Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malaysia instead of Jamaica, you would:
Health
be 72.7% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Jamaica, 1.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 0.3% of people as of 2024.
live 5.2 years longer
In Jamaica, the average life expectancy is 72 years (69 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024.
be 33.7% less likely to be obese
In Jamaica, 35.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 23.3% of people as of 2024.
see 65.9% more spent on your healthcare
Jamaica spends $869 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malaysia spends $1,441 as of 2023.
have 5.1 times more doctors per person
Jamaica has 4.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Malaysia has 23.4 as of 2023.
be 3.3 times more likely to die by suicide
Jamaica has a suicide rate of 1.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malaysia, it is 5.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 34.6% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Jamaica, 7.8% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Malaysia, however, that number is 5.1% as of 2023.
make 64.0% more money
Jamaica has a GDP per capita of $8,003 as of 2025, while in Malaysia, the GDP per capita is $13,125 as of 2025.
be 14.3% more likely to be unemployed
In Jamaica, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malaysia, that number is 3.8% as of 2025.
Life
be 80.0% 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 Malaysia, 26.0 women do as of 2023.
be 57.3% 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 Malaysia, on the other hand, 7.0 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 11.9% 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 Malaysia, that number is 98% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 95% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 36.3% less on education
Jamaica spends 5.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Malaysia spends 3.5% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 47.9% less on healthcare
Jamaica spends 7.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Malaysia, that number is 4.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 4.6 times more coastline
Jamaica has a total of 1,022 km of coastline. In Malaysia, that number is 4,675 km.
Safety
be 98.5% less likely to be murdered
Jamaica has a homicide rate of 49.4 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Malaysia, that number is 0.7 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 30.0% more likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Jamaica, 70% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2019. In Malaysia, that number is 90% as of 2021.
be 21.9% less likely to die in a road accident
In Jamaica, road accidents kill 17.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malaysia, they kill 13.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 72.2% less strain on fresh water
Jamaica withdraws 12% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malaysia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
use 4.2 times more electricity
Jamaica uses 1,205 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Malaysia uses 5,084 kWh as of 2023.
find 15.2% less home broadband
Jamaica has 16.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Malaysia has 13.6 as of 2024.
Environment
be 2.9 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Jamaica, air pollution causes 22.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Malaysia, it causes 63.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.9 times more CO2
Jamaica emits 2.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Malaysia emits 8.3 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. Malaysia
Malaysia: At a glance
How big is Malaysia compared to Jamaica? See an in-depth size comparison.