Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Jamaica instead of Puerto Rico, you would:

Health

live 5.9 years less

In Puerto Rico, the average life expectancy is 82 years (78 years for men, 85 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 25.8% less likely to be unemployed

In Puerto Rico, 6.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Jamaica, that number is 4.4% as of 2023.

pay a 24.2% lower top tax rate

Puerto Rico has a top tax rate of 33.0% as of 2016. In Jamaica, the top tax rate is 25.0% as of 2016.

make 76.0% less money

Puerto Rico has a GDP per capita of $43,000 as of 2023, while in Jamaica, the GDP per capita is $10,300 as of 2023.

Life

have 100.0% more children

In Puerto Rico, there are approximately 7.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Jamaica, there are 15.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 2.9 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Puerto Rico, approximately 34.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Jamaica, 99.0 women do as of 2020.

be 84.9% more likely to die during infancy

In Puerto Rico, approximately 6.0 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 66.7% more on education

Puerto Rico spends 3.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Jamaica spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

Geography

see 2.0 times more coastline

Puerto Rico has a total of 501 km of coastline. In Jamaica, that number is 1,022 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Puerto Rican Department of Treasury, 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.
Read more

How big is Jamaica compared to Puerto Rico? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Jamaica.or Puerto Rico It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.