Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Jamaica instead of France, you would:
Health
be 89.8% less likely to die by suicide
France has a suicide rate of 16.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Jamaica, it is 1.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 3.7 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In France, 0.3% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2023. In Jamaica, that number is 1.1% of people as of 2024.
live 11.4 years less
In France, the average life expectancy is 83 years (80 years for men, 86 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 3.1 times more likely to be obese
In France, 11.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Jamaica, that number is 35.2% of people as of 2024.
see 87.4% less spent on your healthcare
France spends $6,868 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Jamaica spends $869 as of 2023.
have 86.0% fewer doctors per person
France has 32.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Jamaica has 4.6 as of 2023.
have 12.9% less access to essential health services
France scores 85 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Jamaica scores 74 as of 2021.
Economy
be 56.4% less likely to be unemployed
In France, 7.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Jamaica, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.
be 50.0% less likely to live below the poverty line
In France, 15.6% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Jamaica, however, that number is 7.8% as of 2024.
make 83.7% less money
France has a GDP per capita of $48,986 as of 2025, while in Jamaica, the GDP per capita is $8,003 as of 2025.
Life
have 18.0% more children
In France, there are approximately 9.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Jamaica, there are 11.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 18.6 times more likely to die during childbirth
In France, approximately 7.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Jamaica, 130.0 women do as of 2023.
be 4.8 times more likely to die during infancy
In France, approximately 3.4 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.
Basic Needs
be 12.4% less likely to have access to drinking water
In France, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water (100% in urban areas, and 100% 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 34.1% less on healthcare
France spends 11.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Jamaica, that number is 7.6% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 78.9% less coastline
France has a total of 4,853 km of coastline. In Jamaica, that number is 1,022 km.
Safety
be 36.9 times more likely to be murdered
France has a homicide rate of 1.3 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Jamaica, that number is 49.4 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 15.1% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In France, 82% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2022. In Jamaica, that number is 70% as of 2019.
be 3.8 times more likely to die in a road accident
In France, road accidents kill 4.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Jamaica, they kill 17.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 42.1% less strain on fresh water
France withdraws 21% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Jamaica withdraws 12% as of 2022.
find 67.3% less home broadband
France has 48.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Jamaica has 16.0 as of 2024.
use 81.3% less electricity
France uses 6,447 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Jamaica uses 1,205 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 29.0% less CO2
France emits 4.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Jamaica emits 2.8 tonnes as of 2024.
be 2.2 times more likely to die from air pollution
In France, air pollution causes 10.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Jamaica, it causes 22.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: France vs. Jamaica
Jamaica: At a glance
How big is Jamaica compared to France? See an in-depth size comparison.