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

Health

be 44.6% less likely to die by suicide

Brunei has a suicide rate of 3.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Jamaica, it is 1.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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live 3.9 years less

In Brunei, the average life expectancy is 76 years (73 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 54.2% less spent on your healthcare

Brunei spends $1,896 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Jamaica spends $869 as of 2023.

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have 75.6% fewer doctors per person

Brunei has 18.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Jamaica has 4.6 as of 2023.

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Economy

be 37.7% less likely to be unemployed

In Brunei, 5.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Jamaica, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.

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make 75.2% less money

Brunei has a GDP per capita of $32,235 as of 2025, while in Jamaica, the GDP per capita is $8,003 as of 2025.

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Life

be 3.6 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Brunei, approximately 36.0 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 90.7% more likely to die during infancy

In Brunei, approximately 8.6 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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have 14.1% fewer children

In Brunei, there are approximately 13.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Jamaica, there are 11.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 12.4% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Brunei, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Jamaica, 88% of people do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 3.4 times more on healthcare

Brunei spends 2.2% 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 6.3 times more coastline

Brunei has a total of 161 km of coastline. In Jamaica, that number is 1,022 km.

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Safety

be 4.9 times more likely to die in a road accident

In Brunei, road accidents kill 3.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Jamaica, they kill 17.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 24.6% less home broadband

Brunei has 21.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Jamaica has 16.0 as of 2024.

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live with 3.6 times more strain on fresh water

Brunei withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Jamaica withdraws 12% as of 2022.

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use 88.7% less electricity

Brunei uses 10,674 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Jamaica uses 1,205 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

emit 86.0% less CO2

Brunei emits 20.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Jamaica emits 2.8 tonnes as of 2024.

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be 10.0% more likely to die from air pollution

In Brunei, air pollution causes 20.0 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), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook. 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 Brunei? See an in-depth size comparison.

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