
Photo: Berit Watkin , derivative work (crop) by Globe-trotter · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 11 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Barbados: Risk & Resilience
How exposed is a country to crisis, and how ready is it to cope?
Barbados is placed 30th of 193 countries on risk & resilience in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 4 key statistics. Readings behind it: World Risk Index 2.89 (2025); INFORM Risk Index 2.2 (2025).
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Risk & Resilience
30th
of 193 countries placed
Placed from 3 of 4 key statistics
- 2.89World Risk Index, 2025WorldRiskIndex score (0–100, where 100 is the most at risk)
- 2.2INFORM Risk Index, 2025INFORM Risk score (0–10, where 10 is the highest risk)
- 0.397Climate Vulnerability (ND-GAIN), 2024ND-GAIN Vulnerability (0–1, where 1 is the most vulnerable)
- —Able to Raise Emergency Funds Within 30 Days, 2024No reading for this country
01The evidence
The 4 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Barbados on risk & resilience — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used — or, for a survey-based key, each country’s latest reading; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
Key 1 of 4
World Risk Index
Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict (IFHV), Ruhr University Bochum
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY 4.0
2.89
WorldRiskIndex score (0–100, where 100 is the most at risk)
Lower is better
Barbados: 2.89. Across the 193 countries in this edition, values run from 0.18 (Monaco) to 46.56 (Philippines); the world median is 4.17.
- World median
- 4.17
- Best in Caribbean
- 2.02 Grenada
Key 2 of 4
INFORM Risk Index
European Commission Joint Research Centre, with the Inter-Agency Standing Committee
2026 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY 4.0 (via the European Commission's reuse policy)
2.2
INFORM Risk score (0–10, where 10 is the highest risk)
Lower is better
Barbados: 2.2. Across the 191 countries in this edition, values run from 0.7 (Singapore) to 8.5 (South Sudan); the world median is 3.7.
- World median
- 3.7
- Best in Caribbean
- 1.9 Saint Kitts and Nevis
Key 3 of 4
Climate Vulnerability (ND-GAIN)
Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), University of Notre Dame
2024 edition · data for 2024 · CC BY 3.0 Unported
0.397
ND-GAIN Vulnerability (0–1, where 1 is the most vulnerable)
Lower is better
Ranked 61st of 190 by Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), University of Notre Dame
Barbados: 0.397. Across the 190 countries in this edition, values run from 0.263 (Norway) to 0.655 (Mauritania); the world median is 0.45.
- World median
- 0.45
- Best in Caribbean
- 0.345 Saint Lucia
Key 4 of 4
Able to Raise Emergency Funds Within 30 Days
World Bank Group
Latest reading per country, 2021–2024 · CC BY 4.0
No reading
Adults who could raise emergency funds within 30 days without great difficulty (% of population aged 15+)
Higher is better
World Bank Group publishes no reading from 2021–2024 for Barbados, so the standing rests on the other keys.
Across the 142 countries at their latest reading, values run from 16.49 (South Sudan) to 93.69 (Sweden); the world median is 53.85.
- World median
- 53.85
- Best in Caribbean
- 58.05 Dominican Republic
02Over time
Which way Barbados is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
World Risk Index
WorldRiskIndex score (0–100, where 100 is the most at risk) · lower is better
BarbadosWorld median
Barbados rose from 2.2 in 2000 to 2.89 in 2025; the world median went from 4.55 to 4.17.
Every year’s figures
Year Barbados World median 2025 2.89 4.17 2024 2.89 4.17 2023 2.87 4.27 2022 2.54 4.08 2021 2.89 4.23 2020 2.09 4.12 2019 2.32 4.23 2018 2.07 4.14 2017 2.00 4.24 2016 2.12 4.23 2015 1.93 4.04 2014 2.42 4.07 2013 2.41 4.08 2012 2.44 4.07 2011 2.44 3.99 2010 2.51 3.86 2009 2.20 3.94 2008 2.49 4.11 2007 2.68 4.41 2006 2.73 4.51 2005 2.79 4.54 2004 2.59 4.42 2003 2.74 4.50 2002 2.69 4.65 2001 2.20 4.37 2000 2.20 4.55 INFORM Risk Index
INFORM Risk score (0–10, where 10 is the highest risk) · lower is better
BarbadosWorld median
Barbados rose from 2 in 2016 to 2.2 in 2025; the world median went from 3.6 to 3.7.
Every year’s figures
Year Barbados World median 2025 2.2 3.7 2024 2.0 3.5 2023 2.1 3.6 2022 2.1 3.6 2021 2.1 3.6 2020 2.0 3.6 2019 2.0 3.6 2018 2.0 3.5 2017 2.0 3.5 2016 2.0 3.6 Climate Vulnerability (ND-GAIN)
ND-GAIN Vulnerability (0–1, where 1 is the most vulnerable) · lower is better
BarbadosWorld median
Barbados fell from 0.423 in 2000 to 0.397 in 2024; the world median went from 0.476 to 0.45.
Every year’s figures
Year Barbados World median 2024 0.3970 0.449649 2023 0.3952 0.449167 2022 0.3895 0.447422 2021 0.3944 0.447831 2020 0.3923 0.447902 2019 0.3916 0.447883 2018 0.3922 0.449652 2017 0.4311 0.450532 2016 0.4350 0.451843 2015 0.4348 0.451496 2014 0.4324 0.451502 2013 0.4258 0.454946 2012 0.4257 0.454269 2011 0.4364 0.458012 2010 0.4438 0.460715 2009 0.4443 0.464712 2008 0.4310 0.463801 2007 0.4336 0.466738 2006 0.4292 0.468701 2005 0.4280 0.470646 2004 0.4249 0.472029 2003 0.4353 0.471635 2002 0.4378 0.472031 2001 0.4234 0.476366 2000 0.4225 0.475585
03In context
Barbados beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 193 countries on risk & resilience, never a place within the region.
Barbados and Caribbean
Barbados has no land border, so the table compares it with its sub-region. Standing among all 193; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| Country | Standing | World Risk IndexWorldRiskIndex score (0–100, where 100 is the most at risk) | INFORM Risk IndexINFORM Risk score (0–10, where 10 is the highest risk) | Climate Vulnerability (ND-GAIN)ND-GAIN Vulnerability (0–1, where 1 is the most vulnerable) | Able to Raise Emergency Funds Within 30 DaysAdults who could raise emergency funds within 30 days without great difficulty (% of population aged 15+) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23rd | 2.53 | 2.5 | 0.345 | — | |
| 30th | 2.89 | 2.2 | 0.397 | — | |
| 46th | 2.02 | 2.8 | 0.425 | — | |
| 47th | 2.24 | 1.9 | 0.473 | — | |
| =59th | 2.72 | 2.9 | 0.418 | — | |
| 63rd | 3.03 | 3.3 | 0.386 | — | |
| 64th | 2.73 | 2.6 | 0.442 | — | |
| 74th | 4.44 | 2.5 | 0.447 | — | |
| =78th | 3.8 | 2.1 | 0.485 | — | |
| 103rd | 3.97 | 3.8 | 0.451 | 53.04 | |
| 107th | 6.92 | 3.5 | 0.457 | — | |
| 139th | 13.47 | 4.9 | 0.47 | 58.05 | |
| 184th | 10.06 | 7.5 | 0.534 | — | |
| not placed | — | — | — | — | |
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“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Caribbean
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 193.
Saint Lucia23rd
Barbados30th
Grenada46th
Saint Kitts and Nevis47th
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines=59th
Trinidad and Tobago63rd
Dominica64th
Bahamas74th
Antigua and Barbuda=78th
Jamaica103rd
Cuba107th
Dominican Republic139th
Haiti184th
Anguillanot placed
Arubanot placed
British Virgin Islandsnot placed
Cayman Islandsnot placed
Curaçaonot placed
Montserratnot placed
Puerto Riconot placed
Saint Martinnot placed
Sint Maartennot placed
Turks and Caicos Islandsnot placed
United States Virgin Islandsnot placed
Placed either side on risk & resilience
The countries immediately above and below Barbados in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where Barbados is ahead of the world, and behind
13 more statistics filed under risk & resilience, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Ahead of the world median5
Statistics on which Barbados does better than the middle country measured.
Political Stability and Absence of ViolenceWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 0.1711.2810.171▲ Improved since 2015
Barbados: 1.281 · world median 0.171 · Political Stability estimate (−2.5 to 2.5). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from -2.506 to 1.563; higher is better.
Position 19th of 211 · derived.
Days Above 35°CECMWF · 2025 · world median 3.4803.48No real change since 2015
Barbados: 0 · world median 3.48 · Days a year with a maximum temperature above 35°C, averaged over the country’s land. World Bank Group (Climate Change Knowledge Portal), from Copernicus ERA5 (ECMWF), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 222.89; lower is better.
Firms Whose Assets Were Damaged by Extreme WeatherWorld Bank Group · 2026 · world median 9.4853.0039.485No earlier reading
Barbados: 3.003 · world median 9.485 · Firms whose physical assets were damaged by extreme weather (%). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 59.21; lower is better.
Position 135th of 163 · derived, 1st = worst.
ND-GAIN Country IndexNotre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), University of Notre Dame · 2024 · world median 47.4458.6247.44▲ Improved since 2014
Barbados: 58.62 · world median 47.44 · ND-GAIN Index (0–100, where 100 is best placed to adapt). Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), University of Notre Dame, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 26.42 to 71.85; higher is better.
Ranked 36th of 190 by Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), University of Notre Dame.
Climate Readiness (ND-GAIN)Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), University of Notre Dame · 2024 · world median 0.3870.5690.387▲ Improved since 2014
Barbados: 0.569 · world median 0.387 · ND-GAIN Readiness (0–1, where 1 is the most ready). Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), University of Notre Dame, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.137 to 0.749; higher is better.
Ranked 38th of 192 by Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), University of Notre Dame.
Behind the world median3
Statistics on which Barbados does worse than the middle country measured.
Per Capita Food Supply VariabilityFAO · 2024 · world median 293029▲ Improved since 2014
Barbados: 30 · world median 29 · Year-to-year variability of the food supply (kcal per person per day). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 4 to 227; lower is better.
Water StressFAO · 2023 · world median 1087.510No real change since 2013
Barbados: 87.5 · world median 10 · Freshwater withdrawal as a share of available resources (%). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.03 to 3,851; lower is better.
Position 20th of 177 · derived, 1st = worst.
Renewable Internal Freshwater Resources per CapitaFAO · 2022 · world median 2,528283.372,528No real change since 2012
Barbados: 283.37 · world median 2,528 · Renewable internal freshwater (cubic metres per person). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2022 edition, data for 2022.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 445,023; higher is better.
Position 162nd of 181 · derived.
No better end5
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
Refugees by Country of OriginUNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency · 2025 · world median 1,2725771,272Moved since 2015
Barbados: 577 · world median 1,272 · Refugees under UNHCR's mandate from this country, end of year (people). UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 5,224,131.
Population Living Below 5 m ElevationCenter for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), Columbia University · 2015 · world median 2.9542.2072.954No real change since 1990
Barbados: 2.207 · world median 2.954 · Population living below 5 m elevation (% of total population). Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), Columbia University, 2015 edition, data for 2015.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 78.48.
Asylum-Seekers by Country of AsylumUNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency · 2025 · world median 1,83681,836No real change since 2018
Barbados: 8 · world median 1,836 · Asylum-seekers awaiting a decision, end of year (people). UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 3,718,945.
Burned AreaGWIS · 2025 · world median 13,824013,824No real change since 2015
Barbados: 0 · world median 13,824 · Burned area (hectares). European Commission Joint Research Centre — Global Wildfire Information System (GWIS), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 50,562,035.
Refugee Population by Country of AsylumUNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency · 2025 · world median 12,269512,269Moved since 2018
Barbados: 5 · world median 12,269 · Refugees under UNHCR's mandate hosted, end of year (people). UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 2,655,191.
No current reading for Barbados
Able to Raise Emergency Funds Within 30 Days, Adults Who Experienced a Natural Disaster or Severe Weather, Baseline Water Stress (Aqueduct), Children's Climate Risk Index, Drought Risk (Aqueduct), Global Report on Food Crises, INFORM Severity Index, Internally Displaced People of Concern to UNHCR, Riverine Flood Risk (Aqueduct), Stateless Persons by Country of Residence, Temperature Change on Land (last 2022) and World Risk Poll Resilience Index. Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing
05Country Index 2026
Risk & Resilience among Barbados’s 16 topics
Risk & Resilience is Barbados’s 2nd best-placed topic of 16. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Peace & Securityjoint 7th of 1772/4 keys
- Risk & Resilience30th of 1933/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Libertiesjoint 38th of 1984/4 keys
- Governance & Institutions45th of 1944/4 keys
- Work & Labourjoint 54th of 1824/4 keys
- Food & Agriculture58th of 1844/4 keys
- Health & Wellbeing78th of 2002/4 keys
- Development & Human Capital79th of 1963/3 keys
- Gender & Equality82nd of 1833/4 keys
- Poverty & Inequality76th of 1592/3 keys
- Education & Knowledge107th of 1984/4 keys
- Economy & Innovation96th of 1762/4 keys
- Mobility & Tradejoint 128th of 1773/4 keys
- Energy130th of 1652/3 keys
- Digital & Technology157th of 1983/4 keys
- Environment & Sustainability174th of 1863/4 keys
06The top of the list
Who leads on risk & resilience
The three countries placed highest of 193, and the leaders Barbados can most readily be measured against.
1Liechtenstein
Western Europe
1st of 193 · 2 of 4 keys
Photo: Guido Radig,Inkey · CC BY 3.0, greyscale
2Luxembourg
Western Europe
2nd of 193 · 3 of 4 keys
Photo: Michal Osmenda from Brussels, Belgium · CC BY-SA 2.0, greyscale
3Denmark
Northern Europe
3rd of 193 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: User:Aconcagua · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest in Americas
Saint Lucia23rd3/4 keys
This page
Barbados30th3/4 keys
Positions out of 193 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Questions
Barbados on risk & resilience: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does Barbados rank on risk & resilience?
Barbados is placed 30th of 193 countries on Risk & Resilience in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 4 key statistics (World Risk Index, INFORM Risk Index and Climate Vulnerability (ND-GAIN)). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest World Risk Index figure for Barbados?
2.89 in 2025 (worldRiskIndex score (0–100, where 100 is the most at risk)), according to Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict (IFHV), Ruhr University Bochum. The world median in the same edition was 4.17.
What is the latest INFORM Risk Index figure for Barbados?
2.2 in 2025 (iNFORM Risk score (0–10, where 10 is the highest risk)), according to European Commission Joint Research Centre, with the Inter-Agency Standing Committee. The world median in the same edition was 3.7.
How have Barbados’s risk & resilience figures changed?
World Risk Index rose from 2.2 in 2000 to 2.89 in 2025; INFORM Risk Index rose from 2 in 2016 to 2.2 in 2025; Climate Vulnerability (ND-GAIN) fell from 0.423 in 2000 to 0.397 in 2024.
Which risk & resilience statistics are missing for Barbados?
No current reading is published for Barbados on Able to Raise Emergency Funds Within 30 Days, Adults Who Experienced a Natural Disaster or Severe Weather, Baseline Water Stress (Aqueduct), Children's Climate Risk Index, Drought Risk (Aqueduct), Global Report on Food Crises, INFORM Severity Index, Internally Displaced People of Concern to UNHCR, Riverine Flood Risk (Aqueduct), Stateless Persons by Country of Residence, Temperature Change on Land and World Risk Poll Resilience Index. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
08Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
This topic does not forecast when a disaster will strike, and it does not measure financial or economic risk. Water stress is measured under Environment & Sustainability. Displacement caused by disasters and the severity of crises already under way are published here as context.
How the Risk & Resilience standing is decided
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 4 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 4 keys to be placed.
The risk & resilience method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
The key statistics and their licences
- World Risk Index — Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict (IFHV), Ruhr University Bochum, CC BY 4.0
- INFORM Risk Index — European Commission Joint Research Centre, with the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, CC BY 4.0 (via the European Commission's reuse policy)
- Climate Vulnerability (ND-GAIN) — Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), University of Notre Dame, CC BY 3.0 Unported
- Able to Raise Emergency Funds Within 30 Days — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
The other 13 statistics on this page come from 7 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
Barbados’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Barbados (banner) — Berit Watkin , derivative work (crop) by Globe-trotter, CC BY 2.0
- Liechtenstein — Guido Radig,Inkey, CC BY 3.0
- Luxembourg — Michal Osmenda from Brussels, Belgium, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Denmark — User:Aconcagua, CC BY-SA 3.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Barbados: Risk & Resilience — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/barbados/risk