Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zambia instead of Jamaica, you would:
Health
be 67.1% less likely to be obese
In Jamaica, 35.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 11.6% of people as of 2024.
be 8.5 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Jamaica, 1.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 9.4% of people as of 2024.
live 5.1 years less
In Jamaica, the average life expectancy is 72 years (69 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 67 years (64 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024.
see 71.9% less spent on your healthcare
Jamaica spends $869 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zambia spends $244 as of 2023.
have 29.6% fewer doctors per person
Jamaica has 4.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Zambia has 3.2 as of 2022.
have 24.3% less access to essential health services
Jamaica scores 74 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Zambia scores 56 as of 2021.
be 4.2 times more likely to die by suicide
Jamaica has a suicide rate of 1.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Zambia, it is 7.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 79.9% more likely to be unemployed
In Jamaica, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Zambia, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
be 7.7 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Jamaica, 7.8% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Zambia, however, that number is 60.0% as of 2022.
make 83.5% less money
Jamaica has a GDP per capita of $8,003 as of 2025, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $1,318 as of 2025.
Life
be 34.6% 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 Zambia, 85.0 women do as of 2023.
have 2.9 times more children
In Jamaica, there are approximately 11.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Zambia, there are 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 2.1 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 Zambia, on the other hand, 34.6 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 47.7% 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 Zambia, that number is 51% of people on average (90% in urban areas, and 18% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 81.0% less likely to have internet access
In Jamaica, approximately 90.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Zambia, about 17.1% do as of 2024.
be 16.2% 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 Zambia, that number is 73% of people on average (90% in urban areas, and 58% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 26.1% less on education
Jamaica spends 5.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Zambia spends 4.1% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 21.3% less on healthcare
Jamaica spends 7.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Zambia, that number is 6.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Infrastructure
live with 77.1% less strain on fresh water
Jamaica withdraws 12% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zambia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
find 95.1% less home broadband
Jamaica has 16.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Zambia has 0.8 as of 2024.
use 39.7% less electricity
Jamaica uses 1,205 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Zambia uses 727 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 81.0% less CO2
Jamaica emits 2.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Zambia emits 0.5 tonnes as of 2024.
be 2.3 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Jamaica, air pollution causes 22.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Zambia, it causes 50.0 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. Zambia
Zambia: At a glance
How big is Zambia compared to Jamaica? See an in-depth size comparison.