Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Jamaica instead of Sierra Leone, you would:

Health

live 17.0 years longer

In Sierra Leone, the average life expectancy is 59 years (57 years for men, 60 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 2.8 times more likely to be obese

In Sierra Leone, 8.7% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Jamaica, that number is 24.7% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 6.1 times more money

Sierra Leone has a GDP per capita of $1,700 as of 2023, while in Jamaica, the GDP per capita is $10,300 as of 2023.

be 69.9% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Sierra Leone, 56.8% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In Jamaica, however, that number is 17.1% as of 2016.

pay a 16.7% lower top tax rate

Sierra Leone has a top tax rate of 30.0% as of 2014. In Jamaica, the top tax rate is 25.0% as of 2016.

be 39.4% more likely to be unemployed

In Sierra Leone, 3.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Jamaica, that number is 4.4% as of 2023.

Life

be 77.7% less likely to die during childbirth

In Sierra Leone, approximately 443.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Jamaica, 99.0 women do as of 2020.

be 82.5% more likely to be literate

In Sierra Leone, the literacy rate is 48.6% as of 2022. In Jamaica, it is 88.7% as of 2015.

be 84.8% less likely to die during infancy

In Sierra Leone, approximately 73.4 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 49.4% fewer children

In Sierra Leone, there are approximately 30.8 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 3.4 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Sierra Leone, approximately 29% of people have electricity access (57% in urban areas, and 5% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Jamaica, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 97% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 6.5 times more likely to have internet access

In Sierra Leone, approximately 12.7% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Jamaica, about 82.0% do as of 2021.

be 32.4% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Sierra Leone, approximately 73% of people have improved drinking water access (92% in urban areas, and 58% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Jamaica, that number is 96% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 94% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 34.1% less on education

Sierra Leone spends 9.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Jamaica spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

spend 25.0% less on healthcare

Sierra Leone spends 8.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Jamaica, that number is 6.6% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 2.5 times more coastline

Sierra Leone has a total of 402 km of coastline. In Jamaica, that number is 1,022 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, National Revenue Authority, 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 Sierra Leone? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

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