If you lived in Jamaica instead of Cabo Verde, you would:

Health

see 40.9% more spent on your healthcare

Cabo Verde spends $617 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Jamaica spends $869 as of 2023.

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be 88.7% less likely to die by suicide

Cabo Verde has a suicide rate of 14.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Jamaica, it is 1.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 22.2% more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Cabo Verde, 0.9% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Jamaica, that number is 1.1% of people as of 2024.

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live 4.6 years less

In Cabo Verde, the average life expectancy is 76 years (73 years for men, 79 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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be 2.1 times more likely to be obese

In Cabo Verde, 16.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Jamaica, that number is 35.2% of people as of 2024.

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have 37.0% fewer doctors per person

Cabo Verde has 7.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Jamaica has 4.6 as of 2023.

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Economy

be 72.4% less likely to be unemployed

In Cabo Verde, 11.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Jamaica, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.

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be 68.5% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Cabo Verde, 24.8% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Jamaica, however, that number is 7.8% as of 2024.

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make 38.1% more money

Cabo Verde has a GDP per capita of $5,796 as of 2025, while in Jamaica, the GDP per capita is $8,003 as of 2025.

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Life

be 3.2 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Cabo Verde, approximately 40.0 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 54.7% more likely to die during infancy

In Cabo Verde, approximately 10.6 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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Basic Needs

be 20.6% more likely to have internet access

In Cabo Verde, approximately 74.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Jamaica, about 90.1% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 26.7% more on education

Cabo Verde spends 4.3% 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 29.9% more on healthcare

Cabo Verde spends 5.8% 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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Safety

be 34.6% more likely to feel safe walking alone at night

In Cabo Verde, 52% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2016. In Jamaica, that number is 70% as of 2019.

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be 7.1 times more likely to be murdered

Cabo Verde has a homicide rate of 7.0 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Jamaica, that number is 49.4 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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Infrastructure

find 92.3% more home broadband

Cabo Verde has 8.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Jamaica has 16.0 as of 2024.

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live with 79.3% less strain on fresh water

Cabo Verde withdraws 60% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Jamaica withdraws 12% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 62.7% less likely to die from air pollution

In Cabo Verde, air pollution causes 59.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Jamaica, it causes 22.0 as of 2019.

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emit 2.2 times more CO2

Cabo Verde emits 1.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Jamaica emits 2.8 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2016–2019), World Health Organization (2024). 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 Cabo Verde? See an in-depth size comparison.

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