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

Health

live 1.5 years longer

In Jamaica, the average life expectancy is 72 years (69 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024. In Tonga, that number is 73 years (70 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2024.

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have 2.2 times more doctors per person

Jamaica has 4.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Tonga has 10.1 as of 2021.

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be 2.1 times more likely to be obese

In Jamaica, 35.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Tonga, that number is 73.8% of people as of 2024.

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see 41.0% less spent on your healthcare

Jamaica spends $869 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Tonga spends $512 as of 2023.

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have 23.0% less access to essential health services

Jamaica scores 74 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Tonga scores 57 as of 2021.

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be 2.8 times more likely to die by suicide

Jamaica has a suicide rate of 1.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Tonga, it is 4.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 38.9% less likely to be unemployed

In Jamaica, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Tonga, that number is 2.0% as of 2025.

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be 2.6 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Jamaica, 7.8% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Tonga, however, that number is 20.6% as of 2021.

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make 18.2% less money

Jamaica has a GDP per capita of $8,003 as of 2025, while in Tonga, the GDP per capita is $6,547 as of 2025.

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Life

be 48.5% 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 Tonga, 67.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 52.4% 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 Tonga, on the other hand, 7.8 children do as of 2024.

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have 2.0 times more children

In Jamaica, there are approximately 11.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Tonga, there are 23.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 12.9% 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 Tonga, that number is 99% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 99% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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be 25.2% less likely to have internet access

In Jamaica, approximately 90.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Tonga, about 67.4% do as of 2024.

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Geography

see 59.0% less coastline

Jamaica has a total of 1,022 km of coastline. In Tonga, that number is 419 km.

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Safety

be 52.2% less likely to die in a road accident

In Jamaica, road accidents kill 17.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Tonga, they kill 8.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 48.9% less home broadband

Jamaica has 16.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Tonga has 8.2 as of 2022.

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Environment

emit 42.6% less CO2

Jamaica emits 2.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Tonga emits 1.6 tonnes as of 2024.

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

Tonga: At a glance

Tonga is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 717 sq km. Tonga - unique among Pacific nations - never completely lost its indigenous governance. The archipelagos of "The Friendly Islands" were united into a Polynesian kingdom in 1845. Tonga became a constitutional monarchy in 1875 and a British protectorate in 1900; it withdrew from the protectorate and joined the Commonwealth of Nations in 1970. Tonga remains the only monarchy in the Pacific.
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How big is Tonga compared to Jamaica? See an in-depth size comparison.

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