times more likely to be unemployed

In British Virgin Islands, 2.9% of adults are unemployed as of 2015. In Colombia, that number is 9.6% as of 2023.

Life

be 17.7% less likely to die during infancy

In British Virgin Islands, approximately 14.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Colombia, on the other hand, 11.7 children do as of 2022.

have 36.7% more children

In British Virgin Islands, there are approximately 10.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Colombia, there are 14.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Expenditures

spend 88.5% more on education

British Virgin Islands spends 2.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Colombia spends 4.9% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

Geography

see 40.1 times more coastline

British Virgin Islands has a total of 80 km of coastline. In Colombia, that number is 3,208 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Colombia: At a glance

Colombia is a sovereign country in South America, with a total land area of approximately 1,038,700 sq km. Colombia was one of the three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others are Ecuador and Venezuela). A nearly five-decade long conflict between government forces and anti-government insurgent groups, principally the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) heavily funded by the drug trade, escalated during the 1990s. More than 31,000 former paramilitaries had demobilized by the end of 2006 and the United Self Defense Forces of Colombia as a formal organization had ceased to function. In the wake of the paramilitary demobilization, emerging criminal groups arose, whose members include some former paramilitaries. The insurgents lack the military or popular support necessary to overthrow the government, but continue attacks against civilians. Large areas of the countryside are under guerrilla influence or are contested by security forces. In November 2012, the Colombian Government started formal peace negotiations with the FARC aimed at reaching a definitive bilateral ceasefire and incorporating demobilized FARC members into mainstream society and politics. The Colombian Government has stepped up efforts to reassert government control throughout the country, and now has a presence in every one of its administrative departments. Despite decades of internal conflict and drug related security challenges, Colombia maintains relatively strong democratic institutions characterized by peaceful, transparent elections and the protection of civil liberties.
Read more

How big is Colombia compared to British Virgin Islands? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Colombia.or British Virgin Islands It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.