Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Jamaica instead of Panama, you would:
Health
be 48.6% less likely to die by suicide
Panama has a suicide rate of 3.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Jamaica, it is 1.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 8.2 years less
In Panama, the average life expectancy is 80 years (77 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.
see 73.8% less spent on your healthcare
Panama spends $3,318 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Jamaica spends $869 as of 2023.
have 71.7% fewer doctors per person
Panama has 16.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Jamaica has 4.6 as of 2023.
Economy
be 60.6% less likely to be unemployed
In Panama, 8.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Jamaica, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.
be 64.1% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Panama, 21.7% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Jamaica, however, that number is 7.8% as of 2024.
make 59.6% less money
Panama has a GDP per capita of $19,790 as of 2025, while in Jamaica, the GDP per capita is $8,003 as of 2025.
Life
be 3.5 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Panama, approximately 37.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Jamaica, 130.0 women do as of 2023.
be 36.7% more likely to die during infancy
In Panama, approximately 12.0 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 27.9% fewer children
In Panama, there are approximately 15.9 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 23.8% more likely to have internet access
In Panama, approximately 72.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Jamaica, about 90.1% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.2 times more on education
Panama spends 2.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Jamaica spends 5.5% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
Geography
see 59.0% less coastline
Panama has a total of 2,490 km of coastline. In Jamaica, that number is 1,022 km.
Safety
be 2.1 times more likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Panama, 33% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2016. In Jamaica, that number is 70% as of 2019.
be 4.2 times more likely to be murdered
Panama has a homicide rate of 11.7 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Jamaica, that number is 49.4 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 2.4 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Panama, road accidents kill 7.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Jamaica, they kill 17.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 11.9% less home broadband
Panama has 18.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Jamaica has 16.0 as of 2024.
live with 13.8 times more strain on fresh water
Panama withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Jamaica withdraws 12% as of 2022.
use 55.6% less electricity
Panama uses 2,715 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Jamaica uses 1,205 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 29.4% more likely to die from air pollution
In Panama, air pollution causes 17.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Jamaica, it causes 22.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2016–2021), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Panama vs. Jamaica
Jamaica: At a glance
How big is Jamaica compared to Panama? See an in-depth size comparison.