Barbados

https://www.humantruth.info/barbados.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2025

Barbados
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	60th best
Capital	Bridgetown
Land Area	430km²₁
Location	North America, The Americas, The Caribbean
Groupings	Small Islands
Population	0.3m₂
Life Expectancy	77.57yrs (2017)₃
GNI	$12 306 (2017)₄
ISO3166-1 Codes	BB, BRB, 52₅
Internet Domain	.bb₆
Currency	Dollar (BBD)₇
Telephone	+₈

1. Overview

#UK

“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.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“From surfing the waves to windsurfing the shallows to snorkeling the reefs, you may never dry off. But if you do, this genteel island´s verdant interior might lure you for a tropical hike. Barbados is ringed by azure water and white-sand visions that fuel the fantasies of those stuck in chilly winter climes.
No matter your budget or style, you´ll find a place to stay, especially on the popular south and west coasts. Elsewhere, however, is where you´ll find what makes the island special. Barbados has lush scenery among rolling hills dotted with fascinating survivors of the colonial past. Vast plantation homes show the wealth of European settlers, while several botanical gardens exploit the beauty possible from the perfect growing conditions.
The wild Atlantic-battered east coast is a legend with surfers; those looking for action will also find windsurfing, hiking, diving and more. Away from the glitz, it´s still a civilized place (with a 98% literacy rate) of classic calypso rhythms, an island-time vibe and world-famous rums.”
"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Barbados National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better Value₁₁
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
67	Albania	0.796
68=	Grenada	0.795
68=	Bulgaria	0.795
70	Barbados	0.790
71	Antigua & Barbuda	0.788
72	Seychelles	0.785
73	Sri Lanka	0.782
74	Bosnia & Herzegovina	0.780
	The Americas Avg	0.75
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $₁₁
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
94	Suriname	$12 672
95	Sri Lanka	$12 578
96	Paraguay	$12 349
97	Barbados	$12 306
98	Peru	$12 246
99	Equatorial Guinea	$12 074
100	St Lucia	$12 048
101	St Vincent & Grenadines	$11 961
	The Americas Avg	$16 628
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index₁₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₂
1	Denmark	28.1
2	Norway	29.9
3	Sweden	31.0
	...
57	Sri Lanka	76.9
58	Mexico	77.1
59	Peru	77.4
60	Barbados	77.8
61	Tunisia	78.1
62	Seychelles	78.6
63	Northern Cyprus	79.1
64	Cuba	79.2
	The Americas Avg	82.6
	World Avg	89.4
q=200.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Barbados's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population Datasets:

Barbados's population is predicted to fall to 281 000 by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 1.63. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1, once you take mortality into account₁₃. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₄

Population₂
Pos.		2018 Population₂
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
172	Belize	0.4m
173	Iceland	0.3m
174	Vanuatu	0.3m
175	Barbados	0.3m
176	Sao Tome & Principe	0.2m
177	Samoa	0.2m
178	St Lucia	0.2m
179	Kiribati	0.1m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
42	China	78.2
43	Czechia	77.7
44	Croatia	77.6
45	Barbados	77.6
46	USA	77.2
47	Estonia	77.1
48	Costa Rica	77.0
49	Saudi Arabia	76.9
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₅
Pos.		2022₁₅
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
54	S. Africa	2.34
55	Turks & Caicos Islands	1.66
56	Guatemala	2.35
57	Barbados	1.63
58	Guyana	2.37
59=	Serbia	1.63
59=	Australia	1.63
61	Brazil	1.63
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better₁₆
Pos.		2016 Per 100₁₆
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
153	USA	33.8
154	New Zealand	34.9
155	UK	35.0
156	Barbados	35.6
157	Lithuania	36.0
158	Czechia	36.1
159	Cuba	36.2
160	Poland	36.3
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants₁₇
Pos.		2017 %₁₇
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
45	Iceland	12.5%
46	Libya	12.4%
47	France	12.2%
48	Barbados	12.1%
49	Djibouti	12.1%
50	Netherlands	12.1%
51	Slovenia	11.8%
52	Denmark	11.5%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants₁₈
Pos.		2010 %₁₈
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
8	Antigua & Barbuda	47.6%
9	Tonga	45.4%
10	Albania	45.4%
11	Barbados	41.0%
12	Suriname	39.0%
13	Bosnia & Herzegovina	38.9%
14	Palau	38.8%
15	St Vincent & Grenadines	37.7%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Barbados's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Compared to The Americas (2025)₁₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₉
1	Canada	16.7
2	Uruguay	31.2
3	Costa Rica	38.8
	...
11	Bahamas	69.2
12	Trinidad & Tobago	69.3
13	El Salvador	69.8
14	Barbados	73.2
15	Panama	75.3
16	Ecuador	75.4
17	Suriname	75.5
18	Guatemala	77.1
19	Jamaica	78.8
	The Americas Avg	75.96
q=35.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₁₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₉
1	Sweden	7.8
2	Netherlands	8.7
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
56	Trinidad & Tobago	69.3
57	El Salvador	69.8
58	S. Africa	70.7
59	Barbados	73.2
60	Mauritius	74.9
61	Romania	75.0
62	Ukraine	75.3
63	Panama	75.3
	World Avg	89.80
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, The Netherlands and Denmark₂₀. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia₂₀.

31 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, combatting modern slavery, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₂₀, whereas the worst are The Middle East, Africa and Asia₂₀.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

4.1. Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets

#freedom #human_rights #international_law #politics

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom Lower is better₂₁
Pos.		2014 Rank₂₁
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
	...
82	Brazil	82
83	Tajikistan	83
84	Nepal	84
85=	Barbados	85
85=	Rwanda	85
87	India	87
88=	Burkina Faso	88
88=	Kenya	88
	The Americas Avg	72.4
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score
1=	Norway	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0
	...
28=	Taiwan	1.0
28=	Spain	1.0
28=	Belgium	1.0
28=	Barbados	1.0
28=	Andorra	1.0
28=	Uruguay	1.0
28=	Australia	1.0
28=	UK	1.0
	The Americas Avg	2.7
	World Avg	3.7
q=205. Also scored for 1970s-2010s.

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better₂₂
Pos.		2009 Treaties₂₂
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
146=	Trinidad & Tobago	12
146=	Lebanon	12
148=	Thailand	11
148=	Barbados	11
148=	Bahamas	11
148=	Cuba	11
148=	Guyana	11
148=	Swaziland	11
	The Americas Avg	16.5
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better₂₃
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty₂₃
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
89	Nepal	9.76
90	S. Korea	9.89
91	Niger	9.89
92	Barbados	9.94
93	Algeria	9.95
94	St Vincent & Grenadines	9.98
95	Azerbaijan	10.08
96	Lebanon	10.14
	The Americas Avg	8.45
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

4.2. Gender Equality Datasets

#gender #gender_equality #human_rights #misogyny #politics #women

The 1950s saw a late rush of 43 countries, including Barbados and many developing nations, move to cease preventing women from voting. Barbados is on the way towards ending gender inequality but women are still in an unfavourable position much of the time.

See:

"Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)

Gender Inequality Lower is better₂₄
Pos.		2022₂₄
1	Denmark	0.01
2	Norway	0.01
3	Switzerland	0.02
	...
67	Tajikistan	0.28
68=	Brunei	0.28
68=	Georgia	0.28
70	Barbados	0.29
71	Argentina	0.30
72	Mongolia	0.30
73	Cuba	0.30
74	Thailand	0.31
	The Americas Avg	0.36
	World Avg	0.34
q=166. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		Year Women Can Vote Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
79=	Chile	1949
79=	China	1949
79=	Bosnia & Herzegovina	1949
82=	Barbados	1950
82=	India	1950
82=	Haiti	1950
85=	Antigua & Barbuda	1951
85=	Grenada	1951
	The Americas Avg	1947
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

4.3. Prejudice Datasets

#2020s #freethought #homosexuality #religious_tolerance

LGBT Equality in the 2020s Higher is better₂₅
Pos.		LGBT Equality in the 2020s Score₂₅
1=	Germany	4.88
1=	Spain	4.88
3	Portugal	4.81
	...
138	St Kitts & Nevis	-2.48
139	Tajikistan	-2.50
140	Indonesia	-2.55
141	Barbados	-2.63
142	Turkmenistan	-2.68
143	Palestine	-2.72
144	N. Korea	-3.05
145	Djibouti	-3.10
	The Americas Avg	0.41
	World Avg	-1.21
q=215. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

Buggery laws provide life imprisonment (rarely enforced; reforms debated)

ILGA researchers in 2017 found that Barbados had no legal protections against anti-LGBT discrimination.

Freedom of Thought Lower is better₂₆
Pos.		2021₂₆
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
24=	Albania	1.8
24=	Kosovo	1.8
24=	S. Korea	1.8
27=	Barbados	2.0
27=	Gabon	2.0
27=	New Zealand	2.0
27=	Sierra Leone	2.0
27=	Luxembourg	2.0
	The Americas Avg	2.7
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

5. Barbados's Health

#health

Compared to The Americas (2025)₂₇
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₇
1	Antigua & Barbuda	62.3
2	Canada	63.9
3	Cuba	64.7
	...
7	Greenland	72.3
8	Turks & Caicos Islands	74.9
9	Costa Rica	76.4
10	Barbados	77.6
11	Dominica	80.4
12	Grenada	81.1
13	Uruguay	82.1
14	Chile	84.1
15	Bahamas	84.1
	The Americas Avg	91.99
q=41.

Health (2025)₂₇
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₇
1	Monaco	10.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Japan	40.8
	...
59	Croatia	76.3
60	Costa Rica	76.4
61	Vietnam	77.5
62	Barbados	77.6
63	Qatar	77.9
64	Seychelles	78.0
65	Macedonia	78.5
66	Belarus	80.2
	World Avg	97.39
q=207.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and Japan₂₈. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₂₈.

42 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate, delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations, delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 and childhood mortality. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean₂₈, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Melanesia₂₈.

For more, see:

"Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

5.1. Health Datasets

#2010s #alcohol #barbados #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #obesity #overpopulation #smoking #suicide

Barbados does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Barbados comes in the best 20 in its smoking rate₂₉. It does better than average in its suicide rate₃₀, its average life expectancy₁₁, its fertility rate₁₅ and in childhood mortality in the 2020s₃₁. Barbados doesn't do so well in other areas. Barbados does worse than average for the prevalence of overweight adults₃₂, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₃, delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015₃₄, its adolescent birth rate₃₅, its alcohol consumption rate₃₆ and in delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations in the 2020s₃₇. The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the past 40 years. Life expectancy in Barbados improved by +4.5yrs in the 30 years from 1990, less than the global average of +7.9yrs. Barbados's peak fertility rate was 4.33 in 1960.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
42	China	78.2
43	Czechia	77.7
44	Croatia	77.6
45	Barbados	77.6
46	USA	77.2
47	Estonia	77.1
48	Costa Rica	77.0
49	Saudi Arabia	76.9
	The Americas Avg	72.58
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better₃₆
Pos.		2016 Per Capita₃₆
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
141=	St Kitts & Nevis	9.4
141=	Tanzania	9.4
143	Uganda	9.5
144	Barbados	9.6
145=	Argentina	9.8
145=	Georgia	9.8
145=	Namibia	9.8
145=	USA	9.8
	The Americas Avg	6.9
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₅
Pos.		2022₁₅
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
54	S. Africa	2.34
55	Turks & Caicos Islands	1.66
56	Guatemala	2.35
57	Barbados	1.63
58	Guyana	2.37
59=	Serbia	1.63
59=	Australia	1.63
61	Brazil	1.63
	The Americas Avg	1.80
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Smoking in the 2020s Lower is better₂₉
Pos.		Smoking in the 2020s %₂₉
1	Nigeria	3.3%
2	Ghana	3.4%
3	Panama	5.2%
	...
7	Togo	6.4%
8=	Cameroon	6.5%
8=	Senegal	6.5%
10	Barbados	7.0%
11	Peru	7.2%
12	Chad	7.4%
13	Uganda	7.6%
14	Niger	7.7%
	The Americas Avg	12.7%
	World Avg	20.0%
q=165. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

In the 2000s, Barbados was one of only 7 countries whose average smoking rate was less than 10%.

Suicide Rate in the 2010s Lower is better₃₀
Pos.		Suicide Rate in the 2010s Per 100k₃₀
1=	Jordan	1.00
1=	Sao Tome & Principe	1.00
1=	Antigua & Barbuda	1.00
	...
37	Tanzania	4.15
38	Mali	4.16
39	Colombia	4.21
40	Barbados	4.24
41	Niger	4.43
42	Cambodia	4.49
43	Nigeria	4.62
44	Iran	4.64
	The Americas Avg	8.02
	World Avg	9.24
q=185. Also scored for 2000s-2010s.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better₃₃
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₃
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
100	Lesotho	100
101	Tanzania	101
102	Equatorial Guinea	102
103	Barbados	103
104	Venezuela	104
105	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	105
106	Serbia	106
107	Zimbabwe	107
	The Americas Avg	94.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better₃₂
Pos.		1976 %₃₂
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
96	Costa Rica	28.6
97=	Mongolia	29.0
97=	Ecuador	29.0
99	Barbados	29.5
100	El Salvador	29.7
101=	Morocco	30.4
101=	Turkmenistan	30.4
103	Algeria	30.6
	The Americas Avg	30.7
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better₃₈
Pos.		2022 %₃₈
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
171	Hungary	36.4%
172	Bahrain	37.2%
173	Iraq	37.4%
174	Barbados	38.2%
175	Romania	38.2%
176	Georgia	38.9%
177	Chile	39.5%
178	Puerto Rico	41.0%
	The Americas Avg	32.0%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

5.2. Children's Health Datasets

#children's_health #health #parenting #population #vaccines

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2022 Per 1000₃₅
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
108	Kiribati	39.6
109	Azerbaijan	40.1
110	Pakistan	41.2
111	Barbados	41.9
112	Palau	42.1
113	Palestine	42.9
114	Brazil	43.6
115	Egypt	43.6
	The Americas Avg	48.1
	World Avg	43.8
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Infant DTP Immunizations (2020s) Higher is better₃₇
Pos.		Infant DTP Immunizations (2020s) Avg %₃₇
1=	Luxembourg	99.0
1=	Oman	99.0
1=	Niue	99.0
	...
147=	Swaziland	87.8
148	Montenegro	87.5
149	Anguilla	87.3
150	Barbados	87.3
151	Namibia	87.2
152	Estonia	87.1
153	Moldova	87.0
154	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	86.1
	The Americas Avg	87.5
	World Avg	88.5
q=211. Also scored for 1980s-2020s.

7x Infant Immunizations (2011-2015) Higher is better₃₄
Pos.		2015 Avg %₃₄
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
106	Denmark	92.3
107	Azerbaijan	92.2
108=	Australia	92.1
108=	Barbados	92.1
110=	Ghana	91.7
110=	Lesotho	91.7
112	Malawi	91.7
113	Mexico	91.6
	The Americas Avg	91.3
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Infant Mortality (2020s) Lower is better₃₁
Pos.		Infant Mortality (2020s) Per 1000₃₁
1	San Marino	2.11
2	Finland	2.59
3	Luxembourg	2.60
	...
69	Tonga	12.05
70=	Argentina	12.18
70=	Thailand	12.18
72	Barbados	12.81
73	Lebanon	13.05
74	Kazakhstan	13.65
75	Turkey	13.98
76	Libya	14.17
	The Americas Avg	18.99
	World Avg	32.19
q=195. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

6. Barbados's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#barbados #biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #environmentalism #food #internationalism #meat #over-exploitation #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to The Americas (2025)₃₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₉
1	Uruguay	43.2
2	Puerto Rico	47.1
3	Costa Rica	49.7
	...
28=	St Kitts & Nevis	96.9
29	Bahamas	100.9
30	Antigua & Barbuda	103.2
31	St Lucia	103.6
32	USA	103.8
33	Haiti	105.8
34	Suriname	108.5
35	Barbados	110.1
36	Grenada	125.0
	The Americas Avg	82.39
q=36.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)₃₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₉
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
171	Kyrgyzstan	108.7
172	Angola	109.5
173	Kazakhstan	109.8
174	Barbados	110.1
175	Kiribati	111.4
176	Micronesia	114.6
177	Bhutan	115.3
178	Belarus	116.0
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

We have known for a long term that we must protect the environment from habitation destruction, over-exploitation, pollution, and the emissions that cause climate change. In 1998, Greenpeace wrote that "Environment can no longer be meaningfully separated from health, quality of life, democracy, education, economy or trade"₄₀. What countries have been doing the right thing, via legislation and national culture? All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

"Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

One of the highest in The Americas Barbados is positioned 174th in the world with regard to its responsibility towards the environment. This rank is computed using 21 data sets. Barbados does better than average when it comes to its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₁. But that's it. Barbados has problems. It does worse than average in its environmental performance₄₂, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment and in reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₃. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 in energy to GDP efficiency₄₄ (one of the highest in The Americas).

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better₄₁
Pos.		Total₄₁
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
91=	Norfolk Island	0.0%
91=	Yemen	0.0%
91=	Tonga	0.0%
91=	Barbados	0.0%
91=	Turkmenistan	0.0%
91=	Bahamas	0.0%
91=	San Marino	0.0%
91=	Afghanistan	0.0%
	The Americas Avg	-2.1%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

Environmental Performance Higher is better₄₂
Pos.		2018₄₂
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
90	Mauritius	56.6
91	St Lucia	56.2
92	Bolivia	56.0
93	Barbados	55.8
94	Georgia	55.7
95	Kiribati	55.3
96	Bahrain	55.2
97	Nicaragua	55.0
	The Americas Avg	58.8
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better₄₄
Pos.		2022 Avg₄₄
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
143	Moldova	1.88
144	S. Africa	1.97
145	Kuwait	2.02
146	Barbados	2.04
147	Libya	2.05
148	Singapore	2.06
149	Lebanon	2.06
150	Ukraine	2.11
	The Americas Avg	1.42
	World Avg	1.23
q=165. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		International Accords on the Environment Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
126	Tajikistan	54%
127	St Kitts & Nevis	54%
128	Dominica	54%
129	Barbados	54%
130	Congo, (Brazzaville)	53%
131	Jamaica	53%
132	Mali	53%
133	Burundi	53%
	The Americas Avg	60.7%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

Barbados is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change and was one of 19 countries that signed the Paris Agreement within the first few months in Q2 2016.

Meat Consumption Lower is better₄₃
Pos.		2021 kg₄₃
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
158	Luxembourg	85.8
159	Antigua & Barbuda	85.8
160	France	86.1
161	Barbados	86.4
162	Canada	86.9
163	New Caledonia	87.5
164	Montenegro	88.4
165	Belarus	88.9
	The Americas Avg	70.3
	World Avg	52.5
q=185. Also scored for 2010s.

In the 2010s, meat consumption per person in Barbados was well above the global average (of 49kgs per year), putting unnecessary strain on water supplies and the environment.₄₃

7. Barbados's Modernity and Learning

#education #modernity #technology #the_internet

Compared to The Americas (2025)₄₅
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₅
1	Canada	28.7
2	Argentina	39.3
3	Chile	43.4
	...
15	Venezuela	68.8
16	USA	72.0
17	Suriname	74.9
18	Barbados	76.9
19	Paraguay	80.3
20	St Kitts & Nevis	80.6
21	Grenada	80.6
22	Trinidad & Tobago	83.1
23	El Salvador	85.4
	The Americas Avg	79.58
q=36.

Modernity & Learning (2025)₄₅
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₅
1	Finland	6.1
2	Iceland	8.1
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
86	Vietnam	74.8
87	Suriname	74.9
88	Egypt	75.6
89	Barbados	76.9
90	Bahrain	77.9
91	Kuwait	78.6
92	Qatar	78.8
93	Brunei	78.9
	World Avg	84.96
q=197.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Iceland and Denmark₄₆. The worst countries are S. Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia₄₆. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₇.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”
Bill Emmott (2017)₄₈

27 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Intellectual Endeavours, metric system adoption rate, Religiosity, IQ, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Maths, Science & Reading, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₄₆, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₆.

For more, see:

" Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

7.1. Modernity Datasets

#metric

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better₃₃
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₃
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
32	Ireland	32
33	Croatia	33
34	Israel	34
35	Barbados	35
36	Estonia	36
37	Luxembourg	37
38	USA	38
39	Portugal	39
	The Americas Avg	99.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Metric System Adoption Rate Higher is better₄₉
Pos.		2025 %₄₉
1=	Slovakia	100
1=	Poland	100
1=	Portugal	100
	...
125=	St Vincent & Grenadines	90
125=	Ivory Coast	90
125=	Uganda	90
125=	Barbados	90
125=	Togo	90
125=	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	90
125=	Tanzania	90
125=	Syria	90
	The Americas Avg	90
	World Avg	92
q=187. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

Adopted metric in 1971. Progression:

1960 (40%): Imperial dominant; metric in science.
1970 (65%): Metrication via standards; dual use.
1980 (80%): Commerce/education largely metric; everyday imperial persists.
2000 (90%): Metric dominant officially.
2025 (90%).

7.2. Education Datasets

#education

Secondary Education Higher is better₅₀
Pos.		2018₅₀
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
31	Tonga	93.7%
32	Japan	93.6%
33	Tajikistan	93.1%
34	Barbados	92.9%
35	Albania	92.9%
36	Belarus	92.2%
37	Marshall Islands	92.1%
38	Montenegro	91.6%
	The Americas Avg	63.0%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better₅₁
Pos.		2021 Years₅₁
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
44	Russia	15.8
45	Kazakhstan	15.8
46	UAE	15.7
47	Barbados	15.7
48	Cyprus	15.6
49	Brazil	15.6
50	Georgia	15.6
51	St Kitts & Nevis	15.4
	The Americas Avg	14.2
	World Avg	13.5
q=193. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

7.3. Technology and Information Datasets

#the_internet

Internet Users (2020s) Higher is better
Pos.		Internet Users (2020s)
1=	Iceland	99%
1=	Kuwait	99%
1=	UAE	99%
	...
84	Ukraine	80%
85	Bosnia & Herzegovina	79%
86	Albania	79%
87	Barbados	78%
88	Iran	78%
89	Armenia	78%
90	Botswana	77%
91	Bulgaria	77%
	The Americas Avg	75.7%
	World Avg	67.8%
q=188. Also scored for 1990s-2020s.

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better₅₂
Pos.		2017 Ratio₅₂
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
169=	Cuba	0.0
169=	St Vincent & Grenadines	0.0
169=	Montenegro	0.0
169=	Libya	0.0
169=	Jamaica	0.0
169=	Fiji	0.0
169=	Jordan	0.0
169=	Barbados	0.0
	The Americas Avg	3.36
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

8. Barbados's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#charitability #culture #equality #human_development #inequality #peace

Compared to The Americas (2025)₅₃
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₅₃
1	Canada	22.8
2	USA	46.5
3	Uruguay	48.4
4	Costa Rica	49.8
5	Barbados	51.0
6	Chile	53.6
7	Trinidad & Tobago	63.3
8	Argentina	66.4
9	Jamaica	68.9
10	Bahamas	69.4
11	Panama	75.7
12	Belize	77.1
13	Dominica	77.1
	The Americas Avg	77.02
q=33.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2025)₅₃
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₅₃
1	Denmark	11.6
2	Finland	13.4
3	Netherlands	13.6
	...
37	Croatia	49.2
38	Costa Rica	49.8
39	Taiwan	50.7
40	Barbados	51.0
41	Mauritius	51.4
42	Latvia	53.5
43	Chile	53.6
44	Lithuania	53.8
	World Avg	81.27
q=187.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 32 datasets, including multiple decades of data on World Giving Index, resisting corruption, overall happiness, Creativity and Culture, passport utility (so far), Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, poverty (so far), life expectancy inequality, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

"Which are the Countries for International Contributions, Creativity, Peace and Inequality?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

8.1. National Culture Datasets

#barbados #corruption #internationalism #politics #st_lucia

Corruption Higher is better₅₄
Pos.		2022 Points₅₄
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
26=	Bhutan	68.0
27=	UAE	67.0
27=	Chile	67.0
29	Barbados	65.0
30	Bahamas	64.0
31=	S. Korea	63.0
31=	Israel	63.0
33=	Lithuania	62.0
	The Americas Avg	42.97
	World Avg	42.98
q=180. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Thoughout the 2010s, Barbados's score on the Corruption Perception Index declined more than any other country except Saint Lucia, causing it to fall by 15 ranks.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better₃₃
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₃
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
15	Germany	15
16	Slovenia	16
17	Latvia	17
18	Barbados	18
19	Hungary	19
20	Slovakia	20
21	Poland	21
22	Norway	22
	The Americas Avg	80.2
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Passport Reach (2020s) Higher is better₅₅
Pos.		Passport Reach (2020s) Q₅₅
1	Singapore	192.2
2	Japan	192.0
3	S. Korea	190.7
	...
47	Andorra	169.0
48	Brunei	166.0
49	Israel	162.7
50	Barbados	162.3
51	Mexico	159.0
52=	St Kitts & Nevis	156.3
52=	Bahamas	156.3
54	Vatican City	154.2
	The Americas Avg	132.4
	World Avg	108.8
q=195. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better₃₃
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₃
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
29	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	29
30	Burkina Faso	30
31	Lebanon	31
32	Barbados	32
33	Mongolia	33
34	Spain	34
35	UK	35
36	Italy	36
	The Americas Avg	100.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

8.2. Peace Versus Instability Datasets

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better₃₃
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₃
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
123	Israel	123
124	Malta	124
125	Burundi	125
126	Barbados	126
127	Chad	127
128	Montenegro	128
129	Dominican Rep.	129
130	Papua New Guinea	130
	The Americas Avg	82.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better₃₃
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₃
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
100	Senegal	100
101	Georgia	101
102	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	102
103	Barbados	103
104	Armenia	104
105	Suriname	105
106	Namibia	106
107	Tunisia	107
	The Americas Avg	91.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

8.3. Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets

#capitalism #economics #health #inequality #life_expectancy #poverty #social_development

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better₅₆
Pos.		2019₅₆
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
67=	Georgia	7.90
67=	China	7.90
69	Argentina	8.60
70=	Barbados	8.70
70=	Armenia	8.70
72=	Tunisia	9.00
72=	Turkey	9.00
74	Libya	9.10
	The Americas Avg	12.03
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better₅₇
Pos.		2018 Severity₅₇
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
	...
17	Algeria	.008
18	Kyrgyzstan	.008
19	Bosnia & Herzegovina	.008
20	Barbados	.009
21	Macedonia	.010
22	Guyana	.014
23	Dominican Rep.	.015
24	China	.016
	The Americas Avg	.045
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₅₈:

	2010	2020
Christian	76.6%	77.3%
Unaffiliated	20.8%	20.1%
Other	1.26%	1.19%
Muslim	0.718%	0.707%
Hindu	0.472%	0.462%
Buddhist	0.102%	0.107%
Jewish	<0.1%	<0.1%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Protestant 63.4% (Anglican 28.3%, Pentecostal 18.7%, Methodist 5.1%, other 11.3%), Roman Catholic 4.2%, other Christian 7%, other 4.8%, none or unspecified 20.6% (2008 est.)₅₉.

Links:

A List of All Religions and Belief Systems