If you lived in Jamaica instead of Bahamas, you would:

Health

be 27.1% less likely to be obese

In Bahamas, 48.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Jamaica, that number is 35.2% of people as of 2024.

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be 48.0% less likely to die by suicide

Bahamas has a suicide rate of 3.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Jamaica, it is 1.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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live 3.1 years less

In Bahamas, the average life expectancy is 75 years (71 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2024. In Jamaica, that number is 72 years (69 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 62.5% less spent on your healthcare

Bahamas spends $2,316 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Jamaica spends $869 as of 2023.

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Economy

be 64.3% less likely to be unemployed

In Bahamas, 9.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Jamaica, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.

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make 79.7% less money

Bahamas has a GDP per capita of $39,455 as of 2024, while in Jamaica, the GDP per capita is $8,003 as of 2025.

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Life

be 71.1% more likely to die during childbirth

In Bahamas, approximately 76.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Jamaica, 130.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 47.7% more likely to die during infancy

In Bahamas, approximately 11.1 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Jamaica, on the other hand, 16.4 children do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 2.0 times more on education

Bahamas spends 2.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Jamaica spends 5.5% of total GDP on education as of 2024.

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spend 20.6% more on healthcare

Bahamas spends 6.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Jamaica, that number is 7.6% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 71.1% less coastline

Bahamas has a total of 3,542 km of coastline. In Jamaica, that number is 1,022 km.

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Safety

be 53.5% more likely to be murdered

Bahamas has a homicide rate of 32.2 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In Jamaica, that number is 49.4 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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Infrastructure

find 36.8% less home broadband

Bahamas has 25.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Jamaica has 16.0 as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 22.0% less CO2

Bahamas emits 3.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Jamaica emits 2.8 tonnes as of 2024.

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be 2.2 times more likely to die from air pollution

In Bahamas, air pollution causes 10.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Jamaica, it causes 22.0 as of 2019.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators (2019). How we calculate this

Jamaica: At a glance

Jamaica is a sovereign country in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 10,831 sq km. The island - discovered by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1494 - was settled by the Spanish early in the 16th century. The native Taino, who had inhabited Jamaica for centuries, were gradually exterminated and replaced by African slaves. England seized the island in 1655 and established a plantation economy based on sugar, cocoa, and coffee. The abolition of slavery in 1834 freed a quarter million slaves, many of whom became small farmers. Jamaica gradually increased its independence from Britain. In 1958 it joined other British Caribbean colonies in forming the Federation of the West Indies. Jamaica gained full independence when it withdrew from the Federation in 1962. Deteriorating economic conditions during the 1970s led to recurrent violence as rival gangs affiliated with the major political parties evolved into powerful organized crime networks involved in international drug smuggling and money laundering. Violent crime, drug trafficking, and poverty pose significant challenges to the government today. Nonetheless, many rural and resort areas remain relatively safe and contribute substantially to the economy.
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How big is Jamaica compared to Bahamas? See an in-depth size comparison.

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