Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Jamaica instead of China, you would:
Health
be 81.1% less likely to die by suicide
China has a suicide rate of 8.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Jamaica, it is 1.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 6.4 years less
In China, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 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 3.8 times more likely to be obese
In China, 9.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Jamaica, that number is 35.2% of people as of 2024.
see 41.6% less spent on your healthcare
China spends $1,487 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Jamaica spends $869 as of 2023.
have 85.2% fewer doctors per person
China has 31.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Jamaica has 4.6 as of 2023.
Economy
be 28.8% less likely to be unemployed
In China, 4.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Jamaica, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.
make 42.3% less money
China has a GDP per capita of $13,862 as of 2025, while in Jamaica, the GDP per capita is $8,003 as of 2025.
Life
have 69.1% more children
In China, there are approximately 6.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Jamaica, there are 11.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 8.1 times more likely to die during childbirth
In China, approximately 16.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Jamaica, 130.0 women do as of 2023.
be 4.0 times more likely to die during infancy
In China, approximately 4.1 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.
Expenditures
spend 41.3% more on education
China spends 3.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Jamaica spends 5.5% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 27.9% more on healthcare
China spends 5.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Jamaica, that number is 7.6% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 93.0% less coastline
China has a total of 14,500 km of coastline. In Jamaica, that number is 1,022 km.
Safety
be 98.9 times more likely to be murdered
China has a homicide rate of 0.5 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Jamaica, that number is 49.4 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 23.9% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In China, 91% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2020. In Jamaica, that number is 70% as of 2019.
Infrastructure
live with 70.2% less strain on fresh water
China withdraws 42% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Jamaica withdraws 12% as of 2022.
find 66.1% less home broadband
China has 47.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Jamaica has 16.0 as of 2024.
use 81.5% less electricity
China uses 6,524 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Jamaica uses 1,205 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 65.6% less likely to die from air pollution
In China, air pollution causes 64.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Jamaica, it causes 22.0 as of 2019.
emit 69.5% less CO2
China emits 9.3 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 (2019–2020), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: China vs. Jamaica
Jamaica: At a glance
How big is Jamaica compared to China? See an in-depth size comparison.