Jamaica People - 2024

Population

2,820,982 (2023 est.)

Nationality

noun: Jamaican(s)

adjective: Jamaican

Ethnic groups

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

Languages

English, Jamaican patois

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.)

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)

2023 population pyramid:

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 38

youth dependency ratio: 28

elderly dependency ratio: 13.4

potential support ratio: 7.4 (2021 est.)

Median age

total: 30.5 years (2023 est.)

male: 29.7 years

female: 31.3 years

Population growth rate

0.09% (2023 est.)

Birth rate

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

Death rate

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

Net migration rate

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

Population distribution

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

Urbanization

urban population: 57.4% of total population (2023)

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

Major urban areas - population

597,000 KINGSTON (capital) (2023)

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 (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

Maternal mortality ratio

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

Infant mortality rate

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

male: 12.2 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 9.6 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 76 years (2023 est.)

male: 74.3 years

female: 77.9 years

Total fertility rate

2.05 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

1 (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

N/A

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 98.3% of population

rural: 93.9% of population

total: 96.4% of population

unimproved: urban: 1.7% of population

rural: 6.1% of population

total: 3.6% of population (2020 est.)

Current health expenditure

6.6% of GDP (2020)

Physicians density

0.53 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Hospital bed density

1.7 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 98.6% of population

rural: 99.4% of population

total: 98.9% of population

unimproved: urban: 1.4% of population

rural: 0.6% of population

total: 1.1% of population (2020 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

24.7% (2016)

Alcohol consumption per capita

total: 3.46 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer: 1.19 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine: 0.25 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits: 1.66 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols: 0.35 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use

total: 9.4% (2020 est.)

male: 15% (2020 est.)

female: 3.8% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

2.5% (2018/19)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

32.7% (2023 est.)

Education expenditures

6% of GDP (2021 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school

total population: 88.7%

male: 84%

female: 93.1% (2015)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 12 years

male: 11 years

female: 13 years (2015)