Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Jamaica instead of Ethiopia, you would:
Health
live 4.0 years longer
In Ethiopia, the average life expectancy is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In Jamaica, that number is 72 years (69 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.
see 10.1 times more spent on your healthcare
Ethiopia spends $86 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Jamaica spends $869 as of 2023.
have 3.2 times more doctors per person
Ethiopia has 1.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Jamaica has 4.6 as of 2023.
have 2.1 times more access to essential health services
Ethiopia scores 35 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Jamaica scores 74 as of 2021.
be 72.2% less likely to die by suicide
Ethiopia has a suicide rate of 6.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Jamaica, it is 1.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 57.1% more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Ethiopia, 0.7% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Jamaica, that number is 1.1% of people as of 2024.
be 12.1 times more likely to be obese
In Ethiopia, 2.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Jamaica, that number is 35.2% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 76.4% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Ethiopia, 33.1% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Jamaica, however, that number is 7.8% as of 2024.
make 8.6 times more money
Ethiopia has a GDP per capita of $933 as of 2025, while in Jamaica, the GDP per capita is $8,003 as of 2025.
Life
be 33.3% less likely to die during childbirth
In Ethiopia, approximately 195.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Jamaica, 130.0 women do as of 2023.
be 52.5% less likely to die during infancy
In Ethiopia, approximately 34.5 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 63.6% fewer children
In Ethiopia, there are approximately 31.5 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 76.4% more likely to have access to electricity
In Ethiopia, approximately 55% of people have electricity access (95% in urban areas, and 44% 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 4.1 times more likely to have internet access
In Ethiopia, approximately 21.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Jamaica, about 90.1% do as of 2024.
be 57.5% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Ethiopia, approximately 56% of people have access to drinking water (83% in urban areas, and 47% 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.
Expenditures
spend 2.4 times more on education
Ethiopia spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Jamaica spends 5.5% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 2.7 times more on healthcare
Ethiopia spends 2.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Jamaica, that number is 7.6% of GDP as of 2023.
Infrastructure
find 27.1 times more home broadband
Ethiopia has 0.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Jamaica has 16.0 as of 2024.
live with 61.6% less strain on fresh water
Ethiopia withdraws 32% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Jamaica withdraws 12% as of 2022.
use 10.7 times more electricity
Ethiopia uses 113 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Jamaica uses 1,205 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 52.2% less likely to die from air pollution
In Ethiopia, air pollution causes 46.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Jamaica, it causes 22.0 as of 2019.
emit 18.9 times more CO2
Ethiopia emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Jamaica emits 2.8 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Ethiopia vs. Jamaica
Jamaica: At a glance
How big is Jamaica compared to Ethiopia? See an in-depth size comparison.