Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Belgium instead of Jamaica, you would:
Health
be 81.8% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Jamaica, 1.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Belgium, that number is 0.2% of people as of 2024.
live 10.7 years longer
In Jamaica, the average life expectancy is 72 years (69 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024. In Belgium, that number is 82 years (80 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024.
be 40.8% less likely to be obese
In Jamaica, 35.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Belgium, that number is 20.9% of people as of 2024.
see 8.6 times more spent on your healthcare
Jamaica spends $869 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Belgium spends $7,489 as of 2023.
have 7.8 times more doctors per person
Jamaica has 4.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Belgium has 35.7 as of 2022.
have 16.2% more access to essential health services
Jamaica scores 74 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Belgium scores 86 as of 2021.
be 10.9 times more likely to die by suicide
Jamaica has a suicide rate of 1.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Belgium, it is 18.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 7.6 times more money
Jamaica has a GDP per capita of $8,003 as of 2025, while in Belgium, the GDP per capita is $60,750 as of 2025.
be 79.6% more likely to be unemployed
In Jamaica, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Belgium, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
be 57.7% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Jamaica, 7.8% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Belgium, however, that number is 12.3% as of 2022.
Life
be 96.9% less likely to die during childbirth
In Jamaica, approximately 130.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Belgium, 4.0 women do as of 2023.
be 81.1% less likely to die during infancy
In Jamaica, approximately 16.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Belgium, on the other hand, 3.1 children do as of 2024.
have 19.7% fewer children
In Jamaica, there are approximately 11.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Belgium, there are 9.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 14.2% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Jamaica, approximately 88% of people have access to drinking water (90% in urban areas, and 84% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Belgium, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 14.0% more on education
Jamaica spends 5.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Belgium spends 6.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 42.1% more on healthcare
Jamaica spends 7.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Belgium, that number is 10.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 93.5% less coastline
Jamaica has a total of 1,022 km of coastline. In Belgium, that number is 66 km.
Safety
be 97.8% less likely to be murdered
Jamaica has a homicide rate of 49.4 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Belgium, that number is 1.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 74.2% less likely to die in a road accident
In Jamaica, road accidents kill 17.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Belgium, they kill 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 11.2% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Jamaica, 70% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2019. In Belgium, that number is 62% as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 2.8 times more home broadband
Jamaica has 16.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Belgium has 44.2 as of 2024.
use 5.9 times more electricity
Jamaica uses 1,205 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Belgium uses 7,099 kWh as of 2024.
live with 4.3 times more strain on fresh water
Jamaica withdraws 12% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Belgium withdraws 53% as of 2022.
Environment
be 31.8% less likely to die from air pollution
In Jamaica, air pollution causes 22.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Belgium, it causes 15.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.6 times more CO2
Jamaica emits 2.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Belgium emits 7.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Jamaica vs. Belgium
Belgium: At a glance
How big is Belgium compared to Jamaica? See an in-depth size comparison.