Life Expectancy in Barbados (2024): Men 73.8, Women 78.8

Life expectancy in Barbados since 1960

Women
Men

Since 1960, life expectancy in Barbados has risen by 12.2 years, from 64.1 to 76.3. During the COVID-19 pandemic it fell by 0.8 years (from 76.5 in 2019 to 75.7 in 2022) and is still below its 2019 level. Women live 5.0 years longer than men (78.8 vs 73.8).

Expected age at death in Barbados by age

Life expectancy at birth includes deaths in childhood. Once people reach adulthood they can expect to live longer — here is the average expected age at death for people who have already reached each age:

Current age	Birth	20	40	60	80
Men	73.8	75.1	75.9	78.3	85.8
Women	78.8	80.1	80.9	82.6	88.3

Birth: World Bank. Other ages: our survival model calibrated to Barbados’s figures (method).

How people die in Barbados

Chronic diseases: 87.3%
Infections, maternal & nutritional: 8.4%
Injuries: 4.3%

In 2019, 87% of deaths in Barbados were caused by chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes (world: 74%). A Barbados man has a 16% chance and a woman 13% of dying of one of these diseases between the ages of 30 and 70 (world: 21% and 16%). Road traffic accidents kill 8.2 people per 100,000 each year (world: 16.7).

See which causes of death are most likely for you →

Child mortality

Out of every 1,000 babies born in Barbados, about 9.8 die before their fifth birthday (world: 37.4). This is one of the main reasons life expectancy at birth differs so much between countries.

Barbados compared with its region

Barbados is in the World Bank’s Latin America & Caribbean region, where the average life expectancy is 75.5 years. It ranks #20 of 42 countries there.

#	Country	Overall	Men	Women
16	British Virgin Islands	77.4	74.7	80.2
17	Curaçao	77.0	72.7	81.0
18	Aruba	76.5	73.8	78.9
19	Sint Maarten	76.5	73.8	79.7
20	Barbados	76.3	73.8	78.8
21	Brazil	76.0	73.0	79.1
22	Grenada	75.4	72.5	78.5
23	Mexico	75.3	72.4	78.0
24	Nicaragua	75.1	72.5	77.6

See all 217 countries ranked →

Frequently asked questions

What is the life expectancy in Barbados?

76.3 years in 2024: 73.8 for men and 78.8 for women, according to the World Bank.

Do women live longer than men in Barbados?

Yes. Women in Barbados live about 5.0 years longer than men. Worldwide the gap is 4.9 years in favour of women.

How does Barbados rank for life expectancy?

Barbados ranks #96 out of 217 countries and territories with data. That is 2.8 years above the world average of 73.5.

What is the average age of death in Barbados?

Life expectancy at birth (76.3) is pulled down by deaths in childhood. Adults live longer: a 40-year-old man in Barbados can expect to live to about 75.9, and a 40-year-old woman to about 80.9.

Sources

World Bank, World Development Indicators: life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.MA.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.FE.IN), under-5 mortality (SH.DYN.MORT), causes of death (SH.DTH.NCOM.ZS, SH.DTH.INJR.ZS), mortality from major chronic diseases (SH.DYN.NCOM.MA.ZS, SH.DYN.NCOM.FE.ZS) and road traffic deaths (SH.STA.TRAF.P5). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Link

Data updated October 25, 2026.