Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Jamaica instead of Bhutan, you would:
Health
see 28.4% more spent on your healthcare
Bhutan spends $677 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Jamaica spends $869 as of 2023.
have 23.3% more access to essential health services
Bhutan scores 60 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Jamaica scores 74 as of 2021.
be 65.5% less likely to die by suicide
Bhutan has a suicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Jamaica, it is 1.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 5.5 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Bhutan, 0.2% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Jamaica, that number is 1.1% of people as of 2024.
live 1.7 years less
In Bhutan, the average life expectancy is 73 years (72 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024. In Jamaica, that number is 72 years (69 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.
be 2.7 times more likely to be obese
In Bhutan, 13.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Jamaica, that number is 35.2% of people as of 2024.
have 16.8% fewer doctors per person
Bhutan has 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Jamaica has 4.6 as of 2023.
Economy
be 37.1% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Bhutan, 12.4% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Jamaica, however, that number is 7.8% as of 2024.
make 78.1% more money
Bhutan has a GDP per capita of $4,493 as of 2025, while in Jamaica, the GDP per capita is $8,003 as of 2025.
Life
be 2.8 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Bhutan, approximately 47.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Jamaica, 130.0 women do as of 2023.
be 19.7% more likely to die during infancy
In Bhutan, approximately 13.7 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.
Basic Needs
be 12.0% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Bhutan, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water (100% in urban areas, and 99% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Jamaica, that number is 88% of people on average (90% in urban areas, and 84% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 71.9% more on healthcare
Bhutan spends 4.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Jamaica, that number is 7.6% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 20.0 times more likely to be murdered
Bhutan has a homicide rate of 2.5 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Jamaica, that number is 49.4 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 45.9% more likely to die in a road accident
In Bhutan, road accidents kill 12.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Jamaica, they kill 17.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 5.5 times more home broadband
Bhutan has 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Jamaica has 16.0 as of 2024.
live with 8.8 times more strain on fresh water
Bhutan withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Jamaica withdraws 12% as of 2022.
Environment
be 61.4% less likely to die from air pollution
In Bhutan, air pollution causes 57.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Jamaica, it causes 22.0 as of 2019.
emit 41.3% more CO2
Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Jamaica emits 2.8 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Bhutan vs. Jamaica
Jamaica: At a glance
How big is Jamaica compared to Bhutan? See an in-depth size comparison.