2023 Edition

Background

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 withdrew from the Federation in 1961 and gained full independence 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, corruption, the COVID-19 pandemic, 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

41.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 11.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 9.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 21.1% (2018 est.)

forest

31.1% (2018 est.)

other

27.5% (2018 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

note

measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines

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

24.11% (male 346,566/female 333,673)

15-64 years

65.8% (male 914,208/female 942,134)

65 years and over

10.08% (2023 est.) (male 135,388/female 149,013)

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

15.8 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

2.5% (2018/19)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current health expenditure

6.6% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

32.7% (2023 est.)

Death rate

7.4 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

13.4

potential support ratio

7.4 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

38

youth dependency ratio

28

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 93.9% of population

improved: total

total: 96.4% of population

improved: urban

urban: 98.3% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 6.1% of population

unimproved: total

total: 3.6% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 1.7% of population

Education expenditures

6% of GDP (2021 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Gross reproduction rate

1 (2023 est.)

Hospital bed density

1.7 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Infant mortality rate

female

9.6 deaths/1,000 live births

male

12.2 deaths/1,000 live births

total

10.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

Languages

English, Jamaican patois

Life expectancy at birth

female

77.9 years

male

74.3 years

total population

76 years (2023 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over has ever attended school

female

93.1% (2015)

male

84%

total population

88.7%

Major urban areas - population

597,000 KINGSTON (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

99 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

31.3 years

male

29.7 years

total

30.5 years (2023 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

21.2 years (2008 est.)

note

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-29

Nationality

adjective

Jamaican

noun

Jamaican(s)

Net migration rate

-7.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

24.7% (2016)

Physicians density

0.53 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Population

2,820,982 (2023 est.)

Population distribution

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

Population growth rate

0.09% (2023 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

improved: total

total: 98.9% of population

improved: urban

urban: 98.6% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0.6% of population

unimproved: total

total: 1.1% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 1.4% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

13 years (2015)

male

11 years

total

12 years

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 (2023 est.)

Tobacco use

female

3.8% (2020 est.)

male

15% (2020 est.)

total

9.4% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.05 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

57.4% of total population (2023)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

31.4%

male

22.1%

total

26.1% (2021 est.)

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

note

note: for local government purposes, Kingston and Saint Andrew were amalgamated in 1923 into the present single corporate body known as the Kingston and Saint Andrew Corporation

Capital

etymology

the name is a blending of the words "king's" and "town"; the English king at the time of the city's founding in 1692 was WILLIAM III (r. 1689-1702)

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

amendments

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; amended many times, last in 2017

history

several previous (preindependence); 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 native Taino word "haymaca" meaning "Land of Wood and Water" or possibly "Land of Springs"

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador N. Nickolas PERRY (since 13 May 2022)

email address and website

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

embassy

142 Old Hope Road, Kingston 6

FAX

(876) 702-6348 (2018)

mailing address

3210 Kingston Place, Washington DC  20521-3210

telephone

(876) 702-6000 (2018)

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1520 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

chief of mission

Ambassador Audrey Patrice MARKS (since 18 January 2017)

consulate(s)

Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Concord (MA), Houston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Richmond (VA), San Francisco, Seattle

consulate(s) general

Miami, New York

email address and website

contactus@jamaicaembassy.orghttps://www.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); the Jamaican Government, in May 2023, announced plans to transition to a republic and to hold a referendum in 2024 to remain in the Commonwealth or become a republic

elections/appointments

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

head of government

Prime Minister Andrew HOLNESS (since 3 March 2016)

Flag description

diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles - green (top and bottom) and black (hoist side and fly side); green represents hope, vegetation, and agriculture, black reflects hardships overcome and to be faced, and yellow recalls golden sunshine and the island's 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, 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); note - appeals beyond Jamaica's highest courts are referred to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) rather than to the Caribbean Court of Justice (the appellate court for member states of the Caribbean Community)

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

description

bicameral Parliament consists of:Senate (21 seats; 13 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister and 8 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the opposition party leader; members serve 5-year terms (no term limits) or until Parliament is dissolved)House of Representatives (63 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms (no term limits) or until Parliament is dissolved)

election results

Senate - percent by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition (as of June 2021) - men 13, women 8, percent of women 38.1%House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - JLP 57%, PNP 42.8%, independent 0.2%; seats by party - JLP 48, PNP 15; composition (as of June 2021) - men 45, women 18; percent of women 28.6%; note - total Parliament percent of women 31%

elections

Senate - last full slate of appointments early on 3 September 2020 (next full slate in 2025)House of Representatives - last held on 3 September 2020 (next to be held in 2025)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Hugh Braham SHERLOCK/Robert Charles LIGHTBOURNE

name

"Jamaica, Land We Love"

note

note: adopted 1962

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Blue and John Crow Mountains

total World Heritage Sites

1 (mixed)

National holiday

Independence Day, 6 August (1962)

National symbol(s)

green-and-black streamertail (bird), Guaiacum officinale (Guaiacwood); national colors: green, yellow, black

Political parties and leaders

Jamaica Labor Party or JLP [Andrew Michael HOLNESS]Jamaica Progressive Party or JPP [Gilbert Alexander EDWARDS]People's National Party or PNP [Mark GOLDING]United Independents' Congress or UIC [Joseph L. PATTERSON]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

sugar cane, goat milk, yams, poultry, coconuts, oranges, bananas, gourds, plantains, grapefruit

Budget

expenditures

$4.564 billion (2020 est.)

revenues

$4.029 billion (2020 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

0.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

B+ (2019)

Moody's rating

B2 (2019)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

B+ (2019)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2019

-$350.949 million (2019 est.)

Current account balance 2020

-$61.433 million (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

$125.275 million (2021 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2018

$13.912 billion (2018 est.)

Debt - external 2019

$13.876 billion (2019 est.)

Economic overview

upper middle-income Caribbean island economy; ongoing debt restructuring; hurricane-vulnerable economy; high crime, youth unemployment, and poverty; susceptible to commodity shocks from ongoing Russia invasion of Ukraine

Exchange rates

Currency

Jamaican dollars (JMD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2017

127.965 (2017 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

128.872 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

133.312 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

142.403 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

150.79 (2021 est.)

Exports

Exports 2019

$5.991 billion (2019 est.)

Exports 2020

$3.343 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports 2021

$4.385 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - commodities

aluminum oxide, refined petroleum, aluminum, rums, fruits, nuts, natural gas, sauces and seasonings (2021)

Exports - partners

United States 46%, Netherlands 9%, Canada 6%, United Kingdom 4&, Russia 3% (2021)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

30.1% (2017 est.)

government consumption

13.7% (2017 est.)

household consumption

81.9% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-47.1% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

21.3% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

0.1% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

7% (2017 est.)

industry

21.1% (2017 est.)

services

71.9% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$15.847 billion (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2016

35 (2016 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

29.3% (2015)

lowest 10%

2.6%

Imports

Imports 2019

$8.317 billion (2019 est.)

Imports 2020

$5.911 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2021

$7.414 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, natural gas, cars, crude petroleum, iron bars, steel bars (2021)

Imports - partners

United States 35%, China 13%, Turkey 5%, Trinidad and Tobago 3%, Japan 3% (2021)

Industrial production growth rate

2.38% (2021 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

3.91% (2019 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

5.23% (2020 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

5.86% (2021 est.)

Labor force

1.418 million (2021 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

16.1%

industry

16%

services

67.9% (2017)

Population below poverty line

17.1% (2016 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2017

102.46% of GDP (2017 est.)

Public debt 2019

92.25% of GDP (2019 est.)

Public debt 2020

106.28% of GDP (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$28.825 billion (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$25.943 billion (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$27.136 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2019

0.89% (2019 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2020

-10% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

4.6% (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2019

$10,200 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$9,200 (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2021

$9,600 (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2019

$3.631 billion (31 December 2019 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2020

$3.938 billion (31 December 2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2021

$4.838 billion (31 December 2021 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

25.71% (of GDP) (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2019

7.69% (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate 2020

9.48% (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate 2021

9.18% (2021 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

31.4%

male

22.1%

total

26.1% (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

177,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

549,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

9.276 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

10.002 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

61,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

82,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

production

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

3,050,780,000 kWh (2019 est.)

exports

0 kWh (2020 est.)

imports

0 kWh (2020 est.)

installed generating capacity

1.216 million kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

1.149 billion kWh (2019 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2021)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0.6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

87.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

1.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

6.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

49.7 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

693.422 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

exports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports

667.115 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

production

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

proven reserves

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil and lease condensate exports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports

20,100 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

0 barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

61,100 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

3,000 bbl/day (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

823 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

30,580 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

24,250 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

13 (2020 est.)

total

385,603 (2020 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

82% (2021 est.)

total

2.296 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line subscriptions nearly 17 per 100, cellular-mobile roughly 103 per 100 subscriptions (2021)

general assessment

Jamaica’s telecom sector has for many years been propped up by the mobile sector, which accounts for the vast majority of internet connections and voice lines; it also accounts for just over half of telecom sector revenue; in December 2020, the government announced the rollout of a national broadband network costing up to $237 million; the funding will be spent on improving connectivity in under served areas, improving access to education, and deploying networks to public locations such as hospitals, municipal institutions, and police stations; to aid in this national broadband effort, the government received a donation of 650km of fiber cabling from local cable TV providers and the two main toll road operators; to encourage the use of digital channels as the country deals with the Covid-19 pandemic (2021)

international

country code - 1-876 and 1-658; landing points for the ALBA-1, CFX-1, Fibralink, East-West, and Cayman-Jamaican Fiber System submarine cables providing connections to South America, parts of the Caribbean, Central America and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

17 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

473,617 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

103 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

2,905,408 (2021 est.)

Airports

28 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

11

note

note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

17

note

note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

6Y

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 1, general cargo 9, oil tanker 1, other 25

total

36 (2022)

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers

0 (2020)

Ports and terminals

container port(s) (TEUs)

Kingston (2,004,302) (2021)

cruise port(s)

Falmouth, Montego Bay, Port Antonio, Ocho Rios,

major seaport(s)

Discovery Bay (Port Rhoades), Kingston, Montego Bay, Port Antonio, Port Esquivel, Port Kaiser, Rocky Point

Roadways

paved

16,148 km (2011)

total

22,121 km (2011) (includes 44 km of expressways)

unpaved

5,973 km (2011)

Military - note

in addition to its responsibility of defending against external aggression, the JDF's primary missions are border, internal, and maritime security, including support to police operations in combating crime and violence; other missions include search and rescue, disaster response, humanitarian assistance, and peacekeeping; it has arrest authority and partners with the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF); 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 militaries 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; troops for the WIR were recruited from freed slaves from North America, slaves purchased in the West Indies, and slaves from Africa bought off slave ships (2023)

Military and security forces

Jamaica Defense Force (JDF): Jamaica Regiment (Ground Forces), Maritime-Air-Cyber Command (includes Coast Guard, Air Wing, Military Intelligence Unit, Special Activities Regiment, and Military Cyber Corps), Support Brigade (logistics, engineers, health service, and military police); Jamaica National Service Corps (JNSC); Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) (2023)

note

note 1: the JCF is the country’s police force; it has primary responsibility for internal security and has units for community policing, special response, intelligence gathering, and internal affairs; both it and the JDF are under the Ministry of National Security note 2: the JNSC is a third category of service that military recruits can join as a preparatory phase for future careers; JNSC soldiers receive basic military, vocational, and life skills training; upon completion of 12 months of service, soldiers can continue on with the JDF or the JDF reserves or seek  opportunities in other public sector entities such as the JCF, the Department of Correctional Services, the Jamaica Fire Brigade, the Jamaica Customs Agency, or the Passport Immigration and Citizenship Agency

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 5,000 personnel (2023)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the JDF is lightly armed with a limited inventory featuring equipment mostly from Europe and the US (2023)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2018

1.4% of GDP (2018 est.)

Military Expenditures 2019

1.6% of GDP (2019 est.)

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 service age and obligation

no conscription; 18-23 for voluntary military service (17 with parental consent) for men and women; 18-28 for the reserves; since 2017, the JDF's standard mode of recruitment is to enroll recruits ages 18-23 through the Jamaica National Service Corps (JNSC); in the JNSC, soldiers receive basic military, vocational, and life skills training; upon completion of 12 months of service, soldiers can continue on with the JDF or seek other opportunities with other government agencies (2023)

note

note: as of 2022, women made up about 20% of the JDF's uniformed personnel

Disputes - international

none identified

Illicit drugs

Jamaica is the largest Caribbean source of marijuana and a transit point for cocaine trafficked from South America to North America and other international markets; criminal gangs in Jamaica, Haiti, and Central America use marijuana for currency to obtain guns or other contraband from criminal entities in Haiti and Central America

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

8.23 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

1.08 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

14.83 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Climate

tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior

Environment - current 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

Environment - international 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

Land use

agricultural land

41.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 11.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 9.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 21.1% (2018 est.)

forest

31.1% (2018 est.)

other

27.5% (2018 est.)

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0.15% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

10.82 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

110 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

1.1 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

140 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

57.4% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

1,051,695 tons (2016 est.)