Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Guatemala 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 Guatemala, that number is 0.2% of people as of 2024.
live 1.1 years longer
In Jamaica, the average life expectancy is 72 years (69 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024. In Guatemala, that number is 73 years (70 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024.
be 20.5% less likely to be obese
In Jamaica, 35.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Guatemala, that number is 28.0% of people as of 2024.
have 2.8 times more doctors per person
Jamaica has 4.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Guatemala has 12.8 as of 2020.
have 20.3% less access to essential health services
Jamaica scores 74 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Guatemala scores 59 as of 2021.
be 2.9 times more likely to die by suicide
Jamaica has a suicide rate of 1.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Guatemala, it is 4.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 21.0% less likely to be unemployed
In Jamaica, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Guatemala, that number is 2.6% as of 2025.
be 7.2 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Jamaica, 7.8% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Guatemala, however, that number is 56.0% as of 2023.
make 17.6% less money
Jamaica has a GDP per capita of $8,003 as of 2025, while in Guatemala, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
Life
be 27.7% 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 Guatemala, 94.0 women do as of 2023.
have 80.1% more children
In Jamaica, there are approximately 11.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Guatemala, there are 20.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 33.2% less likely to have internet access
In Jamaica, approximately 90.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Guatemala, about 60.2% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 44.1% less on education
Jamaica spends 5.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Guatemala spends 3.1% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 10.5% less on healthcare
Jamaica spends 7.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Guatemala, that number is 6.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 60.9% less coastline
Jamaica has a total of 1,022 km of coastline. In Guatemala, that number is 400 km.
Safety
be 52.7% less likely to be murdered
Jamaica has a homicide rate of 49.4 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Guatemala, that number is 23.4 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 29.2% less likely to die in a road accident
In Jamaica, road accidents kill 17.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Guatemala, they kill 12.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 53.6% less strain on fresh water
Jamaica withdraws 12% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Guatemala withdraws 6% as of 2022.
find 66.6% less home broadband
Jamaica has 16.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Guatemala has 5.3 as of 2024.
use 39.1% less electricity
Jamaica uses 1,205 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Guatemala uses 733 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 60.9% less CO2
Jamaica emits 2.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Guatemala emits 1.1 tonnes as of 2024.
be 81.8% more likely to die from air pollution
In Jamaica, air pollution causes 22.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Guatemala, it causes 40.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Jamaica vs. Guatemala
Guatemala: At a glance
How big is Guatemala compared to Jamaica? See an in-depth size comparison.