Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Jamaica instead of Mexico, you would:
Health
be 75.7% less likely to die by suicide
Mexico has a suicide rate of 7.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Jamaica, it is 1.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 2.2 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Mexico, 0.5% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Jamaica, that number is 1.1% of people as of 2024.
live 3.7 years less
In Mexico, the average life expectancy is 75 years (72 years for men, 78 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 36.5% less spent on your healthcare
Mexico spends $1,368 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Jamaica spends $869 as of 2023.
have 82.2% fewer doctors per person
Mexico has 25.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Jamaica has 4.6 as of 2023.
Economy
be 73.6% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Mexico, 29.6% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Jamaica, however, that number is 7.8% as of 2024.
be 23.2% more likely to be unemployed
In Mexico, 2.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Jamaica, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.
make 42.4% less money
Mexico has a GDP per capita of $13,889 as of 2025, while in Jamaica, the GDP per capita is $8,003 as of 2025.
Life
be 3.1 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Mexico, approximately 42.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Jamaica, 130.0 women do as of 2023.
be 35.5% more likely to die during infancy
In Mexico, approximately 12.1 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.
have 25.9% fewer children
In Mexico, there are approximately 15.5 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 12.0% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Mexico, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water (100% in urban areas, and 97% 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.
Expenditures
spend 35.7% more on education
Mexico spends 4.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Jamaica spends 5.5% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 38.2% more on healthcare
Mexico spends 5.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Jamaica, that number is 7.6% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 89.0% less coastline
Mexico has a total of 9,330 km of coastline. In Jamaica, that number is 1,022 km.
Safety
be 80.7% more likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Mexico, 39% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2022. In Jamaica, that number is 70% as of 2019.
be 98.9% more likely to be murdered
Mexico has a homicide rate of 24.9 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Jamaica, that number is 49.4 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 48.3% more likely to die in a road accident
In Mexico, road accidents kill 12.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Jamaica, they kill 17.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 72.5% less strain on fresh water
Mexico withdraws 45% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Jamaica withdraws 12% as of 2022.
find 26.5% less home broadband
Mexico has 21.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Jamaica has 16.0 as of 2024.
use 54.7% less electricity
Mexico uses 2,658 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Jamaica uses 1,205 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 26.7% less likely to die from air pollution
In Mexico, air pollution causes 30.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Jamaica, it causes 22.0 as of 2019.
emit 22.0% less CO2
Mexico emits 3.6 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 (2019–2022), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Mexico vs. Jamaica
Jamaica: At a glance
How big is Jamaica compared to Mexico? See an in-depth size comparison.