Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Jamaica instead of Cook Islands, you would:

Health

be 55.8% less likely to be obese

In Cook Islands, 55.9% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Jamaica, that number is 24.7% of people as of 2016.

live 1.4 years less

In Cook Islands, the average life expectancy is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2022. In Jamaica, that number is 76 years (74 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

be 66.3% less likely to be unemployed

In Cook Islands, 13.1% of adults are unemployed as of 2005. In Jamaica, that number is 4.4% as of 2023.

make 34.0% less money

Cook Islands has a GDP per capita of $15,600 as of 2022, while in Jamaica, the GDP per capita is $10,300 as of 2023.

Life

be 29.9% less likely to die during infancy

In Cook Islands, approximately 15.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Jamaica, on the other hand, 11.2 children do as of 2022.

have 28.9% more children

In Cook Islands, there are approximately 12.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Jamaica, there are 15.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 26.5% more likely to have internet access

In Cook Islands, approximately 64.8% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Jamaica, about 82.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 30.4% more on education

Cook Islands spends 4.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Jamaica spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

spend 2.1 times more on healthcare

Cook Islands spends 3.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Jamaica, that number is 6.6% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 8.5 times more coastline

Cook Islands has a total of 120 km of coastline. In Jamaica, that number is 1,022 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

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 Cook Islands? See an in-depth size comparison.

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