Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Uganda instead of Jamaica, you would:
Health
be 73.1% less likely to be obese
In Jamaica, 35.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Uganda, that number is 9.5% of people as of 2024.
be 4.5 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Jamaica, 1.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Uganda, that number is 4.9% of people as of 2024.
live 3.1 years less
In Jamaica, the average life expectancy is 72 years (69 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024. In Uganda, that number is 68 years (65 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.
see 84.0% less spent on your healthcare
Jamaica spends $869 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Uganda spends $139 as of 2023.
have 58.5% fewer doctors per person
Jamaica has 4.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Uganda has 1.9 as of 2022.
have 33.8% less access to essential health services
Jamaica scores 74 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Uganda scores 49 as of 2021.
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 Uganda, it is 5.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 16.4% less likely to be unemployed
In Jamaica, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Uganda, that number is 2.8% as of 2025.
be 2.1 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Jamaica, 7.8% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Uganda, however, that number is 16.1% as of 2023.
make 84.9% less money
Jamaica has a GDP per capita of $8,003 as of 2025, while in Uganda, the GDP per capita is $1,206 as of 2025.
Life
have 3.0 times more children
In Jamaica, there are approximately 11.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Uganda, there are 34.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 30.8% more 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 Uganda, 170.0 women do as of 2023.
be 2.2 times more 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 Uganda, on the other hand, 35.9 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 47.3% less likely to have access to electricity
In Jamaica, approximately 98% of people have electricity access (99% in urban areas, and 96% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Uganda, that number is 52% of people on average (76% in urban areas, and 42% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 90.1% less likely to have internet access
In Jamaica, approximately 90.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Uganda, about 8.9% do as of 2024.
be 28.0% less 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 Uganda, that number is 63% of people on average (80% in urban areas, and 57% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 53.5% less on education
Jamaica spends 5.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Uganda spends 2.6% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 44.2% less on healthcare
Jamaica spends 7.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Uganda, that number is 4.2% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 81.9% less likely to be murdered
Jamaica has a homicide rate of 49.4 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Uganda, that number is 9.0 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 10.1% less likely to die in a road accident
In Jamaica, road accidents kill 17.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Uganda, they kill 16.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 52.9% less strain on fresh water
Jamaica withdraws 12% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Uganda withdraws 6% as of 2022.
find 98.7% less home broadband
Jamaica has 16.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Uganda has 0.2 as of 2024.
use 92.1% less electricity
Jamaica uses 1,205 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Uganda uses 95 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 94.0% less CO2
Jamaica emits 2.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Uganda emits 0.2 tonnes as of 2024.
be 2.7 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Jamaica, air pollution causes 22.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Uganda, it causes 60.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Jamaica vs. Uganda
Uganda: At a glance
How big is Uganda compared to Jamaica? See an in-depth size comparison.