Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Jamaica instead of Uganda, you would:
Health
be 77.6% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Uganda, 4.9% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Jamaica, that number is 1.1% of people as of 2024.
live 3.1 years longer
In Uganda, the average life expectancy is 68 years (65 years for men, 71 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 6.3 times more spent on your healthcare
Uganda spends $139 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Jamaica spends $869 as of 2023.
have 2.4 times more doctors per person
Uganda has 1.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Jamaica has 4.6 as of 2023.
have 51.0% more access to essential health services
Uganda scores 49 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Jamaica scores 74 as of 2021.
be 69.3% less likely to die by suicide
Uganda has a suicide rate of 5.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Jamaica, it is 1.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 3.7 times more likely to be obese
In Uganda, 9.5% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Jamaica, that number is 35.2% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 51.6% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Uganda, 16.1% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Jamaica, however, that number is 7.8% as of 2024.
make 6.6 times more money
Uganda has a GDP per capita of $1,206 as of 2025, while in Jamaica, the GDP per capita is $8,003 as of 2025.
be 19.6% more likely to be unemployed
In Uganda, 2.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Jamaica, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.
Life
be 23.5% less likely to die during childbirth
In Uganda, approximately 170.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Jamaica, 130.0 women do as of 2023.
be 54.3% less likely to die during infancy
In Uganda, approximately 35.9 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 66.8% fewer children
In Uganda, there are approximately 34.4 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 89.7% more likely to have access to electricity
In Uganda, approximately 52% of people have electricity access (76% in urban areas, and 42% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Jamaica, that number is 98% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 96% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 10.1 times more likely to have internet access
In Uganda, approximately 8.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Jamaica, about 90.1% do as of 2024.
be 39.0% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Uganda, approximately 63% of people have access to drinking water (80% in urban areas, and 57% 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
Uganda spends 2.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Jamaica spends 5.5% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 79.2% more on healthcare
Uganda spends 4.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Jamaica, that number is 7.6% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 5.5 times more likely to be murdered
Uganda has a homicide rate of 9.0 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Jamaica, that number is 49.4 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 11.3% more likely to die in a road accident
In Uganda, road accidents kill 16.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Jamaica, they kill 17.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 76.1 times more home broadband
Uganda has 0.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Jamaica has 16.0 as of 2024.
use 12.6 times more electricity
Uganda uses 95 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Jamaica uses 1,205 kWh as of 2023.
live with 2.1 times more strain on fresh water
Uganda withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Jamaica withdraws 12% as of 2022.
Environment
be 63.3% less likely to die from air pollution
In Uganda, air pollution causes 60.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Jamaica, it causes 22.0 as of 2019.
emit 16.7 times more CO2
Uganda emits 0.2 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). How we calculate this
Compare further: Uganda vs. Jamaica
Jamaica: At a glance
How big is Jamaica compared to Uganda? See an in-depth size comparison.