TRINIDAD and Tobago has the worst quality of life in the Caribbean, according to detailed studies by international agencies.Independent research conducted by the reputable institutions Numbeo and Statista has found that T&T is lagging with respect to crime, cost of living, healthcare, property prices and traffic issues.In the Caribbean, only civil war-ravaged Haiti has a worse crime rate than T&T, with an index of 77.9 compared to 70.8, the Numbeo tabulation stated.The violent crime rate in T&T was also identified by Statista as second in the Caribbean only to Haiti.The study found that the homicide rate in T&T was 37.6 per 100,000, compared to 40.9 in Haiti.That analysis included Latin America, where all countries, including Venezuela, Mexico, Brazil and Costa Rica, were deemed safer than T&T.The investigations also included burglaries and financial crime.T&T had the highest number of vehicle thefts in the Caribbean and a large number of robberies, Statista said.The number of robberies began climbing in 2019, but there was a decrease during the Covid-19 infection, “just to go up again in 2022,” Statista reported.The research said that homicides in T&T from 2018 to 2023, per 100,000, were 37.5, 37.4, 28.2, 32, 39.4 and 37.6 respectively.Except for 2020, the year when the Covid-19 pandemic was at its worst, homicide levels have been growing in T&T since 2014, the statistics firm said.The study stated that the high crime rates in the region caused government spending to surge, “called the cost of violence.” Generally, “the Caribbean stands as one of the most violent regions in the Americas, registering the worst murder rates in the continent,” Statista reported.Apart from violent crimes, there are “billions of dollars worth of tax evasions that would otherwise fund the coffers of some of the largest economies and emerging countries worldwide.”The report said that high unemployment and poorly financed education systems were causing the violent crime problem.T&T fared badly on all Numbeo’s metrics, including the cost of groceries and vegetables, transportation, utilities, clothing and shoes, mortgage rates, rent, and other essentials.The respective ranges showed T&T to be more expensive than most other Caribbean countries and other surveyed nations.Indices for purchasing power and safety were identified as low.The country also scored poorly on traffic commute time, property price to income, and healthcare.Random comparisons found that T&T placed worse than the rest of the region.For example, the quality of life index in Port of Spain was 74.32, in sharp contrast with 156.78 in Bridgetown, Barbados.Both agencies are highly reputable and their findings conform to other international bodies, which also measured levels of poverty and malnutrition.The United Nations Development Programme (UBNDP) previously reported on poverty and poor living conditions among children.The World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank have cited the crime scourge in the country and its impact on citizens’ lives and business activity.The United States and other developed countries have repeatedly issued Level 3 travel advisories to their citizens about travel to T&T.The US has cautioned its nationals: “Reconsider travel to Trinidad and Tobago due to crime.“Exercise increased caution in Trinidad and Tobago due to terrorism and kidnapping.”