If you lived in Norway instead of Jamaica, you would:

Health

be 90.9% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Jamaica, 1.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Norway, that number is 0.1% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

live 11.5 years longer

In Jamaica, the average life expectancy is 72 years (69 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024. In Norway, that number is 83 years (82 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 42.6% less likely to be obese

In Jamaica, 35.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Norway, that number is 20.2% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

see 11.0 times more spent on your healthcare

Jamaica spends $869 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Norway spends $9,523 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

have 10.8 times more doctors per person

Jamaica has 4.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Norway has 49.8 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

have 17.6% more access to essential health services

Jamaica scores 74 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Norway scores 87 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

be 7.8 times more likely to die by suicide

Jamaica has a suicide rate of 1.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Norway, it is 13.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Economy

make 11.8 times more money

Jamaica has a GDP per capita of $8,003 as of 2025, while in Norway, the GDP per capita is $94,594 as of 2025.

View global rankings →

be 41.0% more likely to be unemployed

In Jamaica, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Norway, that number is 4.6% as of 2025.

View global rankings →

be 56.4% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Jamaica, 7.8% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Norway, however, that number is 12.2% as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Life

be 99.2% 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 Norway, 1.0 women do as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 87.8% 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 Norway, on the other hand, 2.0 children do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

have 15.3% fewer children

In Jamaica, there are approximately 11.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Norway, there are 9.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Basic Needs

be 14.2% 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 Norway, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Expenditures

spend 24.1% more on healthcare

Jamaica spends 7.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Norway, that number is 9.4% of GDP as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Geography

see 24.6 times more coastline

Jamaica has a total of 1,022 km of coastline. In Norway, that number is 25,148 km.

View global rankings →

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 Norway, that number is 0.7 per 100,000 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 91.6% less likely to die in a road accident

In Jamaica, road accidents kill 17.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Norway, they kill 1.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

find 2.8 times more home broadband

Jamaica has 16.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Norway has 45.2 as of 2024.

View global rankings →

live with 83.5% less strain on fresh water

Jamaica withdraws 12% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Norway withdraws 2% as of 2022.

View global rankings →

use 19.7 times more electricity

Jamaica uses 1,205 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Norway uses 23,673 kWh as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Environment

be 63.6% less likely to die from air pollution

In Jamaica, air pollution causes 22.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Norway, it causes 8.0 as of 2019.

View global rankings →

emit 2.5 times more CO2

Jamaica emits 2.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Norway emits 7.2 tonnes as of 2024.

View global rankings →


Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

Norway: At a glance

Norway is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 304,282 sq km. Two centuries of Viking raids into Europe tapered off following the adoption of Christianity by King Olav TRYGGVASON in 994. Conversion of the Norwegian kingdom occurred over the next several decades. In 1397, Norway was absorbed into a union with Denmark that lasted more than four centuries. In 1814, Norwegians resisted the cession of their country to Sweden and adopted a new constitution. Sweden then invaded Norway but agreed to let Norway keep its constitution in return for accepting the union under a Swedish king. Rising nationalism throughout the 19th century led to a 1905 referendum granting Norway independence. Although Norway remained neutral in World War I, it suffered heavy losses to its shipping. Norway proclaimed its neutrality at the outset of World War II, but was nonetheless occupied for five years by Nazi Germany (1940-45). In 1949, neutrality was abandoned and Norway became a member of NATO. Discovery of oil and gas in adjacent waters in the late 1960s boosted Norway's economic fortunes. In referenda held in 1972 and 1994, Norway rejected joining the EU. Key domestic issues include immigration and integration of ethnic minorities, maintaining the country's extensive social safety net with an aging population, and preserving economic competitiveness.
Read more

How big is Norway compared to Jamaica? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Norway or Jamaica. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.