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

Health

have 21.3% more access to essential health services

Maldives scores 61 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Jamaica scores 74 as of 2021.

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be 11.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Maldives, 0.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Jamaica, that number is 1.1% of people as of 2024.

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live 9.7 years less

In Maldives, the average life expectancy is 81 years (80 years for men, 83 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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be 97.0% more likely to be obese

In Maldives, 17.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Jamaica, that number is 35.2% of people as of 2024.

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see 62.0% less spent on your healthcare

Maldives spends $2,288 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Jamaica spends $869 as of 2023.

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be 15.0% more likely to die by suicide

Maldives has a suicide rate of 1.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Jamaica, it is 1.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 27.1% less likely to be unemployed

In Maldives, 4.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Jamaica, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.

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make 45.2% less money

Maldives has a GDP per capita of $14,615 as of 2025, while in Jamaica, the GDP per capita is $8,003 as of 2025.

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Life

be 4.1 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Maldives, approximately 32.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Jamaica, 130.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 3.5 times more likely to die during infancy

In Maldives, approximately 4.7 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.

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Basic Needs

be 12.2% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Maldives, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Jamaica, that number is 88% of people on average (90% in urban areas, and 84% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 17.8% less on healthcare

Maldives spends 9.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Jamaica, that number is 7.6% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 58.7% more coastline

Maldives has a total of 644 km of coastline. In Jamaica, that number is 1,022 km.

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Safety

be 13.7 times more likely to die in a road accident

In Maldives, road accidents kill 1.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Jamaica, they kill 17.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

live with 21.0% less strain on fresh water

Maldives withdraws 16% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Jamaica withdraws 12% as of 2022.

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find 18.7% less home broadband

Maldives has 19.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Jamaica has 16.0 as of 2024.

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Environment

be 24.1% less likely to die from air pollution

In Maldives, air pollution causes 29.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Jamaica, it causes 22.0 as of 2019.

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emit 20.4% less CO2

Maldives emits 3.6 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 (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

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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