If you lived in Jamaica instead of Saudi Arabia, you would:

Health

be 12.2% less likely to be obese

In Saudi Arabia, 40.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Jamaica, that number is 35.2% of people as of 2024.

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

In Saudi Arabia, 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 7.4 years less

In Saudi Arabia, the average life expectancy is 79 years (77 years for men, 81 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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see 75.0% less spent on your healthcare

Saudi Arabia spends $3,475 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Jamaica spends $869 as of 2023.

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have 86.5% fewer doctors per person

Saudi Arabia has 34.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Jamaica has 4.6 as of 2023.

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be 77.9% more likely to die by suicide

Saudi Arabia has a suicide rate of 0.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Jamaica, it is 1.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

make 76.8% less money

Saudi Arabia has a GDP per capita of $34,537 as of 2025, while in Jamaica, the GDP per capita is $8,003 as of 2025.

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Life

be 18.6 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Saudi Arabia, approximately 7.0 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 Saudi Arabia, 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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have 30.6% fewer children

In Saudi Arabia, there are approximately 16.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Jamaica, there are 11.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 11.6% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Saudi Arabia, approximately 99% of people have access to drinking water (99% 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 23.0% more on education

Saudi Arabia spends 4.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Jamaica spends 5.5% of total GDP on education as of 2024.

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spend 33.6% more on healthcare

Saudi Arabia spends 5.7% 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 61.3% less coastline

Saudi Arabia has a total of 2,640 km of coastline. In Jamaica, that number is 1,022 km.

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Infrastructure

live with 98.7% less strain on fresh water

Saudi Arabia withdraws 974% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Jamaica withdraws 12% as of 2022.

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find 63.7% less home broadband

Saudi Arabia has 44.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Jamaica has 16.0 as of 2024.

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use 89.9% less electricity

Saudi Arabia uses 11,911 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Jamaica uses 1,205 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

be 75.8% less likely to die from air pollution

In Saudi Arabia, air pollution causes 91.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Jamaica, it causes 22.0 as of 2019.

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emit 84.6% less CO2

Saudi Arabia emits 18.5 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), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators (2019). 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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