Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 82.7% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Malawi, 8.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Jamaica, that number is 1.4% of people as of 2020.

live 3.3 years longer

In Malawi, the average life expectancy is 72 years (69 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022. In Jamaica, that number is 76 years (74 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2022.

be 4.3 times more likely to be obese

In Malawi, 5.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Jamaica, that number is 24.7% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 5.8 times more money

Malawi has a GDP per capita of $1,500 as of 2020, while in Jamaica, the GDP per capita is $8,700 as of 2020.

be 62.2% less likely to be unemployed

In Malawi, 20.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2013. In Jamaica, that number is 7.7% as of 2019.

be 66.8% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Malawi, 51.5% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Jamaica, however, that number is 17.1% as of 2016.

pay a 16.7% lower top tax rate

Malawi has a top tax rate of 30.0% as of 2016. In Jamaica, the top tax rate is 25.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 77.1% less likely to die during childbirth

In Malawi, approximately 349.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Jamaica, 80.0 women do as of 2017.

be 42.8% more likely to be literate

In Malawi, the literacy rate is 62.1% as of 2015. In Jamaica, it is 88.7% as of 2015.

be 66.6% less likely to die during infancy

In Malawi, approximately 33.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Jamaica, on the other hand, 11.2 children do as of 2022.

have 43.1% fewer children

In Malawi, there are approximately 27.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Jamaica, there are 15.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 7.6 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Malawi, approximately 13% of people have electricity access (55% in urban areas, and 5% in rural areas) as of 2019. In Jamaica, that number is 99% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 97% in rural areas) as of 2019.

be 3.9 times more likely to have internet access

In Malawi, approximately 14.0% of the population has internet access as of 2019. In Jamaica, about 55.0% do as of 2019.

Expenditures

spend 17.6% less on healthcare

Malawi spends 7.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In Jamaica, that number is 6.1% of GDP as of 2019.

spend 86.2% more on education

Malawi spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Jamaica spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Malawi Revenue Authority, The World Factbook, Tax Admministration of Jamaica.

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 Malawi? See an in-depth size comparison.

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