Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Dominican Republic instead of Jamaica, you would:
Health
live 2.3 years longer
In Jamaica, the average life expectancy is 72 years (69 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024. In Dominican Republic, that number is 74 years (71 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2024.
be 12.6% less likely to be obese
In Jamaica, 35.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Dominican Republic, that number is 30.8% of people as of 2024.
see 34.6% more spent on your healthcare
Jamaica spends $869 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Dominican Republic spends $1,169 as of 2023.
have 5.3 times more doctors per person
Jamaica has 4.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Dominican Republic has 24.3 as of 2023.
be 2.5 times more likely to die by suicide
Jamaica has a suicide rate of 1.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Dominican Republic, it is 4.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 38.2% more money
Jamaica has a GDP per capita of $8,003 as of 2025, while in Dominican Republic, the GDP per capita is $11,059 as of 2025.
be 54.7% more likely to be unemployed
In Jamaica, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Dominican Republic, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.
be 2.2 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Jamaica, 7.8% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Dominican Republic, however, that number is 17.3% as of 2025.
Life
have 53.9% more children
In Jamaica, there are approximately 11.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Dominican Republic, there are 17.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 68.9% more 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 Dominican Republic, on the other hand, 27.7 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 11.3% 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 Dominican Republic, that number is 97% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 95% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 31.8% less on education
Jamaica spends 5.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Dominican Republic spends 3.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 39.5% less on healthcare
Jamaica spends 7.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Dominican Republic, that number is 4.6% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 26.0% more coastline
Jamaica has a total of 1,022 km of coastline. In Dominican Republic, that number is 1,288 km.
Safety
be 77.9% less likely to be murdered
Jamaica has a homicide rate of 49.4 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Dominican Republic, that number is 10.9 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 43.1% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Jamaica, 70% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2019. In Dominican Republic, that number is 40% as of 2022.
be 53.9% more likely to die in a road accident
In Jamaica, road accidents kill 17.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Dominican Republic, they kill 27.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
use 55.0% more electricity
Jamaica uses 1,205 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Dominican Republic uses 1,867 kWh as of 2023.
find 29.9% less home broadband
Jamaica has 16.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Dominican Republic has 11.2 as of 2024.
live with 3.2 times more strain on fresh water
Jamaica withdraws 12% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Dominican Republic withdraws 40% as of 2022.
Environment
be 22.7% more likely to die from air pollution
In Jamaica, air pollution causes 22.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Dominican Republic, it causes 27.0 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: Jamaica vs. Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic: At a glance
How big is Dominican Republic compared to Jamaica? See an in-depth size comparison.