Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Lesotho instead of Jamaica, you would:
Health
be 32.8% less likely to be obese
In Jamaica, 24.7% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Lesotho, that number is 16.6% of people as of 2016.
be 15.1 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Jamaica, 1.4% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Lesotho, that number is 21.1% of people as of 2020.
live 16.2 years less
In Jamaica, the average life expectancy is 76 years (74 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2022. In Lesotho, that number is 60 years (58 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2022.
Economy
make 73.6% less money
Jamaica has a GDP per capita of $8,700 as of 2020, while in Lesotho, the GDP per capita is $2,300 as of 2020.
be 3.6 times more likely to be unemployed
In Jamaica, 7.7% of adults are unemployed as of 2019. In Lesotho, that number is 28.1% as of 2014.
be 2.9 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Jamaica, 17.1% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Lesotho, however, that number is 49.7% as of 2017.
pay a 20.0% higher top tax rate
Jamaica has a top tax rate of 25.0% as of 2016. In Lesotho, the top tax rate is 30.0% as of 2016.
Life
have 45.5% more children
In Jamaica, there are approximately 15.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Lesotho, there are 23.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022.
be 6.8 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Jamaica, approximately 80.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Lesotho, 544.0 women do as of 2017.
be 10.5% less likely to be literate
In Jamaica, the literacy rate is 88.7% as of 2015. In Lesotho, it is 79.4% as of 2015.
be 4.3 times more likely to die during infancy
In Jamaica, approximately 11.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Lesotho, on the other hand, 48.4 children do as of 2022.
Basic Needs
be 63.6% less likely to have access to electricity
In Jamaica, approximately 99% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 97% in rural areas) as of 2019. In Lesotho, that number is 36% of people on average (63% in urban areas, and 26% in rural areas) as of 2019.
be 21.8% less likely to have internet access
In Jamaica, approximately 55.0% of the population has internet access as of 2019. In Lesotho, about 43.0% do as of 2020.
be 14.3% less likely to have access to improved drinking water
In Jamaica, approximately 96% of people have improved drinking water access (98% in urban areas, and 94% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Lesotho, that number is 83% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 77% in rural areas) as of 2020.
Expenditures
spend 37.0% more on education
Jamaica spends 5.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Lesotho spends 7.4% of total GDP on education as of 2020.
spend 85.2% more on healthcare
Jamaica spends 6.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In Lesotho, that number is 11.3% of GDP as of 2019.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance, Tax Admministration of Jamaica.
Lesotho: At a glance
How big is Lesotho compared to Jamaica? See an in-depth size comparison.