Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Jamaica instead of Laos, you would:
Health
live 2.4 years longer
In Laos, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Jamaica, that number is 72 years (69 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.
see 7.0 times more spent on your healthcare
Laos spends $123 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Jamaica spends $869 as of 2023.
have 39.0% more doctors per person
Laos has 3.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Jamaica has 4.6 as of 2023.
have 42.3% more access to essential health services
Laos scores 52 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Jamaica scores 74 as of 2021.
be 63.1% less likely to die by suicide
Laos has a suicide rate of 4.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Jamaica, it is 1.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 2.8 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Laos, 0.4% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Jamaica, that number is 1.1% of people as of 2024.
be 3.8 times more likely to be obese
In Laos, 9.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Jamaica, that number is 35.2% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 48.0% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Laos, 15.0% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Jamaica, however, that number is 7.8% as of 2024.
make 3.4 times more money
Laos has a GDP per capita of $2,325 as of 2025, while in Jamaica, the GDP per capita is $8,003 as of 2025.
be 2.8 times more likely to be unemployed
In Laos, 1.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Jamaica, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.
Life
be 39.7% less likely to die during infancy
In Laos, approximately 27.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Jamaica, on the other hand, 16.4 children do as of 2024.
be 16.1% more likely to die during childbirth
In Laos, approximately 112.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Jamaica, 130.0 women do as of 2023.
have 45.3% fewer children
In Laos, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Jamaica, there are 11.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 37.4% more likely to have internet access
In Laos, approximately 65.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Jamaica, about 90.1% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 4.5 times more on education
Laos spends 1.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Jamaica spends 5.5% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 5.7 times more on healthcare
Laos spends 1.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Jamaica, that number is 7.6% of GDP as of 2023.
Infrastructure
find 5.9 times more home broadband
Laos has 2.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Jamaica has 16.0 as of 2024.
live with 2.6 times more strain on fresh water
Laos withdraws 5% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Jamaica withdraws 12% as of 2022.
use 27.6% less electricity
Laos uses 1,665 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Jamaica uses 1,205 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 68.1% less likely to die from air pollution
In Laos, air pollution causes 69.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Jamaica, it causes 22.0 as of 2019.
emit 15.2% less CO2
Laos emits 3.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Jamaica emits 2.8 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Laos vs. Jamaica
Jamaica: At a glance
How big is Jamaica compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.