180 countries ranked by safety, peace, freedom and LGBT+ equality
Visiting: Recommend CautionLGBT+ visiting: Recommend Caution
Rum was invented in Barbados, and Friday night at the Oistins fish fry is the right place to research it. The island is easy in the best sense — pink-tinged sand at Crane Beach, caves to wander, cricket to argue about — and since decriminalisation it's been getting friendlier for LGBT+ travellers too. Use normal island sense away from the visitor strips and you're set.
Intentional homicides per 100,000 people — lower is better.
Barbados: 7.4
Ranked 51st in the world for the highest homicide rate.
7.43 homicides per 100,000 people in 2024 — an elevated rate by world standards.
Higher than 70% of the 230 countries and territories measured.
How peaceful the country is — lower is better.
Barbados: 1.6
Ranked 30th most peaceful country in the world.
The GPI skips most small island states, so 1.55 is our estimate built with its published methodology.
The homicide rate (7.4 per 100,000) and gun crime fed by firearms trafficked from the US push the score up; everything on the military side sits near the floor.
Personal and economic freedom — higher is better.
Barbados: 7.8
Ranked 47th freest country in the world.
Freer than 72% of the 165 countries measured — 7.81 out of 10.
Day-to-day life (speech, movement, religion) scores 8.55; doing business and owning property, 6.76.
LGBT+ equality in law and daily life — higher is better.
Barbados: 5.5
Ranked 50th most equal in the world for LGBT+ people.
Better for LGBT+ equality than 74% of the 197 countries scored — 55 out of 100.
Public opinion runs ahead of the law — attitudes score 71 out of 100, legal protections 38.