Jamaica
Top Sights & Landmarks
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.
Location
Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba
Area
Elevation
Detailed Geography Information
Coastline
1,022 km
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
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin note: measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines
Natural hazards
hurricanes (especially July to November)
Natural resources
Terrain
mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain
Population & Growth
Age Distribution
Demographic Longevity
Vital Dynamics
Detailed People & Society Information
Alcohol consumption per capita
3.46 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
2.5% (2018 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
35.2% (2022 est.)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 50.6 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 36 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 14.6 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 6.9 (2025 est.)
Education expenditure
5.5% of GDP (2024 est.) 17.9% national budget (2024 est.)
Ethnic groups
Gross reproduction rate
0.91 (2025 est.)
Health expenditure
7.2% of GDP (2021) 19% of national budget (2022 est.)
Hospital bed density
1.7 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total: 14.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 11.9 deaths/1,000 live births female: 9.4 deaths/1,000 live births
Languages
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.)
Mother's mean age at first birth
21.2 years (2008 est.) note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-29
Nationality
noun: Jamaican(s) adjective: Jamaican
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
24.7% (2016)
Physician density
0.46 physicians/1,000 population (2023)
Population distribution
population density is high throughout, but increases in and around Kingston, Montego Bay, and Port Esquivel
Religions
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 13 years (2015 est.) male: 12 years (2015 est.) female: 14 years (2015 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female 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 total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Tobacco use
total: 9% (2025 est.) male: 15.1% (2025 est.) female: 3.1% (2025 est.)
Climate & Issues
tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior
Land Cover
Air & Carbon Emissions
Water Resources & Use
Detailed Environmental Information
International environmental agreements
Urbanization
urban population: 57.4% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.79% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually: 1.052 million tons (2024 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 15% (2022 est.)
Capital & State Profile
Executive Branch
Legislative Branch
National Identity & Symbols
diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles, two green (top and bottom) and two black (left and right)
Detailed Government Information
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: 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
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
history: several previous (pre-independence); latest drafted 1961-62, submitted to British Parliament 24 July 1962, entered into force 6 August 1962 (at independence) 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
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"
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
International organization participation
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 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)
Legal system
common law system based on the English model
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites: 2 ( 1mixed,1 cultural) selected World Heritage Site locales: Blue and John Crow Mountains (m); The Archaeological Ensemble of 17th Century Port Royal (c)
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
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
Size & Performance
GDP Sector Breakdown
Trade Balance
Budget Balance
Export Profile
Top Export Partners
Major Export Commodities
Labor & Employment
Income Inequality
Family Income / Consumption Share
Detailed Economic Data
Agricultural products
Current account balance
$678.808 million (2024 est.) $568.932 million (2023 est.) -$136.401 million (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
Debt - external
$9.636 billion (2023 est.) note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
Exchange rates
Jamaican dollars (JMD) per US dollar - Exchange rates: 156.44 (2024 est.) 154.159 (2023 est.) 153.427 (2022 est.) 150.79 (2021 est.) 142.403 (2020 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use
Industrial production growth rate
-1.5% (2024 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
Industries
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
5.4% (2024 est.) 6.5% (2023 est.) 10.3% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Public debt
106.3% of GDP (2020 est.) note: central government debt as a % of GDP
Remittances
17.9% of GDP (2024 est.) 18.5% of GDP (2023 est.) 21.6% of GDP (2022 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$4.869 billion (2023 est.) $4.52 billion (2022 est.) $4.838 billion (2021 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Taxes and other revenues
25.7% (of GDP) (2020 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
Grid Infrastructure
Generation Mix
Fossil Fuels Production
Intensity & Nuclear
Digital Access
Active internet users as a percentage of the total population.
Fixed Broadband
Mobile Cellular
Broadcast Media
Aviation
Ports & Harbors
Merchant Marine
Military Expenditures
Active Duty Strengths
approximately 4,000 active Jamaica Defense Forces (2025)
Service & Defense Details
Jamaica Defense Force (JDF): Jamaica Regiment (Land Force), Maritime, Air, and Cyber Command (MACC), Support Brigade, Caribbean Military Academy, Jamaica National Reserve (2025) note: the Jamaica Constabulary Force (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
the JDF's inventory features equipment mostly from Australia, the Netherlands, and the US (2025)
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)
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) note 1: the Jamaica Combined Cadet Force (JCCF), a youth organization under the Ministry of Security, also provides a recruitment pool for the JDF, as well as other government agencies note 2: as of 2022, women made up about 20% of the JDF's uniformed personnel