Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Jamaica instead of Botswana, you would:
Health
be 93.0% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Botswana, 15.7% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Jamaica, that number is 1.1% of people as of 2024.
live 2.3 years longer
In Botswana, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Jamaica, that number is 72 years (69 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.
have 21.4% more doctors per person
Botswana has 3.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Jamaica has 4.6 as of 2023.
have 34.5% more access to essential health services
Botswana scores 55 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Jamaica scores 74 as of 2021.
be 79.8% less likely to die by suicide
Botswana has a suicide rate of 8.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Jamaica, it is 1.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 77.8% more likely to be obese
In Botswana, 19.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Jamaica, that number is 35.2% of people as of 2024.
see 33.7% less spent on your healthcare
Botswana spends $1,310 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Jamaica spends $869 as of 2023.
Economy
be 86.6% less likely to be unemployed
In Botswana, 24.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Jamaica, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.
Life
be 16.1% less likely to die during childbirth
In Botswana, approximately 155.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Jamaica, 130.0 women do as of 2023.
be 48.9% less likely to die during infancy
In Botswana, approximately 32.1 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.
have 53.0% fewer children
In Botswana, there are approximately 24.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Jamaica, there are 11.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 28.6% more likely to have access to electricity
In Botswana, approximately 76% of people have electricity access (98% in urban areas, and 25% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Jamaica, that number is 98% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 96% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 56.8% more likely to have internet access
In Botswana, approximately 57.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Jamaica, about 90.1% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 21.4% more on healthcare
Botswana spends 6.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Jamaica, that number is 7.6% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 4.3 times more likely to be murdered
Botswana has a homicide rate of 11.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Jamaica, that number is 49.4 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Infrastructure
find 2.1 times more home broadband
Botswana has 7.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Jamaica has 16.0 as of 2024.
live with 5.6 times more strain on fresh water
Botswana withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Jamaica withdraws 12% as of 2022.
use 26.6% less electricity
Botswana uses 1,641 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Jamaica uses 1,205 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 60.0% less likely to die from air pollution
In Botswana, air pollution causes 55.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Jamaica, it causes 22.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Botswana vs. Jamaica
Jamaica: At a glance
How big is Jamaica compared to Botswana? See an in-depth size comparison.