Demographics of Jamaica

Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean. The country had a population of 2,825,352 in 2023, the fourth largest in the region.

Jamaica's annual population growth rate stood at 0.08% in 2022. As of 2023, Jamaicans of African descent represent 92.1% of the population, followed by 6.1% Afro-European or Brown, 0.8% East Indian and Afro-East Indian, >0.8 % Caucasian, 0.4% Chinese and 0.2% other. 68.9% of Jamaicans were Christians in 2011, predominantly Protestant.

Population
According to the total population was  in, compared to only 1,403,000 in 1950. The proportion of children below the age of 15 in 2010 was 29%, 63.1% was between 15 and 65 years of age, while 7.8% was 65 years or older.

Life expectancy at birth
Source: UN World Population Prospects

Other sources of demographic statistics
Demographic statistics below are based on the 2022 World Population Review.


 * One birth every 12 minutes
 * One death every 23 minutes
 * One net migrant every 46 minutes
 * Net gain of one person every 45 minutes

The following demographic statistics are from The World Factbook by the CIA, unless otherwise referenced.

Population

 * 2,818,596 (2022 est.)
 * 2,990,561 (July 2017)



Age structure

 * 0-14 years: 25.2% (male 360,199/female 347,436)
 * 15-24 years: 17.95% (male 255,102/female 248,927)
 * 25-54 years: 38.06% (male 518,583/female 550,410)
 * 55-64 years: 9.63% (male 133,890/female 136,442)
 * 65 years and over: 9.17% (2020 est.) (male 121,969/female 135,612)

Birth rate
11.4 births/1,000 population (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 103rd

Death rate

 * 7.43 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 108th

Total fertility rate

 * 1.31 children born/woman (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 98th

Population growth rate

 * 0.08% (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 189th
 * 0.68% (2017)

Net migration rate

 * -7.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 219th
 * -4.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population

Median age

 * total: 29.4 years. Country comparison to the world: 131st
 * male: 28.6 years
 * female: 30.1 years (2020 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

 * 21.2 years (2008 est.)
 * note: median age at first birth among women 25–29

Urbanization

 * urban population: 57% of total population (2022)
 * rate of urbanisation: 0.79% annual rate of change (2020–25 est.)

Education expenditures

 * 5.4% of GDP (2020) Country comparison to the world: 43rd

Life expectancy at birth

 * total population: 75.75 years. Country comparison to the world: 116th
 * male: 73.98 years
 * female: 77.6 years (2022 est.)

Infant mortality rate

 * Total: 13.37 deaths/1,000 live births
 * Male: 13.93 deaths/1,000 live births
 * Female: 12.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 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)

Unemployment, youth ages 15–24

 * total: 20.6%
 * male: 16.8%
 * female: 25.4% (2019 est.)

Languages
English, Jamaican Patois

Religion
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.)

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

Nationality

 * Noun: Jamaican(s)
 * Adjective: Jamaican