Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United States instead of Jamaica, you would:
Health
live 7.3 years longer
In Jamaica, the average life expectancy is 72 years (69 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024. In United States, that number is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.
see 15.5 times more spent on your healthcare
Jamaica spends $869 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United States spends $13,473 as of 2023.
have 8.0 times more doctors per person
Jamaica has 4.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. United States has 36.8 as of 2022.
have 16.2% more access to essential health services
Jamaica scores 74 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. United States scores 86 as of 2021.
be 16.4% more likely to be obese
In Jamaica, 35.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United States, that number is 41.0% of people as of 2024.
be 9.2 times more likely to die by suicide
Jamaica has a suicide rate of 1.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United States, it is 15.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 11.2 times more money
Jamaica has a GDP per capita of $8,003 as of 2025, while in United States, the GDP per capita is $90,027 as of 2025.
be 27.7% more likely to be unemployed
In Jamaica, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United States, that number is 4.2% as of 2025.
Life
be 86.9% 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 United States, 17.0 women do as of 2023.
be 66.5% 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 United States, on the other hand, 5.5 children do as of 2024.
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 United States, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.2 times more on healthcare
Jamaica spends 7.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In United States, that number is 16.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 19.5 times more coastline
Jamaica has a total of 1,022 km of coastline. In United States, that number is 19,924 km.
Safety
be 88.3% less likely to be murdered
Jamaica has a homicide rate of 49.4 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In United States, that number is 5.8 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 20.2% less likely to die in a road accident
In Jamaica, road accidents kill 17.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In United States, they kill 14.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 2.4 times more home broadband
Jamaica has 16.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. United States has 38.9 as of 2024.
use 10.7 times more electricity
Jamaica uses 1,205 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. United States uses 12,839 kWh as of 2024.
live with 2.3 times more strain on fresh water
Jamaica withdraws 12% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United States withdraws 28% as of 2022.
Environment
be 36.4% less likely to die from air pollution
In Jamaica, air pollution causes 22.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United States, it causes 14.0 as of 2019.
emit 4.8 times more CO2
Jamaica emits 2.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United States emits 13.6 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. United States
United States: At a glance
How big is United States compared to Jamaica? See an in-depth size comparison.