If you lived in Jamaica instead of Tonga, you would:

Health

be 52.3% less likely to be obese

In Tonga, 73.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Jamaica, that number is 35.2% of people as of 2024.

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see 69.6% more spent on your healthcare

Tonga spends $512 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Jamaica spends $869 as of 2023.

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have 29.8% more access to essential health services

Tonga scores 57 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Jamaica scores 74 as of 2021.

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be 64.3% less likely to die by suicide

Tonga has a suicide rate of 4.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Jamaica, it is 1.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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live 1.5 years less

In Tonga, the average life expectancy is 73 years (70 years for men, 77 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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have 54.6% fewer doctors per person

Tonga has 10.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Jamaica has 4.6 as of 2023.

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Economy

be 62.1% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Tonga, 20.6% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Jamaica, however, that number is 7.8% as of 2024.

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make 22.2% more money

Tonga has a GDP per capita of $6,547 as of 2025, while in Jamaica, the GDP per capita is $8,003 as of 2025.

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be 63.7% more likely to be unemployed

In Tonga, 2.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Jamaica, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.

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Life

be 94.0% more likely to die during childbirth

In Tonga, approximately 67.0 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 2.1 times more likely to die during infancy

In Tonga, approximately 7.8 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 50.3% fewer children

In Tonga, there are approximately 23.0 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 33.6% more likely to have internet access

In Tonga, approximately 67.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Jamaica, about 90.1% do as of 2024.

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be 11.4% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Tonga, approximately 99% of people have access to drinking water (100% in urban areas, and 99% 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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Geography

see 2.4 times more coastline

Tonga has a total of 419 km of coastline. In Jamaica, that number is 1,022 km.

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Safety

be 2.1 times more likely to die in a road accident

In Tonga, road accidents kill 8.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Jamaica, they kill 17.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 95.6% more home broadband

Tonga has 8.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Jamaica has 16.0 as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 74.2% more CO2

Tonga emits 1.6 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), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. 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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How big is Jamaica compared to Tonga? See an in-depth size comparison.

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