Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 11.7 years less

In Macau, the average life expectancy is 83 years (81 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2024. In Jamaica, that number is 72 years (69 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.

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Economy

be 40.0% more likely to be unemployed

In Macau, 2.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Jamaica, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.

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make 89.5% less money

Macau has a GDP per capita of $75,902 as of 2025, while in Jamaica, the GDP per capita is $8,003 as of 2025.

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Life

have 2.2 times more children

In Macau, there are approximately 5.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Jamaica, there are 11.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 3.6 times more likely to die during infancy

In Macau, approximately 4.6 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Jamaica, on the other hand, 16.4 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 12.4% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Macau, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Jamaica, 88% of people do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 57.4% more on education

Macau spends 3.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Jamaica spends 5.5% of total GDP on education as of 2024.

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Geography

see 24.9 times more coastline

Macau has a total of 41 km of coastline. In Jamaica, that number is 1,022 km.

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Safety

be 88.3 times more likely to be murdered

Macau has a homicide rate of 0.6 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Jamaica, that number is 49.4 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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Infrastructure

find 46.5% less home broadband

Macau has 29.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Jamaica has 16.0 as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 12.3% more CO2

Macau emits 2.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Jamaica emits 2.8 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2023–2025), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this

Compare further: Macau vs. Jamaica

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Jamaica is 15.5% cheaper than Macau overall
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Size Comparison · See true size
Macau is about 390 times smaller than Jamaica.
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Moving from Macau to Jamaica · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
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Jamaica: At a glance

Jamaica is a sovereign country in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 10,831 sq km. The island - discovered by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1494 - was settled by the Spanish early in the 16th century. The native Taino, who had inhabited Jamaica for centuries, were gradually exterminated and replaced by African slaves. England seized the island in 1655 and established a plantation economy based on sugar, cocoa, and coffee. The abolition of slavery in 1834 freed a quarter million slaves, many of whom became small farmers. Jamaica gradually increased its independence from Britain. In 1958 it joined other British Caribbean colonies in forming the Federation of the West Indies. Jamaica gained full independence when it withdrew from the Federation in 1962. Deteriorating economic conditions during the 1970s led to recurrent violence as rival gangs affiliated with the major political parties evolved into powerful organized crime networks involved in international drug smuggling and money laundering. Violent crime, drug trafficking, and poverty pose significant challenges to the government today. Nonetheless, many rural and resort areas remain relatively safe and contribute substantially to the economy.
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How big is Jamaica compared to Macau? See an in-depth size comparison.

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