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
Total: 10,991 km²
Land: 10,831 km²
Water: 160 km²
Comparative: about half the size of New Jersey; slightly smaller than Connecticut

Land boundaries
Total: 0 km

Coastline: 1,022 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

Climate: tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior

Terrain: mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain

Elevation
Highest point: Blue Mountain Peak 2,256 m
Lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
Mean elevation: 18 m

Land use
Agricultural land: 38.5% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 11.1% (2023 est.)
Permanent crops: 6.3% (2023 est.)
Permanent pasture: 21.1% (2023 est.)
Forest: 56.2% (2023 est.)
Other: 5.3% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land: 250 km² (2012)

Natural hazards: hurricanes (especially July to November)

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

Population
Total: 2,823,713 (2024 est.)
Male: 1,397,495
Female: 1,426,218
Distribution: population density is high throughout, but increases in and around Kingston, Montego Bay, and Port Esquivel
Growth rate: 0.1% (2024 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: 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)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 52.1 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 36.2 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 15.9 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 6.3 (2024 est.)

Median age
Total: 30.9 years (2024 est.)
Male: 30.1 years
Female: 31.7 years

Population growth rate: 0.1% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 15.6 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 7.5 deaths/1,000 population (2024 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 (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 130 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 10.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 11.9 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 9.4 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 76.3 years (2024 est.)
Male: 74.5 years
Female: 78.1 years

Total fertility rate: 2.05 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Drinking water source
Urban: 4.6% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 14.6% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 8.9% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 1.4% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 0.6% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 1.1% of population (2022 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 2.5% (2018 est.)

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 4.9% (2024 est.); 4.4% (2023 est.); 4.1% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Capital
Name: Kingston
Geographic coordinates: 18 00 N, 76 48 W
Time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
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

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

Legal system: common law system based on the English model

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Executive branch
Chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor General Sir Patrick L. ALLEN (since 26 February 2009)
Head of government: Prime Minister Andrew HOLNESS (since 3 March 2016)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
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

Legislative branch
Legislature name: Parliament
Legislative structure: bicameral

Flag description: diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles, two green (top and bottom) and two black (left and right)

National anthem
Title: 'Jamaica, Land We Love'
Lyrics/music: Hugh Braham SHERLOCK/Robert Charles LIGHTBOURNE
History: adopted 1962

National heritage
Total World Heritage Sites: 2 ( 1mixed,1 cultural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales:

Real gdp growth rate: -0.7% (2024 est.); 2.6% (2023 est.); 5.2% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: -0.7% (2024 est.); 2.6% (2023 est.); 5.2% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 76.2% (2019 est.)
Government consumption: 13.6% (2019 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 24.1% (2019 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0.2% (2019 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 38% (2019 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -52.1% (2019 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 9.8% (2024 est.)
Industry: 18.3% (2024 est.)
Services: 60.3% (2024 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

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

Industrial production growth rate: -1.5% (2024 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Labor force: 1.57 million (2024 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate: 4.9% (2024 est.); 4.4% (2023 est.); 4.1% (2022 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 4.9% (2024 est.); 4.4% (2023 est.); 4.1% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Budget
Revenues: $4.041 billion (2020 est.)
Expenditures: $4.466 billion (2020 est.)
Note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Taxes and other revenues: 25.7% (of GDP) (2020 est.)
Note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Exports: $7.124 billion (2024 est.); $7.275 billion (2023 est.); $6.424 billion (2022 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: aluminum oxide, refined petroleum, natural gas, liquor, processed fruits and nuts (2023)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $9.524 billion (2024 est.); $9.866 billion (2023 est.); $9.726 billion (2022 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: refined petroleum, natural gas, cars, crude petroleum, plastic products (2023)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Electricity
Installed generating capacity: 1.242 million kW (2023 est.)
Consumption: 3.301 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 1.181 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Access electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 87.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources solar: 2.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources wind: 6.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 2.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 1.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal
Consumption: 106,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Exports: 100 metric tons (2022 est.)
Imports: 105,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 3,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 41,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Natural gas
Consumption: 822.549 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
Imports: 822.549 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 7.89 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 239,000 metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 6.04 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 1.611 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 42.095 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 459,000 (2023 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 16 (2023 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 3.27 million (2023 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 106 (2022 est.)

Internet
Users percent of population: 83% (2023 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 448,000 (2023 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 16 (2023 est.)

Military expenditures: 1.4% of GDP (2024 est.); 1.2% of GDP (2023 est.); 1.3% of GDP (2022 est.); 1.4% of GDP (2021 est.); 1.7% of GDP (2020 est.)

Airports: 20 (2025)

Heliports: 2 (2025)

Merchant marine
Total: 40 (2023)
By type: bulk carrier 1, general cargo 11, oil tanker 1, other 27