Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 1.1 years longer

In Palau, the average life expectancy is 75 years (71 years for men, 78 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 55.3% less likely to be obese

In Palau, 55.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Jamaica, that number is 24.7% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 31.3% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Palau, 24.9% live below the poverty line as of 2006. In Jamaica, however, that number is 17.1% as of 2016.

make 34.8% less money

Palau has a GDP per capita of $15,800 as of 2023, while in Jamaica, the GDP per capita is $10,300 as of 2023.

be 2.6 times more likely to be unemployed

In Palau, 1.7% of adults are unemployed as of 2015. In Jamaica, that number is 4.4% as of 2023.

Life

have 34.5% more children

In Palau, there are approximately 11.6 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 2.2 times more likely to have internet access

In Palau, approximately 37.2% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Jamaica, about 82.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 11.8% less on education

Palau spends 6.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Jamaica spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

spend 64.1% less on healthcare

Palau spends 18.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Jamaica, that number is 6.6% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 32.7% less coastline

Palau has a total of 1,519 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 Palau? See an in-depth size comparison.

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