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Bahamas vs Barbados
Side-by-side comparison of Bahamas and Barbados from official statistics: size, economy, people, trade, natural resources, health, infrastructure and military, with world ranks, years and sources.
Bahamas
Latin America & Caribbean · nation age 53 years
Barbados
Latin America & Caribbean · nation age 403 years
In short
Bahamas scores 54.2 in the NationsTree Index (73rd in the world) and Barbados scores 50.6 (86th), a gap of 3.6 points. Their trees are 2.5 m and 1.6 m tall; tree height grows with real GDP and is adjusted by the index.
Bahamas has 43% more people than Barbados. Bahamas is 32 times larger than Barbados by land area. Bahamas has an economy 2.3 times the size of Barbados (GDP at purchasing power parity). Population: Bahamas 403,033 and Barbados 282,623 (2025).
GDP per person at purchasing power parity is $41,258 in Bahamas and $25,894 in Barbados (2025, international dollars). People in Barbados live on average 1.6 years longer (76.3 vs 74.7 years).
Of 28 indicators reported by both countries, Bahamas ranks higher in the world on 10 and Barbados on 18. Bahamas is clearly stronger in environment & energy and military. Barbados is clearly stronger in trade, institutions & safety and society & health.
As a nation, Barbados is the older of the two (statehood since 1623, 403 years), compared with Bahamas (since 1973). Over the last five years Bahamas improved faster (direction score 80 vs 43 out of 100).
Where they differ most
The indicators with the biggest gap in world position between Bahamas and Barbados.
Bahamas
0.0%
166th of 168
Barbadosbetter
19.9%
32nd of 168
Secondary enrolmentSociety & health
Bahamas
79.5%
129th of 173
Barbadosbetter
104.4%
43rd of 173
Hospital bedsSociety & health
Bahamas
2.2
84th of 145
Barbadosbetter
6.4
13th of 145
Internet usersInfrastructure & digital
Bahamasbetter
92.5%
42nd of 186
Barbados
70.4%
122nd of 186
Renewable freshwater per personNatural resources
Bahamasbetter
1,761
107th of 183
Barbados
283
162nd of 183
Over time
How the two countries moved against each other, from the yearly data.
Bahamas overtook Barbados in the NationsTree Index in 2023 and has stayed ahead since.
Bahamas has been ahead of Barbados in GDP per person (PPP), GDP (PPP) and population in every year since 1990.
Barbados has been ahead of Bahamas in life expectancy in every year since 1990.
Strength by category
Average world percentile of the indicators in each category (0–100, direction taken into account). i
BahamasBarbados All indicators
Latest available value for each country with its year and world rank. Green: the better world position of the two, red: the weaker one.
| Indicator | Bahamas | Barbados |
|---|---|---|
| Land & people | ||
| Surface area km² | 13,878158th/216 · 2024 | 431195th/216 · 2024 |
| Land area km² | 10,010163rd/216 · 2024 | 431194th/216 · 2024 |
| Population people | 403,033175th/217 · 2025 | 282,623179th/217 · 2025 |
| Population growth % | 0.44%144th/217 · 2025 | 0.06%167th/217 · 2025 |
| Population density people/km² | 40.1162nd/216 · 2024 | 655.414th/216 · 2024 |
| Urban population % | 81.3%53rd/217 · 2025 | 59.7%126th/217 · 2025 |
| Population aged 0–14 % | 17.5%147th/217 · 2025 | 17.1%153rd/217 · 2025 |
| Population aged 65+ % | 12.1%85th/217 · 2025 | 17.1%56th/217 · 2025 |
| Economy | ||
| GDP USD | $15.83 bn144th/210 · 2024 | $8.02 bn159th/210 · 2025 |
| GDP (PPP) intl. USD | $16.56 bn154th/199 · 2024 | $7.32 bn166th/199 · 2025 |
| Real GDP (PPP, constant 2021 prices) intl. USD 2021 | $14.54 bn154th/199 · 2024 | $6.25 bn166th/199 · 2025 |
| GDP per person USD | $39,45542nd/210 · 2024 | $28,36561st/210 · 2025 |
| GDP per person (PPP) intl. USD | $41,25865th/199 · 2024 | $25,89489th/199 · 2025 |
| GNI per person (Atlas) USD | $37,02038th/201 · 2024 | $27,08053rd/201 · 2025 |
| GDP growth % | 3.4%105th/210 · 2024 | 2.7%127th/210 · 2025 |
| Inflation % | 1.1%40th/180 · 2025 | 0.8%31st/180 · 2025 |
| Unemployment % | 9.2%145th/187 · 2025 | 6.5%119th/187 · 2025 |
| Central government debt % of GDP | 71.5%40th/55 · 2024 | 125.0%2016 |
| General government gross debt % of GDP | 71.7%138th/189 · 2025 | 96.2%162nd/189 · 2025 |
| Government budget balance % of GDP | -0.5%48th/192 · 2025 | -0.2%40th/192 · 2025 |
| Main industries | ||
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing % of GDP | 0.5%182nd/197 · 2024 | 1.6%156th/197 · 2024 |
| Industry incl. construction % of GDP | 9.6%187th/200 · 2024 | 12.2%172nd/200 · 2024 |
| Manufacturing % of GDP | 0.6%188th/192 · 2024 | 4.9%153rd/192 · 2024 |
| Services % of GDP | 77.2%13th/200 · 2024 | 75.8%17th/200 · 2024 |
| Trade | ||
| Exports of goods & services USD | $5.98 bn127th/182 · 2024 | — |
| Imports of goods & services USD | $6.56 bn132nd/182 · 2024 | — |
| Exports % of GDP | 37.8%88th/183 · 2024 | — |
| Imports % of GDP | 41.5%98th/183 · 2024 | — |
| Trade openness % of GDP | 79.2%98th/183 · 2024 | — |
| Fuel exports % of merchandise exports | 0.0%165th/170 · 2024 | 4.8%76th/170 · 2025 |
| Manufactures exports % of merchandise exports | 31.2%89th/171 · 2024 | 41.2%73rd/171 · 2025 |
| Food exports % of merchandise exports | 52.2%27th/171 · 2024 | 43.7%36th/171 · 2025 |
| Ores & metals exports % of merchandise exports | 16.1%30th/171 · 2024 | 8.5%43rd/171 · 2025 |
| High-tech exports % of manufactured exports | 0.0%166th/168 · 2024 | 19.9%32nd/168 · 2024 |
| Current account balance % of GDP | -8.3%165th/191 · 2025 | -5.9%149th/191 · 2025 |
| Foreign direct investment, inflows % of GDP | 1.5%120th/196 · 2024 | 3.4%64th/196 · 2025 |
| Natural resources | ||
| Natural resource rents % of GDP | 0.0%171st/209 · 2021 | 0.3%142nd/209 · 2021 |
| Oil rents % of GDP | 0.00%120th/197 · 2021 | 0.31%61st/197 · 2021 |
| Natural gas rents % of GDP | 0.00%100th/197 · 2021 | 0.01%86th/197 · 2021 |
| Coal rents % of GDP | 0.00%68th/195 · 2021 | 0.00%68th/195 · 2021 |
| Mineral rents % of GDP | 0.00%91st/209 · 2021 | 0.00%91st/209 · 2021 |
| Forest rents % of GDP | 0.01%145th/209 · 2021 | 0.01%152nd/209 · 2021 |
| Arable land % of land area | 0.8%186th/206 · 2024 | 16.2%67th/206 · 2024 |
| Renewable freshwater per person m³ | 1,761107th/183 · 2022 | 283162nd/183 · 2022 |
| Tourism | ||
| International tourist arrivals arrivals | 1.8 m75th/194 · 2020 | 966,00099th/194 · 2019 |
| Tourism receipts USD | $1.01 bn73rd/175 · 2020 | $1.07 bn70th/175 · 2016 |
| Tourism receipts % of exports | 59.6%14th/168 · 2020 | 44.4%19th/168 · 2016 |
| Society & health | ||
| Life expectancy years | 74.7109th/217 · 2024 | 76.396th/217 · 2024 |
| Under-5 mortality per 1,000 births | 12.486th/196 · 2024 | 9.874th/196 · 2024 |
| Physicians per 1,000 people | 1.902017 | 2.9660th/174 · 2022 |
| Hospital beds per 1,000 people | 2.284th/145 · 2023 | 6.413th/145 · 2023 |
| DPT immunization % of children 12–23 months | 90%104th/193 · 2024 | 94%66th/193 · 2024 |
| Completed lower secondary, 25+ % of adults | 96.1%24th/153 · 2022 | 78.1%2000 |
| Secondary enrolment % gross | 79.5%129th/173 · 2024 | 104.4%43rd/173 · 2024 |
| Old-age dependency ratio % of working-age population | 17.2%86th/217 · 2025 | 25.9%56th/217 · 2025 |
| Health spending % of GDP | 6.3%98th/193 · 2023 | 5.4%121st/193 · 2023 |
| Tertiary enrolment % gross | 14.8%1995 | 50.8%78th/150 · 2025 |
| Human Development Index index 0–1 | 0.82066th/193 · 2023 | 0.81169th/193 · 2023 |
| Income inequality (Gini) index | — | 34.12016 |
| Extreme poverty % of population | — | 1.7%2016 |
| Infrastructure & digital | ||
| Access to electricity % of population | 100.0%1st/215 · 2024 | 100.0%1st/215 · 2024 |
| Internet users % of population | 92.5%42nd/186 · 2024 | 70.4%122nd/186 · 2024 |
| Mobile subscriptions per 100 people | 97146th/210 · 2024 | 115107th/210 · 2022 |
| Fixed broadband per 100 people | 25.375th/208 · 2024 | 37.535th/208 · 2022 |
| Trade & transport infrastructure quality (LPI) score 1–5 | 2.5085th/164 · 2022 | — |
| Air passengers carried passengers | 1.5 m89th/161 · 2023 | 01991 |
| Environment & energy | ||
| CO₂ emissions per person t CO₂e | 3.64123rd/203 · 2024 | 2.52100th/203 · 2024 |
| Renewable energy % of final energy use | 1.1%187th/212 · 2022 | 5.5%166th/212 · 2022 |
| Air pollution (PM2.5) µg/m³ | 5.317th/200 · 2023 | 10.953rd/200 · 2023 |
| Forest area % of land area | 50.9%55th/214 · 2024 | 14.6%144th/214 · 2024 |
| Energy use per person kg oil eq. | 2,0072007 | 1,4782007 |
| Institutions & safety | ||
| Government effectiveness score 0–100 | 65.658th/205 · 2025 | 64.960th/205 · 2025 |
| Control of corruption score 0–100 | 69.136th/207 · 2025 | 72.826th/207 · 2025 |
| Rule of law score 0–100 | 62.486th/207 · 2025 | 70.551st/207 · 2025 |
| Political stability score 0–100 | 83.541st/207 · 2025 | 88.017th/207 · 2025 |
| Regulatory quality score 0–100 | 54.0101st/205 · 2025 | 62.363rd/205 · 2025 |
| Voice & accountability score 0–100 | 69.360th/205 · 2025 | 77.633rd/205 · 2025 |
| Homicide rate per 100,000 | 32.2136th/145 · 2022 | 7.4110th/145 · 2023 |
| Military | ||
| Armed forces personnel people | 2,000154th/170 · 2020 | 1,000161st/170 · 2020 |
| Armed forces personnel % of labour force | 0.92%75th/168 · 2020 | 0.69%95th/168 · 2020 |
| Arms imports (SIPRI TIV) TIV | 12.0 m2017 | 10.0 m2009 |
| Arms exports (SIPRI TIV) TIV | 02015 | — |
| Science & innovation | ||
| Patent applications by residents applications | 42017 | 1126th/137 · 2022 |
| Scientific articles articles | 15179th/197 · 2023 | 57150th/197 · 2023 |
Questions and answers
Which has more people, Bahamas or Barbados?
Bahamas has the larger population: 403,033 (2025) compared with 282,623 for Barbados (2025). Source: World Bank, SP.POP.TOTL.
Which is bigger by area, Bahamas or Barbados?
Bahamas is larger: 13,878 km² (2024) compared with 431 km² for Barbados (2024). Source: World Bank, AG.SRF.TOTL.K2.
Which economy is larger, Bahamas or Barbados?
Bahamas has the larger economy at purchasing power parity: $16.56 bn intl. (2024) compared with $7.32 bn intl. for Barbados (2025). Source: World Bank, NY.GDP.MKTP.PP.CD.
Which is richer per person, Bahamas or Barbados?
Bahamas has the higher GDP per person (PPP): $41,258 intl. (2024) compared with $25,894 intl. for Barbados (2025). Source: World Bank, NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD.
Where do people live longer, in Bahamas or Barbados?
Barbados has the higher life expectancy at birth: 76.3 years (2024) compared with 74.7 years for Bahamas (2024). Source: World Bank, SP.DYN.LE00.IN.
Which ranks higher in the NationsTree Index, Bahamas or Barbados?
Bahamas: 54.2 points (73rd in the world); Barbados: 50.6 points (86th). The index combines foundations, economic strength, quality of life, problems and 5-year direction from public statistics.
Haiti
Jamaica
Suriname
Aruba
Belize
Cayman Islands
US Virgin IslandsSources
World Bank World Development Indicators and Worldwide Governance Indicators, compiling UN agencies, the IMF, WHO, SIPRI and national statistical offices; every row links to its world ranking with the source series. See Sources & licences and Methodology.
Cite as: NationsTree (2026). Bahamas vs Barbados — country comparison. https://nationstree.org/compare/bahamas-vs-barbados. Data as of 26 October 2026.