Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Jamaica instead of Dominican Republic, you would:

Health

live 3.2 years longer

In Dominican Republic, the average life expectancy is 73 years (71 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2022. In Jamaica, that number is 76 years (74 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2022.

be 10.5% less likely to be obese

In Dominican Republic, 27.6% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Jamaica, that number is 24.7% of people as of 2016.

be 55.6% more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Dominican Republic, 0.9% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Jamaica, that number is 1.4% of people as of 2020.

Economy

be 20.5% less likely to be unemployed

In Dominican Republic, 5.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Jamaica, that number is 4.4% as of 2023.

be 28.5% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Dominican Republic, 23.9% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Jamaica, however, that number is 17.1% as of 2016.

make 55.4% less money

Dominican Republic has a GDP per capita of $23,100 as of 2023, while in Jamaica, the GDP per capita is $10,300 as of 2023.

Life

be 47.3% less likely to die during infancy

In Dominican Republic, approximately 21.2 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.

Expenditures

spend 30.4% more on education

Dominican Republic spends 4.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Jamaica spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

spend 34.7% more on healthcare

Dominican Republic spends 4.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Jamaica, that number is 6.6% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 20.7% less coastline

Dominican Republic has a total of 1,288 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 Dominican Republic? See an in-depth size comparison.

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