Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Jamaica instead of New Zealand, you would:

Health

be 19.8% less likely to be obese

In New Zealand, 30.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Jamaica, that number is 24.7% of people as of 2016.

be 14.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In New Zealand, 0.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Jamaica, that number is 1.4% of people as of 2020.

live 6.8 years less

In New Zealand, the average life expectancy is 83 years (81 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2022. In Jamaica, that number is 76 years (74 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

pay a 24.2% lower top tax rate

New Zealand has a top tax rate of 33.0% as of 2016. In Jamaica, the top tax rate is 25.0% as of 2016.

make 79.5% less money

New Zealand has a GDP per capita of $42,400 as of 2020, while in Jamaica, the GDP per capita is $8,700 as of 2020.

be 86.9% more likely to be unemployed

In New Zealand, 4.1% of adults are unemployed as of 2019. In Jamaica, that number is 7.7% as of 2019.

Life

have 24.5% more children

In New Zealand, there are approximately 12.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Jamaica, there are 15.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022.

be 8.9 times more likely to die during childbirth

In New Zealand, approximately 9.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Jamaica, 80.0 women do as of 2017.

be 3.2 times more likely to die during infancy

In New Zealand, approximately 3.4 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.

Basic Needs

be 40.2% less likely to have internet access

In New Zealand, approximately 92.0% of the population has internet access as of 2020. In Jamaica, about 55.0% do as of 2019.

Expenditures

spend 37.1% less on healthcare

New Zealand spends 9.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In Jamaica, that number is 6.1% of GDP as of 2019.

Geography

see 93.2% less coastline

New Zealand has a total of 15,134 km of coastline. In Jamaica, that number is 1,022 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, New Zealand Inland Revenue Department, 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 New Zealand? See an in-depth size comparison.

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