Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Jamaica instead of Thailand, you would:
Health
be 89.8% less likely to die by suicide
Thailand has a suicide rate of 16.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Jamaica, it is 1.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 10.0% more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Thailand, 1.0% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Jamaica, that number is 1.1% of people as of 2024.
live 5.0 years less
In Thailand, the average life expectancy is 77 years (72 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.
be 2.2 times more likely to be obese
In Thailand, 16.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Jamaica, that number is 35.2% of people as of 2024.
see 18.6% less spent on your healthcare
Thailand spends $1,067 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Jamaica spends $869 as of 2023.
have 15.0% fewer doctors per person
Thailand has 5.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Jamaica has 4.6 as of 2023.
Economy
be 4.2 times more likely to be unemployed
In Thailand, 0.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Jamaica, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.
be 44.4% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Thailand, 5.4% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Jamaica, however, that number is 7.8% as of 2024.
Life
have 41.0% more children
In Thailand, there are approximately 8.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Jamaica, there are 11.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 3.8 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Thailand, approximately 34.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Jamaica, 130.0 women do as of 2023.
be 2.1 times more likely to die during infancy
In Thailand, approximately 7.7 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.
Basic Needs
be 12.4% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Thailand, 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.
Expenditures
spend 2.2 times more on education
Thailand spends 2.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Jamaica spends 5.5% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 67.4% more on healthcare
Thailand spends 4.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Jamaica, that number is 7.6% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 68.3% less coastline
Thailand has a total of 3,219 km of coastline. In Jamaica, that number is 1,022 km.
Safety
be 29.9% less likely to die in a road accident
In Thailand, road accidents kill 25.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Jamaica, they kill 17.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 46.2% less strain on fresh water
Thailand withdraws 23% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Jamaica withdraws 12% as of 2022.
use 59.4% less electricity
Thailand uses 2,965 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Jamaica uses 1,205 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 24.1% less likely to die from air pollution
In Thailand, air pollution causes 29.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Jamaica, it causes 22.0 as of 2019.
emit 28.3% less CO2
Thailand emits 4.0 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 (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Thailand vs. Jamaica
Jamaica: At a glance
How big is Jamaica compared to Thailand? See an in-depth size comparison.