Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 16.7% more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Belize, 1.2% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Jamaica, that number is 1.4% of people as of 2020.

Economy

make 42.6% more money

Belize has a GDP per capita of $6,100 as of 2020, while in Jamaica, the GDP per capita is $8,700 as of 2020.

be 14.2% less likely to be unemployed

In Belize, 9.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2017. In Jamaica, that number is 7.7% as of 2019.

be 58.3% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Belize, 41.0% live below the poverty line as of 2013. In Jamaica, however, that number is 17.1% as of 2016.

Life

be 2.2 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Belize, approximately 36.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Jamaica, 80.0 women do as of 2017.

have 25.2% fewer children

In Belize, there are approximately 21.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Jamaica, there are 15.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022.

Expenditures

spend 31.6% less on education

Belize spends 7.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Jamaica spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

Geography

see 2.6 times more coastline

Belize has a total of 386 km of coastline. In Jamaica, that number is 1,022 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

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 Belize? See an in-depth size comparison.

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