Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Jamaica instead of El Salvador, you would:

Health

be 2.8 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In El Salvador, 0.5% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Jamaica, that number is 1.4% of people as of 2020.

Economy

be 35.7% less likely to live below the poverty line

In El Salvador, 26.6% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Jamaica, however, that number is 17.1% as of 2016.

pay a 16.7% lower top tax rate

El Salvador has a top tax rate of 30.0% as of 2016. In Jamaica, the top tax rate is 25.0% as of 2016.

be 60.1% more likely to be unemployed

In El Salvador, 2.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Jamaica, that number is 4.4% as of 2023.

Life

be 2.3 times more likely to die during childbirth

In El Salvador, approximately 43.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Jamaica, 99.0 women do as of 2020.

Basic Needs

be 30.2% more likely to have internet access

In El Salvador, approximately 63.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Jamaica, about 82.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 33.3% less on healthcare

El Salvador spends 9.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Jamaica, that number is 6.6% of GDP as of 2020.

spend 46.3% more on education

El Salvador spends 4.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Jamaica spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

Geography

see 3.3 times more coastline

El Salvador has a total of 307 km of coastline. In Jamaica, that number is 1,022 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance, Tax Admministration of Jamaica.

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 El Salvador? See an in-depth size comparison.

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