2020 Edition

Background

Europeans first saw Jamaica when Christopher COLUMBUS arrived in 1494, and the Spanish settled the island early in the 16th century. The Native Taino, who had inhabited Jamaica for centuries, were gradually exterminated and replaced with 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 withdrew from the Federation in 1961 and gained full independence in 1962. Deteriorating economic conditions during the 1970s led to recurring 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, corruption, and poverty pose significant challenges to the government today. Nonetheless, many rural and resort areas remain relatively safe and contribute substantially to the economy.

Area

land

10,831 sq km

total

10,991 sq km

water

160 sq km

Area - comparative

about half the size of New Jersey; slightly smaller than Connecticut

Climate

tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior

Coastline

1,022 km

Elevation

highest point

Blue Mountain Peak 2,256 m

lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 m

mean elevation

18 m

Geographic coordinates

18 15 N, 77 30 W

Geography - note

third largest island in the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola); strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica Channel, the main sea lanes for the Panama Canal

Irrigated land

250 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total

0 km

Land use

agricultural land

38.5% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 11.1% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 6.3% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 21.1% (2023 est.)

forest

56.2% (2023 est.)

other

5.3% (2023 est.)

Location

Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200 nm or to edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

hurricanes (especially July to November)

Natural resources

bauxite, alumina, gypsum, limestone

Population distribution

population density is high throughout, but increases in and around Kingston, Montego Bay, and Port Esquivel

Terrain

mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain

Age structure

0-14 years

23.8% (male 342,691/female 329,773)

15-64 years

65.7% (male 914,364/female 941,816)

65 years and over

10.4% (2024 est.) (male 140,440/female 154,629)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

1.19 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.35 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

1.66 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

3.46 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.25 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

16.08 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

2.5% (2018 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

35.2% (2022 est.)

Death rate

7.37 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

14.6 (2025 est.)

potential support ratio

6.9 (2025 est.)

total dependency ratio

50.6 (2025 est.)

youth dependency ratio

36 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 85.4% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 91.1% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 95.4% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 14.6% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 8.9% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 4.6% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)

5.5% of GDP (2024 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

17.9% national budget (2024 est.)

Ethnic groups

Black 92.1%, mixed 6.1%, East Indian 0.8%, other 0.4%, unspecified 0.7% (2011 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.91 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

7.2% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

19% of national budget (2022 est.)

Hospital bed density

1.7 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

9.4 deaths/1,000 live births

male

11.9 deaths/1,000 live births

total

14.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

English, Jamaican patois

Life expectancy at birth

female

78.1 years

male

74.5 years

total population

76.3 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

female

90.8% (2022 est.)

Major urban areas - population

597,000 KINGSTON (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

130 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

female

31.7 years

male

30.1 years

total

28.8 years (2025 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

21.2 years (2008 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Jamaican

noun

Jamaican(s)

Net migration rate

-6.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

24.7% (2016)

Physician density

0.46 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

Population

female

1,484,744

male

1,453,759

total

2,938,503 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

0.25% (2025 est.)

Religions

Protestant 64.8% (includes Seventh Day Adventist 12.0%, Pentecostal 11.0%, Other Church of God 9.2%, New Testament Church of God 7.2%, Baptist 6.7%, Church of God in Jamaica 4.8%, Church of God of Prophecy 4.5%, Anglican 2.8%, United Church 2.1%, Methodist 1.6%, Revived 1.4%, Brethren 0.9%, and Moravian 0.7%), Roman Catholic 2.2%, Jehovah's Witness 1.9%, Rastafarian 1.1%, other 6.5%, none 21.3%, unspecified 2.3% (2011 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 99.4% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 98.9% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 98.6% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 0.6% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 1.1% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 1.4% of population (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

14 years (2015 est.)

male

12 years (2015 est.)

total

13 years (2015 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.91 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.98 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

female

3.1% (2025 est.)

male

15.1% (2025 est.)

total

9% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.86 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.79% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

57.4% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

14 parishes; Clarendon, Hanover, Kingston, Manchester, Portland, Saint Andrew, Saint Ann, Saint Catherine, Saint Elizabeth, Saint James, Saint Mary, Saint Thomas, Trelawny, Westmoreland

Capital

etymology

the name is a blend of the words "king's" and "town;" named after the English king at the time of the city's founding in 1692, WILLIAM III

geographic coordinates

18 00 N, 76 48 W

name

Kingston

time difference

UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

yes

citizenship by descent only

yes

dual citizenship recognized

yes

residency requirement for naturalization

4 out of the previous 5 years

Constitution

amendment process

proposed by Parliament; passage of amendments to "non-entrenched" constitutional sections, such as lowering the voting age, requires majority vote by the Parliament membership; passage of amendments to "entrenched" sections, such as fundamental rights and freedoms, requires two-thirds majority vote of Parliament; passage of amendments to "specially entrenched" sections such as the dissolution of Parliament or the executive authority of the monarch requires two-thirds approval by Parliament and approval in a referendum

history

several previous (pre-independence); latest drafted 1961-62, submitted to British Parliament 24 July 1962, entered into force 6 August 1962 (at independence)

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Jamaica

etymology

from the Arawak word xaymaca, meaning "Land of Wood and Water" or possibly "Land of Springs"

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Scott RENNER (since 13 August 2025)

email address and website

KingstonACS@state.gov https://jm.usembassy.gov/

embassy

142 Old Hope Road, Kingston 6

FAX

(876) 702-6348

mailing address

3210 Kingston Place, Washington DC 20521-3210

telephone

(876) 702-6000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1520 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

chief of mission

Ambassador Antony B. ANDERSON (since 24 July 2025)

consulate(s) general

Miami, New York

email address and website

contactus@jamaicaembassy.org Jamaican Embassy (embassyofjamaica.org)

FAX

[1] (202) 452-0036

telephone

[1] (202) 452-0660

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister

chief of state

King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor General Sir Patrick L. ALLEN (since 26 February 2009)

election/appointment process

the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; following legislative elections, the governor general appoints the leader of the majority party or majority coalition in the House of Representatives as prime minister

head of government

Prime Minister Andrew HOLNESS (since 3 March 2016)

Flag

description: diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles, two green (top and bottom) and two black (left and right) meaning: green stands for hope, vegetation, and agriculture; black for hardships overcome and to be faced; and yellow for sunshine and natural resources

Government type

parliamentary democracy (Parliament) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

Independence

6 August 1962 (from the UK)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

ACP, ACS, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-15, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Court of Appeal (consists of president of the court and a minimum of 4 judges); Supreme Court (40 judges organized in specialized divisions)

judge selection and term of office

chief justice of the Supreme Court and president of the Court of Appeal appointed by the governor-general on the advice of the prime minister; other judges of both courts appointed by the governor-general on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission; judges of both courts serve till age 70

subordinate courts

resident magistrate courts, district courts, and petty sessions courts

Legal system

common law system based on the English model

Legislative branch

legislative structure

bicameral

legislature name

Parliament

Legislative branch - lower chamber

chamber name

House of Representatives

electoral system

plurality/majority

expected date of next election

August 2030

most recent election date

9/3/2025

number of seats

63 (all directly elected)

parties elected and seats per party

Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) (35); People's National Party (PNP) (28)

percentage of women in chamber

30.2%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

5 years

Legislative branch - upper chamber

chamber name

Senate

expected date of next election

September 2030

most recent election date

9/18/2025

number of seats

21 (all appointed)

percentage of women in chamber

33.3%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

5 years

National anthem(s)

history

adopted 1962

lyrics/music

Hugh Braham SHERLOCK/Robert Charles LIGHTBOURNE

title

"Jamaica, Land We Love"

National color(s)

green, yellow, black

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Blue and John Crow Mountains (m); The Archaeological Ensemble of 17th Century Port Royal (c)

total World Heritage Sites

2 ( 1mixed,1 cultural)

National holiday

Independence Day, 6 August (1962)

National symbol(s)

green-and-black streamertail (bird), guaiacwood (Guiacum officinale)

Political parties

Jamaica Labor Party or JLP Jamaica Progressive Party or JPP People's National Party or PNP United Independents' Congress or UIC

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

sugarcane, goat milk, yams, chicken, oranges, coconuts, bananas, plantains, pumpkins/squash, pineapples (2023)

Budget

expenditures

$4.466 billion (2020 est.)

revenues

$4.041 billion (2020 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2022

-$136.401 million (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

$568.932 million (2023 est.)

Current account balance 2024

$678.808 million (2024 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2023

$9.636 billion (2023 est.)

Economic overview

upper-middle-income Caribbean island economy; key agriculture and tourism sectors; high crime, youth unemployment, and poverty; susceptible to natural disasters and global commodity price shocks; progress in reducing public debt and moderating inflation within target range

Exchange rates

Currency

Jamaican dollars (JMD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

142.403 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

150.79 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

153.427 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

154.159 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

156.44 (2024 est.)

Exports

Exports 2022

$6.424 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$7.275 billion (2023 est.)

Exports 2024

$7.124 billion (2024 est.)

Exports - commodities

aluminum oxide, refined petroleum, natural gas, liquor, processed fruits and nuts (2023)

Exports - partners

USA 37%, Russia 7%, Latvia 7%, Iceland 7%, UK 5% (2023)

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

38% (2019 est.)

government consumption

13.6% (2019 est.)

household consumption

76.2% (2019 est.)

imports of goods and services

-52.1% (2019 est.)

investment in fixed capital

24.1% (2019 est.)

investment in inventories

0.2% (2019 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

9.8% (2024 est.)

industry

18.3% (2024 est.)

services

60.3% (2024 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$19.93 billion (2024 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2021

39.9 (2021 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

29.6% (2021 est.)

lowest 10%

2.2% (2021 est.)

Imports

Imports 2022

$9.726 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$9.866 billion (2023 est.)

Imports 2024

$9.524 billion (2024 est.)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, natural gas, cars, crude petroleum, plastic products (2023)

Imports - partners

USA 39%, China 11%, Brazil 4%, Colombia 4%, Japan 4% (2023)

Industrial production growth rate

-1.5% (2024 est.)

Industries

agriculture, mining, manufacture, construction, financial and insurance services, tourism, telecommunications

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

10.3% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

6.5% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

5.4% (2024 est.)

Labor force

1.57 million (2024 est.)

Population below poverty line

16.7% (2021 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2020

106.3% of GDP (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$28.596 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$29.341 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$29.13 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2022

5.2% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

2.6% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2024

-0.7% (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2022

$10,100 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$10,300 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$10,300 (2024 est.)

Remittances

Remittances 2022

21.6% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

18.5% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances 2024

17.9% of GDP (2024 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$4.838 billion (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$4.52 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$4.869 billion (2023 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

25.7% (of GDP) (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2022

4.1% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

4.4% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

4.9% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

16.4% (2024 est.)

male

12.9% (2024 est.)

total

14.5% (2024 est.)

Coal

consumption

106,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

exports

100 metric tons (2022 est.)

imports

105,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

consumption

3.301 billion kWh (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity

1.242 million kW (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

1.181 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

1.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

fossil fuels

87.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectricity

2.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar

2.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

wind

6.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

42.095 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

822.549 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

imports

822.549 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption

41,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

total petroleum production

3,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

16 (2023 est.)

total

448,000 (2023 est.)

Broadcast media

3 free-to-air TV stations, subscription cable services, and roughly 30 radio stations (2019)

Internet country code

.jm

Internet users

percent of population

83% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

16 (2023 est.)

total subscriptions

459,000 (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

118 (2024 est.)

total subscriptions

3.34 million (2024 est.)

Airports

20 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

6Y

Heliports

2 (2025)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 1, general cargo 11, oil tanker 1, other 27

total

40 (2023)

Ports

key ports

Falmouth, Kingston, Lucea, Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Port Antonio, Port Esquivel, Port Kaiser, Rio Bueno, Rocky Point, Savannah la Mar

large

0

medium

1

ports with oil terminals

5

small

2

total ports

11 (2024)

very small

8

Military - note

in addition to its responsibility of defending against external aggression, the Jamaican Defense Force's (JDF) primary missions are border, cyber, internal, and maritime security; other missions include search and rescue, disaster response, humanitarian assistance, and peacekeeping; it has arrest authority and partners with the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), particularly in support of combating crime and violence; both the JDF and JCF are under the Ministry of National Security, which directs policy for the security forces; the JDF participates in bilateral and multinational training exercises, including with the armed forces of Canada, the UK, the US, and other Caribbean nations while Jamaica had a militia force as early as the 1660s, the JDF was constituted in 1962 from the West India Regiment (WIR), a British colonial regiment which dates back to 1795 (2025)

Military and security forces

Jamaica Defense Force (JDF): Jamaica Regiment (Land Force), Maritime, Air, and Cyber Command (MACC), Support Brigade, Caribbean Military Academy, Jamaica National Reserve (2025)

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 4,000 active Jamaica Defense Forces (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the JDF's inventory features equipment mostly from Australia, the Netherlands, and the US (2025)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2020

1.7% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

1.4% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

1.3% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

1.2% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military Expenditures 2024

1.4% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-23 for voluntary military service (17 with parental consent) for men and women; 18-28 for the reserves; no conscription; since 2017, the JDF's standard mode of recruitment is to enroll recruits ages 18-23 through the Jamaica National Service Corps (JNSC), which has a service requirement of 12 months (2025)

Illicit drugs

USG identification

major illicit drug-producing and/or drug-transit country (2025)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

239,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from consumed natural gas

1.611 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

6.04 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total emissions

7.89 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

heavy rates of deforestation; coastal waters polluted by industrial waste, sewage, and oil spills; damage to coral reefs; air pollution in Kingston from vehicle emissions; land erosion

International environmental agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Particulate matter emissions

14.8 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

10.823 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

78.972 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial

43.989 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

municipal

339.867 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

1.052 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

15% (2022 est.)