The Human Truth Foundation

Which are the Best Caribbean Countries?

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

By Vexen Crabtree 2013

#human_development #USA

Social & Moral
Development Index
1
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank1
1Barbados69.8
2Trinidad & Tobago74.8
3Dominica77.7
4Jamaica79.3
5Bahamas81.6
6St Vincent & Grenadines81.6
7Antigua & Barbuda82.3
8St Kitts & Nevis83.0
9Dominican Rep.85.5
10Grenada86.3
...
11St Lucia89.3
12Cuba89.5
13Haiti119.8
The Caribbean Avg83.9
World Avg88.6
q=13.

A popular tourist and recreation destination, much of the public face of the Caribbean is scenic and centered on tourism, despite setbacks caused by occassional destructive weather events. Social problems arise from much of the Caribbean being part of established narcotics trade routes between South America and the USA.

There are 30 locations that fall within this category. By adding up all the known populations that fall within these locations, and summing their physical land areas, we can calculate population densities. Some islands and territories can end up being counted twice depending on how they are classified and divided up politically, but, mostly such errors involve only small populations. So, some data on this collection of countries in total:


1. Summary Data

#economics #human_development #population #wealth

Pos.Population (2018)
Population2
Social & Moral
Lower is better

Avg Rank1
Gross National
Income (2021)
Higher is better
PPP $3
UN HDI (2021)
Higher is better

Value3
Land Area (2011)
km24
People
Per km2
Lower is better
1Antigua & Barbuda96 28682.3$16 7920.788 440 219
2Bahamas0.4m81.6$30 4860.812 10 010 39
3Barbados0.3m69.8$12 3060.790 430 667
4Cuba11.3m89.5$7 8790.764 106 440 107
5Dominica71 62577.7$11 4880.720 750 96
6Dominican Rep.10.6m85.5$17 9900.767 48 320 220
7Grenada0.1m86.3$13 4840.795 340 328
8Haiti11.1m119.8$2 8480.535 27 560 404
9Jamaica2.9m79.3$8 8340.709 10 830 271
10St Kitts & Nevis52 44183.0$23 3580.777 260 202
11St Lucia0.2m89.3$12 0480.715 610 298
12St Vincent & Grenadines0.1m81.6$11 9610.751 390 283
13Trinidad & Tobago1.4m74.8$23 3920.810 5 130 271
14Cayman Islands 240
15Turks & Caicos Islands 950
16Puerto Rico 8 870
17US Virgin Islands 350
18Aruba 180
The Caribbean Avg3.0m83.9$14 8360.75 12 339 241
World Avg39.0m88.6$20 1360.72 620 450 63
q=18. No data: 125

Not showing due to lack of data: St Barthelemy.

This page only shows places where the database has enough data to be able to come to reasonable conclusions about each place. The main focus is on nation states, but, some distinct external territories may be listed if the database has enough information about them. Averages are calculated from as many valid data points as possible, meaning, that some territories and locations that are not listed above may still be used to calculate some of the average values. Some calculations only use Independent State data - hover the cursor over values to see hints.

Links:

2. Social and Moral Development

#charitability #climate_change #culture #education #equality #freedom #gender_equality #health #human_development #human_rights #modernity #morals #peace #politics #prejudice #technology #the_environment #the_internet #tolerance

Here are each country's overall scores across the categories that make up the Social and Moral Development Index. This is followed by lists of how each country scores in each individual data set.

Pos.Social & Moral
Lower is better

Avg Rank1
Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)
Lower is better

Avg Rank6
Culture, Peace & Inequality (2020)
Lower is better

Avg Rank7
Modernity & Learning (2020)
Lower is better

Avg Rank8
Health (2025)
Lower is better

Avg Rank9
Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)
Lower is better

Avg Rank10
1Barbados69.8110.146.947.471.051.7
2Trinidad & Tobago74.894.562.174.579.466.2
3Dominica77.778.579.684.086.357.3
4Jamaica79.388.669.594.695.464.1
5Bahamas81.6100.979.783.582.866.6
6St Vincent & Grenadines81.692.089.280.089.354.2
7Antigua & Barbuda82.3103.279.663.287.1
8St Kitts & Nevis83.096.948.888.979.1
9Dominican Rep.85.565.084.987.1112.778.0
10Grenada86.3125.093.043.477.986.1
11St Lucia89.3103.684.286.396.069.9
12Cuba89.579.473.872.875.7119.1
13Haiti119.8105.8120.8155.6130.5111.9
The Caribbean Avg83.995.7280.3379.8192.2774.41
World Avg88.684.9378.1286.3196.7486.55
q=13.

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.

For more, see:

3. Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #emigration #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #the_caribbean

Population:

Pos.Population (2018)
Population2
Life
Expectancy (2021)
Higher is better

Years3
Fertility Rate (2022)
2.0 is best
11
Old-Age Dependency Ratio (2016)
Lower is better

Per 10012
1Antigua & Barbuda96 28678.51.5819.0
2Bahamas0.4m71.61.3822.4
3Barbados0.3m77.61.6335.6
4Cuba11.3m73.71.4536.2
5Dominica71 62572.81.59
6Dominican Rep.10.6m72.62.2515.6
7Grenada0.1m74.91.9916.2
8Haiti11.1m63.22.7709.6
9Jamaica2.9m70.51.3421.0
10St Kitts & Nevis52 44171.71.51
11St Lucia0.2m71.11.3919.9
12St Vincent & Grenadines0.1m69.61.7819.7
13Trinidad & Tobago1.4m73.01.6121.9
14St Martin2.39
15British Virgin Islands1.02
16Turks & Caicos Islands1.66
17Puerto Rico0.90
18US Virgin Islands2.00
19Aruba1.18
20Curaço1.30
The Caribbean Avg3.0m72.371.6321.6
World Avg39.0m71.282.4718.3
q=20. No data: 1013

Migration:

The countries in The Caribbean with the highest percent of immigrants in their populations are Antigua & Barbuda (28.1%), Bahamas (15.6%) and St Kitts & Nevis (13.7%), although the average for The Caribbean is 8%. Conversely, emigration is highest in Dominica (104.8%), Grenada (65.5%) and St Kitts & Nevis (61.1%), with an average regional rate of 37%.

For full commentary and data, see:

4. Responsibility Towards The Environment

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

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:

Pos.Forest Area Change 2000-2020
Higher is better
14
Environmental Performance (2018)
Higher is better
15
Energy to GDP Efficiency (2022)
Lower is better
Avg16
International Accords on the Environment
Higher is better
Avg Rate
Rational Beliefs on the Environment (2011)
Higher is better
%17
Meat Consumption (2021)
Lower is better

kg18
Green Future Index (2023)
Higher is better

Score19
1Antigua & Barbuda-14.6%59.257%85.8
2Bahamas0.0%55.060%111.9
3Barbados0.0%55.82.0454%86.4
4Cuba31.0%63.41.2555%49.6
5Dominica0.0%59.41.2054%81.6
6Dominican Rep.8.5%64.70.6354%50.2%53.54.0
7Grenada0.0%50.941%78.6
8Haiti-8.8%33.70.6325%10.0%21.6
9Jamaica14.1%58.61.8353%63.4
10St Kitts & Nevis0.0%54%96.6
11St Lucia-1.1%56.21.6556%89.6
12St Vincent & Grenadines0.0%66.552%109.5
13Trinidad & Tobago-3.6%67.44.6463%74.5%58.5
14St Barthelemy0.0%
15St Martin0.0%
16Anguilla0.0%
17British Virgin Islands-1.4%
18Cayman Islands-1.6%
19Montserrat0.0%
20Turks & Caicos Islands0.0%
21Puerto Rico15.5%0.68
22US Virgin Islands-1.9%
23Guadeloupe-0.5%
24Martinique7.2%
25Aruba0.0%
26Curaço0.0%
The Caribbean Avg1.6%57.61.6252.3%44.9%75.94.0
World Avg-0.1%56.41.2357.5%39.9%52.54.8
q=26. No data: 420

5. Culture, Peace and Inequality

#capitalism #charity #corruption #culture #economics #equality #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #life_expectancy #morals #peace #politics #poverty #religious_violence #social_development #terrorism

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 22 datasets, including multiple decades of data on World Giving Index, resisting corruption, overall happiness, Creativity and Culture, Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, Inequality in Life Expectancy, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

National Culture:

Pos.World Giving Index (2022)
Higher is better

%21
Corruption (2022)
Higher is better

Points22
Happiness (2024)
Higher is better

Score23
Creativity & Culture (2017)
Lower is better

Rank24
Open Trading, Aid & Development (2017)
Lower is better

Rank24
1Antigua & Barbuda74139
2Bahamas64.052127
3Barbados65.01832
4Cuba45.0
5Dominica55.073104
6Dominican Rep.44.032.05.812576
7Grenada52.050155
8Haiti17.09253
9Jamaica46.044.05.986146
10St Lucia55.024125
11St Vincent & Grenadines60.043144
12Trinidad & Tobago42.05.97128
The Caribbean Avg45.048.275.8764.4102.6
World Avg39.642.985.5882.082.0
q=12. No data: 1825

Peace Versus Instability:

Pos.Global Peace Index (2023)
Lower is better

Score26
Peacekeeping & Security (2017)
Lower is better

Rank24
Refugees & UN Treaties (2017)
Lower is better

Rank24
Impact of Terrorism (2019)
Lower is better

Score27
1Antigua & Barbuda103131
2Bahamas94148
3Barbados126103
4Cuba2.10
5Dominica137116
6Dominican Rep.2.02129510.18
7Grenada62152
8Haiti2.401441402.18
9Jamaica1.9974860.47
10St Lucia139157
11St Vincent & Grenadines142134
12Trinidad & Tobago1.951161360.02
The Caribbean Avg2.09115.1123.10.71
World Avg2.0782.082.02.78
q=12. No data: 1825

Economic Inequality and Poverty:

Pos.Inequality in Life Expectancy (2019)
Lower is better28
Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) (2023)
Lower is better

%29
Multidimensional Poverty (2018)
Lower is better

Severity30
1Bahamas6.80
2Barbados8.70.009
3Cuba5.10
4Dominican Rep.17.0037.0%31.015
5Grenada11.2043.8%32
6Haiti32.2041.1%33.200
7Jamaica10.0040.2%34.018
8St Lucia10.6043.7%35.007
9St Vincent & Grenadines11.30
10Trinidad & Tobago14.90.002
The Caribbean Avg12.7841.2%.042
World Avg14.5936.5%.154
q=10. No data: 2036

6. Modernity and Learning

#education #english #intelligence #it_security #maths #modernity #politics #religion #religiosity #research #science #secularisation #technology #the_internet

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, Belgium and Denmark37. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone37. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots38.

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)39

15 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Intellectual Endeavours, Maths, Science & Reading, Religiosity, IQ, 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 Europe37, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia37.

For more, see:

Modernity and Education:

Pos.Research & Development (2016)
Higher is better

% RDP PPP
Secondary Education (2018)
Higher is better
40
Length of Schooling (2021)
Higher is better

Years41
Intellectual Endeavours (2017)
Lower is better

Rank24
Maths, Science & Reading (2015)
Higher is better

Score42
Religiosity (2018)
Lower is better

%43
IQ (2006)
Higher is better44
1Antigua & Barbuda14.291
2Bahamas88.4%12.9114
3Barbados92.9%15.735
4Cuba0.474587.4%14.485
5Dominica13.351
6Dominican Rep.56.6%14.512210187882
7Grenada18.722
8Haiti33.2%9.713267
9Jamaica66.3%13.47771
10St Kitts & Nevis15.4
11St Lucia46.0%12.954
12St Vincent & Grenadines14.797
13Trinidad & Tobago0.054673.4%14.593126985
14Puerto Rico0.444577
The Caribbean Avg0.3268.0%14.280.7114477.578.0
World Avg0.8463.0%13.582.0138954.385.6
q=14. No data: 1647

Technology and Information:

Pos.Internet Users (2016)
Higher is better
48
Internet Freedom (2012)
Lower is better
49
IT Security (2013)
Lower is better
50
IPv6 Uptake (2017)
Higher is better

Ratio51
Digital Quality of Life (2024)
Higher is better
52
1Antigua & Barbuda65%0.0
2Bahamas85%0.0
3Barbados80%0.0
4Cuba32%860.0
5Dominica66%0.0
6Dominican Rep.52%1.143.4%
7Grenada39%0.0
8Haiti12%
9Jamaica43%0.038.9%
10St Kitts & Nevis66%0.6
11St Lucia59%0.0
12St Vincent & Grenadines60%0.0
13Trinidad & Tobago69%14.538.1%
14British Virgin Islands1.08
15Cayman Islands74%0.0
16Puerto Rico83%0.2
17US Virgin Islands54%0.0
18Aruba88%0.0
The Caribbean Avg60.4%86.01.081.0340.1%
World Avg48.1%46.70.983.8248.4%
q=18. No data: 1253

7. Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #suicide #vaccines

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and The Isle of Man54. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are S. Sudan, Angola and Nigeria54.

21 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, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Balkans54, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Melanesia54.

For more, see:

Health:

Pos.Life
Expectancy (2021)
Higher is better

Years3
Alcohol Consumption (2016)
Lower is better

Per Capita55
Fertility Rate (2022)
2.0 is best
11
Smoking Rates (2014)
Lower is better
56
Suicide Rate (2013)
Per 100k57
Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance (2017)
Lower is better

Rank24
Overweight Adults (2016)
Lower is better

%58
1Antigua & Barbuda78.57.01.58 36212448.0
2Bahamas71.64.41.38 3012.515564.4
3Barbados77.69.61.63 3337.310352.4
4Cuba73.76.11.451 39224.558.5
5Dominica72.88.21.5911160.3
6Dominican Rep.72.66.92.25 2454.68161.2
7Grenada74.99.31.99 224013351.4
8Haiti63.25.82.77 114011554.9
9Jamaica70.54.21.34 59314755.5
10St Kitts & Nevis71.79.41.5152.3
11St Lucia71.19.91.39 2324.915148.1
12St Vincent & Grenadines69.68.21.78 3387.316255.0
13Trinidad & Tobago73.08.41.61 9721.715246.0
14St Martin2.39
15British Virgin Islands1.02
16Turks & Caicos Islands1.66
17Puerto Rico0.90
18US Virgin Islands2.00
19Aruba1.18
20Curaço1.30
The Caribbean Avg72.377.51.63 3858.09130.454.5
World Avg71.286.22.47 81920.9382.049.0
q=20. No data: 1013

Children's Health:

Pos.Adolescent Birth Rate (2022)
Lower is better

Per 100059
Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 (2015)
Higher is better

Avg %60
1Antigua & Barbuda32.398.0
2Bahamas25.196.2
3Barbados41.992.1
4Cuba48.997.9
5Dominica37.997.1
6Dominican Rep.63.286.3
7Grenada32.195.2
8Haiti51.865.7
9Jamaica32.090.9
10St Kitts & Nevis36.896.3
11St Lucia36.398.2
12St Vincent & Grenadines46.597.2
13Trinidad & Tobago37.791.4
The Caribbean Avg40.292.5
World Avg43.888.3
q=13. No data: 1761

8. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

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

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)10
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank10
1Puerto Rico50.8
2Barbados51.7
3St Vincent & Grenadines54.2
4Dominica57.3
5Jamaica64.1
6Trinidad & Tobago66.2
7Bahamas66.6
8St Lucia69.9
9Dominican Rep.78.0
10St Kitts & Nevis79.1
...
12Antigua & Barbuda87.1
13Haiti111.9
14Cuba119.1
The Caribbean Avg74.41
World Avg86.55
q=14.

The best countries in The Caribbean at protecting human rights, engendering tolerance and supporting equality, are Puerto Rico, Barbados and St Vincent & Grenadines and the bloc as a whole does better than the global average. The worst countries are Cuba, Haiti and Antigua & Barbuda.

For full commentary and data, see:

9. Religion and Beliefs

#belief #buddhism #christianity #folk_religion #god #hinduism #human_development #islam #judaism #no_religion #religion #religiosity #secularisation

Pos.Religiosity (2018)
Lower is better

%43
Disbelief In God (2007)
Higher is better
%62
Jews (2010)
%63
Christians (2010)
%63
Muslims (2010)
%63
Hindus (2010)
%63
Buddhists (2010)
%63
Folk Religion (2010)
%63
Unaffiliated (2010)
%63
1Antigua & Barbuda0.193.00.60.20.13.61.7
2Bahamas0.196.00.10.10.10.33.1
3Barbados0.195.21.00.40.10.11.9
4Cuba400.159.20.10.20.117.423.0
5Dominica0.194.40.10.10.13.00.5
6Dominican Rep.7870.188.00.10.10.10.910.9
7Grenada0.196.60.30.70.11.31.0
8Haiti00.186.90.10.10.12.210.6
9Jamaica30.177.20.10.10.14.517.2
10St Kitts & Nevis0.194.60.31.50.11.31.6
11St Lucia0.191.10.10.30.10.56.0
12St Vincent & Grenadines0.188.71.53.40.12.02.5
13Trinidad & Tobago90.165.95.922.70.31.91.9
14Anguilla0.190.60.30.40.12.94.0
15British Virgin Islands0.184.51.21.20.18.43.9
16Cayman Islands0.883.50.40.90.14.59.4
17Montserrat0.193.50.10.10.10.24.8
18Turks & Caicos Islands0.192.10.10.10.12.74.6
19Puerto Rico770.196.70.10.10.30.81.9
20US Virgin Islands0.394.80.10.40.10.13.7
21Guadeloupe0.195.90.40.50.10.42.5
22Martinique0.196.50.20.20.10.22.3
23Aruba0.491.90.20.10.11.36.0
24Netherlands Antilles0.393.90.20.20.51.23.3
The Caribbean Avg77.511.80.289.20.61.40.12.65.3
World Avg54.39.90.560.622.42.03.52.77.9
q=24. No data: 664

Links: