Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 10.4 years longer

In Laos, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022. In Barbados, that number is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2022.

be 3.7 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Laos, 0.3% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Barbados, that number is 1.1% of people as of 2019.

be 4.4 times more likely to be obese

In Laos, 5.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Barbados, that number is 23.1% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 2.1 times more money

Laos has a GDP per capita of $8,400 as of 2023, while in Barbados, the GDP per capita is $17,400 as of 2023.

be 6.7 times more likely to be unemployed

In Laos, 1.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Barbados, that number is 8.0% as of 2023.

pay a 39.6% higher top tax rate

Laos has a top tax rate of 24.0% as of 2016. In Barbados, the top tax rate is 33.5% as of 2016.

Life

be 69.0% less likely to die during childbirth

In Laos, approximately 126.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Barbados, 39.0 women do as of 2020.

be 14.4% more likely to be literate

In Laos, the literacy rate is 87.1% as of 2021. In Barbados, it is 99.6% as of 2014.

be 74.6% less likely to die during infancy

In Laos, approximately 37.8 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Barbados, on the other hand, 9.6 children do as of 2020.

have 46.0% fewer children

In Laos, there are approximately 19.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Barbados, there are 10.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 38.7% more likely to have internet access

In Laos, approximately 62.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Barbados, about 86.0% do as of 2021.

be 11.3% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Laos, approximately 89% of people have improved drinking water access as of 2020. In Barbados, 99% of people do as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 2.8 times more on education

Laos spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Barbados spends 6.5% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

spend 2.7 times more on healthcare

Laos spends 2.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Barbados, that number is 7.2% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Finance, Barbados.

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 Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.

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