Jamaica Travel Podcast with Andre Campbell

Location

Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba

Terrain

Mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain

Climate

Tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior

Elevation

Highest point

Blue Mountain Peak 2,256 m

Lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 m

Mean elevation

18 m

Area

Total

10,991 sq km

Land

10,831 sq km

Water

160 sq km

Size comparison

About half the size of New Jersey; slightly smaller than Connecticut

Coastline

1,022 km

Land borders

Total 0 km

Natural resources

Bauxite, alumina, gypsum, limestone

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.)

Natural hazards

Hurricanes (especially July to November)

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

2,938,503 (2025 est.)

Male

1,453,759

Female

1,484,744

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.)

Median age

Total

28.8 years (2025 est.)

Male

30.1 years

Female

31.7 years

Life expectancy

Total population

76.3 years (2024 est.)

Male

74.5 years

Female

78.1 years

Urbanisation

Urban population

57.4% of total population (2023)

Rate of urbanization

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

Where people live

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

Largest cities

597,000 KINGSTON (capital) (2023)

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.

Government

Parliamentary democracy (Parliament) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

Capital

Kingston

Time zone

UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Independence

6 August 1962 (from the UK)

National day

Independence Day, 6 August (1962)

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

GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2024

$10,300 (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$10,300 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$10,100 (2022 est.)

Inflation

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

5.4% (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

6.5% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

10.3% (2022 est.)

Unemployment

Unemployment rate 2024

4.9% (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

4.4% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

4.1% (2022 est.)

Exchange rate

Currency

Jamaican dollars (JMD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2024

156.44 (2024 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

154.159 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

153.427 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

150.79 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

142.403 (2020 est.)

Main industries

Agriculture, mining, manufacture, construction, financial and insurance services, tourism, telecommunications

Agriculture

Sugarcane, goat milk, yams, chicken, oranges, coconuts, bananas, plantains, pumpkins/squash, pineapples (2023)

Airports

20 (2025)

Ports

Total ports

11 (2024)

Large

0

Medium

1

Small

2

Very small

8

Ports with oil terminals

5

Key ports

Falmouth, Kingston, Lucea, Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Port Antonio, Port Esquivel, Port Kaiser, Rio Bueno, Rocky Point, Savannah la Mar

Internet domain

.jm

Internet users

Percent of population 83% (2023 est.)

Mobile subscriptions

Total subscriptions

3.34 million (2024 est.)

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

118 (2024 est.)

Environmental issues

Heavy rates of deforestation; coastal waters polluted by industrial waste, sewage, and oil spills; damage to coral reefs; air pollution in Kingston from vehicle emissions; land erosion

Fresh water

10.823 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)