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

Health

be 13.0% less likely to be obese

In Chile, 40.5% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Jamaica, that number is 35.2% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 78.0% less likely to die by suicide

Chile has a suicide rate of 7.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Jamaica, it is 1.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

be 57.1% more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Chile, 0.7% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Jamaica, that number is 1.1% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

live 9.8 years less

In Chile, the average life expectancy is 81 years (79 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2024. In Jamaica, that number is 72 years (69 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.

View global rankings →

see 76.0% less spent on your healthcare

Chile spends $3,612 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Jamaica spends $869 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

have 86.2% fewer doctors per person

Chile has 33.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Jamaica has 4.6 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Economy

be 63.3% less likely to be unemployed

In Chile, 9.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Jamaica, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.

View global rankings →

be 20.0% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Chile, 6.5% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Jamaica, however, that number is 7.8% as of 2024.

View global rankings →

make 55.5% less money

Chile has a GDP per capita of $17,995 as of 2025, while in Jamaica, the GDP per capita is $8,003 as of 2025.

View global rankings →

Life

have 31.3% more children

In Chile, there are approximately 8.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Jamaica, there are 11.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 13.0 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Chile, approximately 10.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Jamaica, 130.0 women do as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 2.8 times more likely to die during infancy

In Chile, approximately 5.8 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.

View global rankings →

Basic Needs

be 11.6% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Chile, approximately 99% of people have access to drinking water (100% in urban areas, and 94% 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.

View global rankings →

Expenditures

spend 27.8% less on healthcare

Chile spends 10.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Jamaica, that number is 7.6% of GDP as of 2023.

View global rankings →

spend 12.2% more on education

Chile spends 4.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Jamaica spends 5.5% of total GDP on education as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Geography

see 84.1% less coastline

Chile has a total of 6,435 km of coastline. In Jamaica, that number is 1,022 km.

View global rankings →

Safety

be 2.2 times more likely to feel safe walking alone at night

In Chile, 32% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2021. In Jamaica, that number is 70% as of 2019.

View global rankings →

be 7.8 times more likely to be murdered

Chile has a homicide rate of 6.3 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Jamaica, that number is 49.4 per 100,000 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 72.8% more likely to die in a road accident

In Chile, road accidents kill 10.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Jamaica, they kill 17.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

find 32.7% less home broadband

Chile has 23.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Jamaica has 16.0 as of 2024.

View global rankings →

live with 37.9% more strain on fresh water

Chile withdraws 9% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Jamaica withdraws 12% as of 2022.

View global rankings →

use 72.5% less electricity

Chile uses 4,373 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Jamaica uses 1,205 kWh as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Environment

emit 27.9% less CO2

Chile emits 3.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Jamaica emits 2.8 tonnes as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 22.2% more likely to die from air pollution

In Chile, air pollution causes 18.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Jamaica, it causes 22.0 as of 2019.

View global rankings →


Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), 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.
Read more

How big is Jamaica compared to Chile? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Jamaica or Chile. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.