Country or area · Caribbean · Latin America and the Caribbean · Americas · UN WPP 2024

Jamaica population

Jamaica population now

2,832,313

A projection read at this second, not a count: the UN's totals for 1 January 2026 and 2027, joined by a straight line. 95% range for 31 December 2026: 2.8–2.9 million.

Mid-2023, UN estimate: 2,839,786

Year: 2026; projection · medium
Population, mid-2026: 2.83340 million; 95% range, 31 Dec: 2.8–2.9 million
Median age: 34.3
Aged 65+: 9.0%

Move through time, 1950–2100

2023 | 2024

male female projection · one cell = 500 people

How to read this: one row for each age, newborns at the bottom; men on the left, women on the right.

Verified 2026-09-30 · 73 canaries

JAM · 1950–2100 · in brief

Jamaica in numbers

In mid-2023 there were 2,839,786 people in Jamaica: the 142nd-largest population of the 236 countries and areas the UN reports, and 0.04% of the world's people. That is 2.0 times its 1950 population of 1.4 million.

Its population peaked in 2023 at 2.8 million. The UN's medium projection has 1.1 million in 2100. The projection is uncertain: on 1 January 2100 the UN's 95% range runs from 375 thousand to 3.8 million.

In the medium projection, deaths outnumber births every year from 2034 on.

The median age was 22.2 in 1950 and 32.7 in 2023; the projection has 55.1 in 2100. 7.9% of people were 65 or older in 2023, against 36.5% projected for 2100. The working-age population (15–64) is projected to peak in 2024 at 2.1 million.

Among countries it ranks 142nd in 2023, 146th in 2050 and 158th in 2100. In the medium projection it overtakes Lithuania in 2025, Moldova in 2032 and Armenia in 2036. It is overtaken by the Gambia in 2026, Gabon in 2030 and Botswana in 2031.

Population, mid-2023: 2,839,786
Rank by population, 2023: 142 of 236
Share of the world, 2023: 0.04%
Change in a year, mid-2022 to mid-2023: +0.02% · +642 people
People per km² of land, 2023: 262
Land area, 2023: 10,830 km²
Births, 2023: 33,007
Deaths, 2023: 22,933
Net migration, 2023: −10,003
Children per woman, 2023: 1.36
Median age, 2023: 32.7 years
Life expectancy at birth, 2023: 71.5 years
In a city, 2025: 46 of every 100
Population, mid-1950: 1,407,206
Projected, mid-2050: 2,454,940
Projected, mid-2100: 1,066,774

JAM · 1950–2100 · total population

Population, 1950–2100

estimates | projections01 m2 m3 m4 m1950197520002025205020752100

estimate projection, up to the bottom of the 95% range 95% range medium projection. Each column is the population on 1 January of one year; the paper rules cut it into equal cells.

Show the numbers: Jamaica, 1950–2100

Jamaica: population on 1 January, births, deaths, fertility and life expectancy, 1950–2100
Year	Kind	Population, 1 Jan	95% range	Births	Deaths	Children per woman	Life expectancy
1950	estimate	1,385,323		46,008	15,748	3.92	56.6
1951	estimate	1,429,088		48,413	16,078	4.01	57.1
1952	estimate	1,465,851		49,844	15,936	4.05	58.1
1953	estimate	1,496,836		52,110	15,902	4.18	58.9
1954	estimate	1,522,637		54,270	15,819	4.33	59.6
1955	estimate	1,544,258		56,644	15,691	4.52	60.4
1956	estimate	1,563,164		59,072	15,540	4.74	61.2
1957	estimate	1,580,781		61,340	15,336	4.96	62.0
1958	estimate	1,598,572		63,622	15,178	5.19	62.6
1959	estimate	1,617,957		64,712	15,022	5.32	63.3
1960	estimate	1,638,512		66,835	14,891	5.54	63.8
1961	estimate	1,661,499		66,956	15,024	5.60	64.3
1962	estimate	1,685,022		66,905	15,146	5.63	64.6
1963	estimate	1,708,842		67,527	15,251	5.73	65.0
1964	estimate	1,733,355		67,860	15,359	5.79	65.3
1965	estimate	1,757,781		66,837	15,413	5.72	65.7
1966	estimate	1,780,603		66,307	15,499	5.69	65.9
1967	estimate	1,802,346		65,890	15,704	5.67	66.1
1968	estimate	1,823,384		64,924	15,735	5.58	66.3
1969	estimate	1,844,147		64,076	15,818	5.47	66.5
1970	estimate	1,866,107		63,461	15,914	5.35	66.7
1971	estimate	1,890,285		63,104	15,898	5.21	67.0
1972	estimate	1,917,172		62,906	16,231	5.06	67.3
1973	estimate	1,945,911		63,977	16,539	5.00	67.6
1974	estimate	1,976,528		62,236	16,709	4.67	67.9
1975	estimate	2,005,283		61,652	16,916	4.44	68.2
1976	estimate	2,032,679		61,005	17,129	4.21	68.4
1977	estimate	2,058,477		60,421	17,423	4.00	68.6
1978	estimate	2,082,838		60,208	17,733	3.84	68.7
1979	estimate	2,106,834		60,560	18,112	3.72	68.8
1980	estimate	2,132,138		60,658	18,342	3.59	69.0
1981	estimate	2,159,178		61,485	18,588	3.51	69.1
1982	estimate	2,188,458		62,602	18,786	3.46	69.3
1983	estimate	2,219,319		63,848	18,754	3.41	69.5
1984	estimate	2,250,345		64,137	18,492	3.32	69.8
1985	estimate	2,278,779		63,545	18,424	3.21	70.1
1986	estimate	2,302,533		62,679	18,159	3.11	70.5
1987	estimate	2,321,717		62,010	17,856	3.02	70.9
1988	estimate	2,337,909		61,789	17,810	2.98	71.2
1989	estimate	2,353,645		61,287	17,695	2.93	71.5
1990	estimate	2,370,187		62,242	17,775	2.96	71.7
1991	estimate	2,389,567		63,564	17,947	3.00	71.8
1992	estimate	2,412,170		64,653	18,159	3.03	71.8
1993	estimate	2,437,232		64,209	18,118	2.99	71.8
1994	estimate	2,462,599		63,402	18,194	2.93	71.6
1995	estimate	2,487,842		62,038	18,334	2.85	71.5
1996	estimate	2,512,459		60,673	18,377	2.77	71.3
1997	estimate	2,536,466		58,941	18,420	2.68	71.2
1998	estimate	2,559,230		56,993	18,364	2.57	71.2
1999	estimate	2,580,242		54,889	18,241	2.46	71.2
2000	estimate	2,599,348		52,498	18,045	2.35	71.3
2001	estimate	2,616,304		51,636	17,968	2.30	71.3
2002	estimate	2,632,502		51,305	17,735	2.27	71.5
2003	estimate	2,648,641		50,977	17,639	2.24	71.6
2004	estimate	2,664,605		50,225	17,726	2.20	71.5
2005	estimate	2,679,845		49,327	17,822	2.15	71.5
2006	estimate	2,694,286		48,211	18,000	2.09	71.4
2007	estimate	2,707,649		46,970	18,084	2.02	71.4
2008	estimate	2,719,952		45,610	18,059	1.95	71.5
2009	estimate	2,731,317		44,233	17,921	1.88	71.7
2010	estimate	2,742,673		42,755	17,724	1.80	72.0
2011	estimate	2,754,462		41,214	17,586	1.72	72.3
2012	estimate	2,766,525		39,948	17,628	1.65	72.4
2013	estimate	2,778,335		38,913	17,877	1.59	72.4
2014	estimate	2,789,039		38,052	18,300	1.54	72.4
2015	estimate	2,798,459		37,324	18,837	1.51	72.2
2016	estimate	2,806,609		36,364	19,420	1.46	72.0
2017	estimate	2,813,221		35,458	20,041	1.43	71.9
2018	estimate	2,818,306		34,701	20,773	1.40	71.6
2019	estimate	2,821,889		34,357	21,262	1.39	71.5
2020	estimate	2,824,653		34,014	21,844	1.38	71.5
2021	estimate	2,836,825		33,921	27,540	1.38	69.1
2022	estimate	2,838,538		33,658	22,444	1.37	71.5
2023	estimate	2,839,750		33,007	22,933	1.36	71.5
2024	estimate	2,839,822		32,508	23,298	1.35	71.6
2025	projection	2,838,528	2.8–2.9 million	31,837	23,685	1.34	71.7
2026	projection	2,835,627	2.8–2.9 million	31,322	24,086	1.33	71.9
2027	projection	2,831,180	2.8–2.9 million	30,826	24,496	1.33	72.0
2028	projection	2,825,879	2.8–2.9 million	30,324	24,935	1.33	72.1
2029	projection	2,819,856	2.7–2.9 million	29,804	25,348	1.33	72.2
2030	projection	2,812,938	2.7–2.9 million	29,264	25,776	1.33	72.4
2031	projection	2,804,969	2.7–2.9 million	28,690	26,201	1.33	72.5
2032	projection	2,796,257	2.7–2.9 million	28,132	26,643	1.34	72.6
2033	projection	2,786,016	2.6–2.9 million	27,564	27,059	1.34	72.8
2034	projection	2,774,930	2.6–3.0 million	26,952	27,485	1.34	72.9
2035	projection	2,762,516	2.6–3.0 million	26,324	27,903	1.35	73.0
2036	projection	2,749,352	2.5–3.0 million	25,717	28,361	1.35	73.2
2037	projection	2,734,804	2.5–3.0 million	25,101	28,822	1.36	73.3
2038	projection	2,718,994	2.5–3.0 million	24,507	29,274	1.36	73.4
2039	projection	2,702,643	2.4–3.0 million	23,914	29,722	1.36	73.6
2040	projection	2,685,163	2.4–3.0 million	23,320	30,173	1.37	73.7
2041	projection	2,667,037	2.4–3.0 million	22,744	30,612	1.37	73.8
2042	projection	2,648,094	2.3–3.1 million	22,252	31,049	1.37	74.0
2043	projection	2,628,085	2.3–3.1 million	21,782	31,499	1.38	74.1
2044	projection	2,607,083	2.2–3.1 million	21,288	31,925	1.38	74.2
2045	projection	2,585,253	2.2–3.1 million	20,810	32,306	1.39	74.3
2046	projection	2,562,908	2.1–3.1 million	20,353	32,671	1.39	74.5
2047	projection	2,539,798	2.1–3.1 million	19,898	33,033	1.39	74.6
2048	projection	2,516,241	2.1–3.1 million	19,489	33,355	1.40	74.7
2049	projection	2,492,157	2.0–3.1 million	19,097	33,698	1.40	74.9
2050	projection	2,467,334	2.0–3.1 million	18,716	33,981	1.41	75.0
2051	projection	2,442,546	1.9–3.1 million	18,334	34,271	1.41	75.1
2052	projection	2,417,292	1.9–3.1 million	17,964	34,570	1.41	75.3
2053	projection	2,391,436	1.9–3.1 million	17,591	34,808	1.41	75.4
2054	projection	2,364,784	1.8–3.2 million	17,246	35,036	1.42	75.5
2055	projection	2,337,363	1.8–3.2 million	16,891	35,256	1.42	75.7
2056	projection	2,309,463	1.7–3.2 million	16,546	35,442	1.42	75.8
2057	projection	2,281,099	1.7–3.2 million	16,212	35,634	1.42	75.9
2058	projection	2,252,800	1.7–3.2 million	15,886	35,828	1.43	76.1
2059	projection	2,223,817	1.6–3.2 million	15,579	36,002	1.43	76.2
2060	projection	2,194,558	1.6–3.2 million	15,264	36,179	1.43	76.3
2061	projection	2,164,806	1.5–3.3 million	14,941	36,364	1.43	76.5
2062	projection	2,134,995	1.5–3.3 million	14,623	36,539	1.43	76.6
2063	projection	2,104,745	1.4–3.3 million	14,323	36,694	1.44	76.7
2064	projection	2,074,461	1.4–3.3 million	14,054	36,866	1.44	76.9
2065	projection	2,043,742	1.3–3.3 million	13,761	36,990	1.44	77.0
2066	projection	2,012,494	1.3–3.3 million	13,467	37,095	1.45	77.1
2067	projection	1,981,699	1.2–3.3 million	13,206	37,194	1.45	77.3
2068	projection	1,950,602	1.2–3.3 million	12,929	37,273	1.45	77.4
2069	projection	1,919,197	1.2–3.3 million	12,649	37,294	1.46	77.5
2070	projection	1,887,749	1.1–3.4 million	12,363	37,284	1.46	77.7
2071	projection	1,856,008	1.1–3.4 million	12,110	37,249	1.46	77.8
2072	projection	1,824,210	1.1–3.4 million	11,851	37,186	1.46	78.0
2073	projection	1,792,227	1.0–3.4 million	11,578	37,069	1.46	78.1
2074	projection	1,760,438	1.0–3.4 million	11,333	36,929	1.46	78.2
2075	projection	1,728,537	0.9–3.4 million	11,087	36,760	1.46	78.4
2076	projection	1,697,150	0.9–3.4 million	10,864	36,515	1.47	78.5
2077	projection	1,665,982	0.9–3.4 million	10,647	36,253	1.47	78.7
2078	projection	1,634,872	0.8–3.4 million	10,423	35,956	1.47	78.8
2079	projection	1,604,292	0.8–3.4 million	10,227	35,630	1.47	78.9
2080	projection	1,573,759	0.8–3.4 million	10,022	35,253	1.47	79.0
2081	projection	1,543,488	0.7–3.4 million	9,822	34,818	1.47	79.2
2082	projection	1,513,887	0.7–3.5 million	9,653	34,365	1.47	79.3
2083	projection	1,484,732	0.7–3.5 million	9,488	33,843	1.48	79.5
2084	projection	1,456,343	0.7–3.5 million	9,321	33,319	1.48	79.6
2085	projection	1,428,134	0.6–3.5 million	9,174	32,770	1.48	79.7
2086	projection	1,400,275	0.6–3.5 million	9,013	32,169	1.48	79.9
2087	projection	1,373,122	0.6–3.6 million	8,863	31,569	1.49	80.0
2088	projection	1,346,597	0.6–3.6 million	8,706	30,926	1.49	80.1
2089	projection	1,320,663	0.5–3.6 million	8,564	30,288	1.49	80.2
2090	projection	1,295,284	0.5–3.6 million	8,421	29,610	1.49	80.4
2091	projection	1,270,593	0.5–3.6 million	8,275	28,954	1.49	80.5
2092	projection	1,246,483	0.5–3.6 million	8,127	28,272	1.49	80.7
2093	projection	1,223,073	0.5–3.6 million	7,992	27,612	1.49	80.8
2094	projection	1,200,319	0.5–3.6 million	7,855	26,985	1.49	80.9
2095	projection	1,178,235	0.4–3.7 million	7,732	26,315	1.49	81.0
2096	projection	1,156,789	0.4–3.7 million	7,605	25,700	1.49	81.2
2097	projection	1,135,912	0.4–3.7 million	7,477	25,095	1.49	81.3
2098	projection	1,115,497	0.4–3.7 million	7,342	24,492	1.49	81.4
2099	projection	1,095,600	0.4–3.7 million	7,224	23,908	1.50	81.5
2100	projection	1,076,182	0.4–3.8 million	7,103	23,334	1.50	81.7

Show the numbers: Jamaica, mid-2026, by single year of age

Jamaica: population by single year of age, mid-2026
Age	Male	Female
0	15,714	15,171
1	15,849	15,292
2	16,037	15,466
3	16,260	15,678
4	16,458	15,871
5	16,565	15,976
6	16,668	16,074
7	16,794	16,196
8	17,031	16,427
9	17,416	16,796
10	17,857	17,216
11	18,254	17,601
12	18,626	17,965
13	19,076	18,400
14	19,620	18,922
15	20,268	19,546
16	20,928	20,193
17	21,496	20,760
18	21,994	21,249
19	22,429	21,672
20	22,786	22,022
21	23,058	22,285
22	23,237	22,460
23	23,270	22,495
24	23,194	22,428
25	23,246	22,490
26	23,807	23,039
27	24,672	23,880
28	25,419	24,616
29	26,066	25,259
30	26,556	25,754
31	26,941	26,148
32	27,176	26,390
33	27,174	26,400
34	26,669	25,928
35	25,689	24,980
36	24,708	24,022
37	24,122	23,468
38	23,803	23,185
39	23,538	22,957
40	23,459	22,925
41	23,406	22,924
42	23,115	22,676
43	22,412	22,008
44	21,502	21,133
45	20,635	20,304
46	19,942	19,668
47	19,296	19,129
48	18,661	18,644
49	18,194	18,352
50	17,800	18,153
51	17,398	17,960
52	17,226	18,013
53	16,696	17,708
54	15,848	17,074
55	15,298	16,737
56	14,762	16,451
57	14,334	16,304
58	14,081	16,285
59	13,788	16,166
60	13,428	15,945
61	13,186	15,830
62	12,786	15,535
63	12,102	14,926
64	11,516	14,396
65	11,051	13,965
66	10,323	13,202
67	9,618	12,362
68	8,935	11,508
69	8,036	10,434
70	7,166	9,394
71	6,363	8,436
72	5,676	7,598
73	5,086	6,836
74	4,629	6,224
75	4,194	5,637
76	3,545	4,836
77	3,215	4,415
78	3,167	4,306
79	2,956	4,012
80	2,694	3,657
81	2,391	3,266
82	2,068	2,854
83	1,741	2,441
84	1,427	2,046
85	1,140	1,682
86	887	1,356
87	670	1,071
88	505	842
89	390	673
90	307	540
91	238	429
92	183	338
93	136	257
94	94	185
95	60	126
96	38	84
97	23	55
98	14	35
99	8	22
100+	7	34

JAM · 1950–2100 · every age, every year

Jamaica, every age in every year

Each column is a year and each row an age; the denser the ink in a cell, the more people. Everyone born in the same year climbs one 45° diagonal, so famines, baby booms and migration show up as streaks. Select a cell to follow its generation.

JAM · ages 15–64

Who does the work in Jamaica

On the UN's projection, Jamaica will have the most working-age people it ever has in 2024: 2,075,100 people aged 15–64. In 2023 it had 2,073,150.

100 aged 15–64

26 children

11 aged 65+

aged 15–64 children under 15 aged 65 and over

How to read this: the orange squares are 100 people aged 15–64 in 2023, and the rows below are how many children (teal) and how many people aged 65 or older (violet) lived alongside them.

Fewer than 50 dependants live alongside every 100 people aged 15–64 in 44 years: 2010–2053.

fewer than 50 dependants per 100 the same, projected 50 or more

How to read this: the strip runs 1950 to 2100. Coloured years are the ones with under 50 dependants for every 100 people aged 15–64; grey years are the rest, and a hatched year has not happened yet.

How every country compares

JAM · arrivals minus departures

Who arrives in Jamaica, and who leaves

In 2020–2025 Jamaica loses 8,140 people a year: everyone who arrives, minus everyone who leaves. The age at which that happens most is 20–24, at 1,502 a year more leaving than arriving.

one square = 200 people a year

020406080+

more arrive than leave more leave than arrive

How to read this: left to right is age, from babies to 100. Blue squares above the line are ages at which more people arrive than leave; orange squares below it, ages at which more leave than arrive. These are the UN's projection for 2020–2025. There is no record of migration by age before 2020.

Its best and worst years between 1950 and 2023: a gain of 13,504 (1950), and a loss of 29,147 (1967).

In 2024, 24,007 people living in Jamaica had been born in another country, fewer than 1 of every 100 people there, against fewer than 1 in 1990.

How migration works everywhere

JAM · births by the mother's age · 1950–2100

Who has the babies in Jamaica

Of every 100 babies born in Jamaica in 2023, 12 had a mother under 20, 70 a mother aged 20 to 34 and 18 a mother aged 35 or older. In 1950 it was 16 under 20 and 13 aged 35 or older.

1950
16 · 71 · 13

2023
12 · 70 · 18

2050 · projected
8 · 68 · 24

The mother's age: under 20 20 to 34 35 or older projected

How to read this: each block is 100 babies born in that year, one square each, coloured by how old the mother was. The numbers under a block are the three groups, youngest mothers first.

Babies born, 2023: 33,007
Average age when women have a baby: 27.9 years; 27.4 in 1950
Babies a year per 1,000 girls aged 15–19: 37; 102 in 1950

Babies by the mother's age, 1950–2100

Babies born in Jamaica by the mother's age
Mother's age	1950	1975	2000	2023	2050 projected	2100 projected
10–14	56	477	357	48	8	1
15–19	7,236	15,886	10,201	4,104	1,542	110
20–24	14,340	18,888	14,236	8,217	4,544	710
25–29	10,980	12,726	12,360	8,498	4,753	1,953
30–34	7,283	7,559	8,721	6,325	3,376	2,500
35–39	4,551	4,153	5,215	4,353	3,140	1,442
40–44	1,349	1,668	1,295	1,380	1,286	356
45–49	207	285	112	82	67	31
50–54	6	10	1	0	0	0
All babies	46,008	61,652	52,498	33,007	18,716	7,103

The UN's births for each year, split by the mother's age in the UN's own proportions.

JAM · healthy years · 2021

Years in good health in Jamaica

Of the 70.1 years a baby born in Jamaica in 2021 could expect, about 61.7 would be lived in full health (95% range 60.9–62.7). That leaves 8.4 years in less than full health, fewer than the world's 9.5, which mostly means lives are shorter here, with fewer years in which to be ill.

Women

63.0 in full health, 9.8 not: 72.8 years

Men

60.5 in full health, 7.1 not: 67.6 years

a year in full health a year in less than full health

How to read this: each square is a year of life, each row ten years; filled squares are years in full health, rounded to whole years.

Women: 63.0 healthy years of 72.8. Men: 60.5 of 67.6. In 2019, before the pandemic, the healthy years were 63.6.

JAM · forced from home · end of 2025

Displacement in Jamaica

UNHCR publishes no refugees, asylum-seekers or displaced people in or from Jamaica at the end of 2025.

That is an absence from the record rather than a measurement. This count covers the people one agency works with, and a country it does not work in is simply not in it.

In 2025, 2,124 people from Jamaica asked for asylum in another country. Of every 100 people from Jamaica whose claims were decided that year, 32 were given protection. Who asks for asylum, and who is given it

How the world's displacement is counted

JAM · of every 100 people

How people live in Jamaica

Of every 100 people in Jamaica in 2025, 46 lived in a city, 27 in a town or suburb and 27 in the countryside.

cities towns and suburbs rural areas

2.3 of every 100 have no electricity at home (2024). 9.9 of every 100 do not use the internet (2024).

How to read this: 100 squares, one for every 100th person, coloured by where they live, as the key says. The same rule is used in every country.

How the world's people live

JAM · adults 25 and over · 2020

How far people in Jamaica went in school

Almost every adult in Jamaica went to school: of every 100 in 2020, 34 finished upper secondary or went further.

4 some primary 12 finished primary 50 finished lower secondary 15 finished upper secondary 19 studied after school

Its people aged 15 to 64 are projected to be most numerous in 2025; the ones who finished upper secondary are most numerous later, in 2055.

How to read this: 100 squares, one for every hundredth adult aged 25 or over, from least schooling on the left to most on the right. Counted by the Wittgenstein Centre for 2020.

How far the world's people went in school

JAM · cities · 2025

Cities in Jamaica

Jamaica had 6 cities in 2025, home to 1.3 million people. The largest, Kingston, holds 21 of every 100 people in Jamaica.

Kingston598,012
Portmore347,722
Montego Bay118,854
Mandeville101,679
May Pen80,487
Old Harbour60,421

How to read this: one bar for each of the 6 largest cities, 2025, all on the same scale. "City" here means the built-up area the UN measures, not the boundary the city draws itself.

All the world's cities

Apparatus

Sources and method

Every figure on this page comes from the UN's World Population Prospects 2024: the annual country tables (estimates to 2023, projections with 95% intervals from 2024), and the population by single year of age and sex for the pyramid.

The censuses, surveys and registers behind the UN's estimates for Jamaica are listed, source by source, on the UN's own data sources page.

Sources: UN WPP 2024 · World Bank · UNHCR · country code lists · UN WUP 2025 · Wittgenstein Centre · WHO GHO · flag-icons · Natural Earth. Every source, its licence and how to cite it →

Checked before it was drawn

Verified 2026-09-30 · 73 canaries The pyramid for every year was checked against the published total. What that stamp counts, and what every page here has to pass before it can be built: how this site checks its figures.