Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Nicaragua instead of Jamaica, you would:
Health
live 3.5 years longer
In Jamaica, the average life expectancy is 72 years (69 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024. In Nicaragua, that number is 75 years (72 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2024.
see 20.7% less spent on your healthcare
Jamaica spends $869 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Nicaragua spends $689 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 Nicaragua, it is 4.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 53.2% more likely to be unemployed
In Jamaica, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Nicaragua, that number is 5.0% as of 2025.
make 60.3% less money
Jamaica has a GDP per capita of $8,003 as of 2025, while in Nicaragua, the GDP per capita is $3,173 as of 2025.
Life
be 53.8% 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 Nicaragua, 60.0 women do as of 2023.
be 42.7% 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 Nicaragua, on the other hand, 9.4 children do as of 2024.
have 67.2% more children
In Jamaica, there are approximately 11.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Nicaragua, there are 19.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 31.9% less likely to have internet access
In Jamaica, approximately 90.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Nicaragua, about 61.4% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 47.9% less on education
Jamaica spends 5.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Nicaragua spends 2.9% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Geography
see 11.0% less coastline
Jamaica has a total of 1,022 km of coastline. In Nicaragua, that number is 910 km.
Safety
be 77.0% less likely to be murdered
Jamaica has a homicide rate of 49.4 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Nicaragua, that number is 11.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 23.6% less likely to die in a road accident
In Jamaica, road accidents kill 17.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Nicaragua, they kill 13.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 82.1% less strain on fresh water
Jamaica withdraws 12% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Nicaragua withdraws 2% as of 2022.
find 63.8% less home broadband
Jamaica has 16.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Nicaragua has 5.8 as of 2024.
use 46.8% less electricity
Jamaica uses 1,205 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Nicaragua uses 641 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 70.8% less CO2
Jamaica emits 2.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Nicaragua emits 0.8 tonnes as of 2024.
be 72.7% more likely to die from air pollution
In Jamaica, air pollution causes 22.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Nicaragua, it causes 38.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Jamaica vs. Nicaragua
Nicaragua: At a glance
How big is Nicaragua compared to Jamaica? See an in-depth size comparison.