World median is the middle country on each statistic: half of all countries with data are above it, half below. It is not an average, so it is never pulled up or down by giants or microstates.
Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Barbados fits inside the median country 258 times
Barbados: 431 km² (2024) · World median: 111,370 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
The median country’s coastline is 4.5 times as long as Barbados’
Barbados: 97 km (2026 edition) · World median: 440 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
The median country’s highest peak towers 1,999 m above Barbados’
Barbados: 336 m (2026 edition) · World median: 2,335 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 38% of the median country, versus 23% of Barbados
Barbados: 23.2% (2024) · World median: 37.8% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
The median country has 26 times as many people as Barbados
Barbados: 282,623 (2025) · World median: 7.4 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Barbados is 6.7 times as densely populated as the median country
Barbados: 656 per km² (2025) · World median: 98 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Barbados are 3.5 cm taller than in the median country
Barbados: 177 cm (2019) · World median: 173.5 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Barbados are 5.1 cm taller than in the median country
Barbados: 165.7 cm (2019) · World median: 160.6 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Barbados is 7.8 years older than in the median country
Barbados: 38.9 years (2023) · World median: 31.1 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in the median country have 0.2 more children on average than in Barbados
Barbados: 1.71 children per woman (2024) · World median: 1.9 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
17% of people in Barbados are 65 or older, versus 8.6% in the median country
Barbados: 17.1% (2025) · World median: 8.6% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
The median country hosts 46 times as many refugees per resident as Barbados
Barbados: 0.018 per 1,000 (2025) · World median: 0.8 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Barbados: no data · World median: 0 (2026)
How many official languages?
Barbados and the median country are practically level
Barbados: 1 (2026) · World median: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
The median country’s economy is 5.7 times the size of Barbados’
Barbados: $8.02 billion (2025) · World median: $45.5 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Barbados produces 23% more per person than the median country
Barbados: Int$25,894 (2025) · World median: Int$21,072 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in the median country than in Barbados (Gini 0.3 points higher)
Barbados: 34.1 (2016) · World median: 34.4 (2023)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
Barbados: no data · World median: 1.6% (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 6.5% in Barbados, versus 5.1% in the median country
Barbados: 6.5% (2025) · World median: 5.1% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Barbados: no data · World median: 1.8% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Barbados’ central government collects 23% of GDP in tax, the median country’s 17%
Barbados: 23.4% (2016) · World median: 17% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Barbados’ price level (US = 100) is 2.4× the median country’s
Barbados: 110% (2025) · World median: 45% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Barbados spends 2.7 times as much on health per person as the median country
Barbados: $1,286 (2023) · World median: $470 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Barbados live 1.7 years longer than in the median country
Barbados: 76.3 years (2024) · World median: 74.6 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in the median country is 39% more likely to die before turning one than in Barbados
Barbados: 9.1 per 1,000 (2024) · World median: 12.7 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Barbados has 76% more doctors per person than the median country
Barbados: 3 per 1,000 (2022) · World median: 1.7 per 1,000 (2022)
How many hospital beds are there?
Barbados has 2.6 times as many hospital beds per person as the median country
Barbados: 6.4 per 1,000 (2023) · World median: 2.4 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in the median country is 2.2 times that in Barbados
Barbados: 4.5 per 100k (2023) · World median: 10 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
40% of adults in Barbados are obese, versus 24% in the median country
Barbados: 39.6% (2024) · World median: 24% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
Barbados: no data · World median: 19% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
Barbados: no data · World median: 5.83 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Barbados drink 2.3 times as much alcohol as in the median country
Barbados: 10.1 litres (2023) · World median: 4.3 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Barbados has 36% more meat per person than the median country
Barbados: 76.2 kg (2023) · World median: 56.2 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Barbados has 180 kcal more food per person per day than the median country
Barbados: 3,118 kcal (2023) · World median: 2,938 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Barbados: no data · World median: 1,974 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
The median country and Barbados are practically level
Barbados: 9.9 years (2023) · World median: 9.9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Barbados welcomed 7.2 times as many tourists per resident as the median country (2019)
Barbados: 2.49 (2024) · World median: 0.34 (2024)
How many World Heritage sites?
The median country has 2 more World Heritage sites than Barbados (3 against 1)
Barbados: 1 (2026) · World median: 3 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
The median country has won 4 Olympic medals, Barbados 1
Barbados: 1 (2026 edition) · World median: 4 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
82% of people in the median country are online, versus 70% in Barbados
Barbados: 70% (2024) · World median: 82% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in Barbados is 35% faster than in the median country
Barbados: 218 Mbps (2026) · World median: 161 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
Barbados and the median country are practically level
Barbados: 100% (2024) · World median: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
64% of people in the median country live in cities, versus 60% in Barbados
Barbados: 60% (2025) · World median: 64% (2025)
How many phones per person?
The median country and Barbados are practically level
Barbados: 115 (2022) · World median: 115 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Barbados: no data · World median: 2,141 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Barbados: no data · World median: 0.24 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 33% of the median country, but only 15% of Barbados
Barbados: 14.6% (2024) · World median: 32.8% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Barbados emits 62% more CO₂ than someone in the median country
Barbados: 4.8 t (2024) · World median: 3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
31% of the median country’s electricity is renewable, versus 9.0% in Barbados
Barbados: 9% (2024) · World median: 30.8% (2024)
How clean is the air?
The air in the median country carries 48% more fine dust than in Barbados
Barbados: 11.2 µg/m³ (2024) · World median: 16.6 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 3.3 times as likely to be murdered in Barbados as in the median country
Barbados: 7.4 per 100k (2023) · World median: 2.3 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in the median country are 14% deadlier than in Barbados
Barbados: 16.3 per 100k (2023) · World median: 18.6 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Barbados: no data · World median: 23°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Barbados: no data · World median: 1,014 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Barbados bigger than the median country?
The median country is larger. Barbados fits inside the median country 258 times.
Which has more people, Barbados or the median country?
The median country has 26 times as many people as Barbados (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Barbados or the median country?
People in Barbados live 1.7 years longer than in the median country. Life expectancy at birth is 76.3 years in Barbados and 74.6 in the median country.
Are people taller in Barbados or the median country?
Men in Barbados are 3.5 cm taller than in the median country (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).