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Jamaica
Jamaican Song and Story, Walter Jekyll
Jamaica (Central America and Caribbean)
Introduction :: Jamaica
Panel - Expanded
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.
Geography :: Jamaica
Geography
Location
Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba
Geographic coordinates
18 15 N, 77 30 W
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean
Area
total : 10,991 sq km
land: 10,831 sq km
water: 160 sq km
comparison ranking: total 166
Area - comparative
about half the size of New Jersey; slightly smaller than Connecticut
Area comparison map:
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
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
Natural resources
bauxite, alumina, gypsum, limestone
Land use
agricultural land: 41.4% (2018 est.)
arable land: 11.1% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 9.2% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 21.1% (2018 est.)
forest: 31.1% (2018 est.)
other: 27.5% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land
250 sq km (2012)
Population distribution
population density is high throughout, but increases in and around Kingston, Montego Bay, and Port Esquivel
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
People and Society
Population
total: 2,823,713
male: 1,397,495
female: 1,426,218 (2024 est.)
comparison rankings: female 140; male 141; total 140
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: 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)
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: 30.9 years (2024 est.)
male: 30.1 years
female: 31.7 years
comparison ranking: total 130
Population growth rate
0.1% (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 185
Birth rate
15.6 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 105
Death rate
7.5 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 100
Net migration rate
-7.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 217
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.)
total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030
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.)
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.)
comparison ranking: 69
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
comparison ranking: total 129
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 76.3 years (2024 est.)
male: 74.5 years
female: 78.1 years
comparison ranking: total population 111
Total fertility rate
2.05 children born/woman (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 98
Gross reproduction rate
1 (2024 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate
NA
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)
Physician 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)
comparison ranking: 55
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.)
comparison ranking: total 104
Tobacco use
total: 9.4% (2020 est.)
male: 15% (2020 est.)
female: 3.8% (2020 est.)
comparison ranking: total 137
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
2.5% (2018/19)
comparison ranking: 96
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
32.7% (2023 est.)
Education expenditures
6% of GDP (2021 est.)
comparison ranking: 43
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)
Environment
Environment - current 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
Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Climate
tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior
Land use
agricultural land: 41.4% (2018 est.)
arable land: 11.1% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 9.2% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 21.1% (2018 est.)
forest: 31.1% (2018 est.)
other: 27.5% (2018 est.)
Urbanization
urban population: 57.4% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.79% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030
Revenue from forest resources
0.15% of GDP (2018 est.)
comparison ranking: 102
Revenue from coal
0% of GDP (2018 est.)
comparison ranking: 94
Air pollutants
particulate matter emissions: 14.83 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 8.23 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 1.08 megatons (2020 est.)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually: 1,051,695 tons (2016 est.)
Total water withdrawal
municipal: 140 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
industrial: 1.1 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
agricultural: 110 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Total renewable water resources
10.82 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Government
Country name
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Jamaica
etymology: from the native Taino word "haymaca" meaning "Land of Wood and Water" or possibly "Land of Springs"
Government type
parliamentary democracy (Parliament) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
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 blending of the words "king's" and "town"; the English king at the time of the city's founding in 1692 was WILLIAM III (r. 1689-1702)
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
Independence
6 August 1962 (from the UK)
National holiday
Independence Day, 6 August (1962)
Legal system
common law system based on the English model
Constitution
history: several previous (preindependence); latest drafted 1961-62, submitted to British Parliament 24 July 1962, entered into force 6 August 1962 (at independence)
amendments: proposed by Parliament; passage of amendments to "non-entrenched" constitutional sections, such as lowering the voting age, requires majority vote by the Parliament membership; passage of amendments to "entrenched" sections, such as fundamental rights and freedoms, requires two-thirds majority vote of Parliament; passage of amendments to "specially entrenched" sections such as the dissolution of Parliament or the executive authority of the monarch requires two-thirds approval by Parliament and approval in a referendum; amended many times, last in 2017; note - in mid-July 2024, Jamaica’s Constitutional Reform Committee submitted its report on recommendations for reform of the constitution and awaiting debate in Parliament
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Citizenship
citizenship by birth: yes
citizenship by descent only: yes
dual citizenship recognized: yes
residency requirement for naturalization: 4 out of the previous 5 years
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
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
elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition in the House of Representatives is appointed prime minister by the governor general
note: the Jamaican Government, in May 2023, announced plans to hold a referendum in 2024 to determine whether or not to remain in the Commonwealth or become a republic
Legislative branch
legislature name: Parliament
legislative structure: bicameral
Legislative branch - lower chamber
chamber name: House of Representatives
number of seats: 63 (all directly elected)
electoral system: plurality/majority
scope of elections: full renewal
term in office: 5 years
most recent election date: 9/3/2020
parties elected and seats per party: Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) (49); People's National Party (PNP) (14)
percentage of women in chamber: 28.6%
expected date of next election: September 2025
Legislative branch - upper chamber
chamber name: Senate
number of seats: 21 (all appointed)
scope of elections: full renewal
term in office: 5 years
most recent election date: 9/15/2020
percentage of women in chamber: 40%
expected date of next election: September 2025
Judicial branch
highest court(s): Court of Appeal (consists of president of the court and a minimum of 4 judges); Supreme Court (40 judges organized in specialized divisions); note - appeals beyond Jamaica's highest courts are referred to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) rather than to the Caribbean Court of Justice (the appellate court for member states of the Caribbean Community)
judge selection and term of office: chief justice of the Supreme Court and president of the Court of Appeal appointed by the governor-general on the advice of the prime minister; other judges of both courts appointed by the governor-general on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission; judges of both courts serve till age 70
subordinate courts: resident magistrate courts, district courts, and petty sessions courts
Political parties
Jamaica Labor Party or JLP
Jamaica Progressive Party or JPP
People's National Party or PNP
United Independents' Congress or UIC
International organization participation
ACP, ACS, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-15, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Audrey Patrice MARKS (since 18 January 2017)
chancery: 1520 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 452-0660
FAX: [1] (202) 452-0036
email address and website:
contactus@jamaicaembassy.org
Jamaican Embassy (embassyofjamaica.org)
consulate(s) general: Miami, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Amy TACHCO (since January 2025)
embassy: 142 Old Hope Road, Kingston 6
mailing address: 3210 Kingston Place, Washington DC 20521-3210
telephone: (876) 702-6000
FAX: (876) 702-6348
email address and website:
KingstonACS@state.gov
https://jm.usembassy.gov/
Flag description
diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles - green (top and bottom) and black (hoist side and fly side); green represents hope, vegetation, and agriculture, black reflects hardships overcome and to be faced, and yellow recalls golden sunshine and the island's natural resources
National symbol(s)
green-and-black streamertail (bird), Guaiacum officinale (Guaiacwood); national colors: green, yellow, black
National anthem
name: "Jamaica, Land We Love"
lyrics/music: Hugh Braham SHERLOCK/Robert Charles LIGHTBOURNE
note: adopted 1962
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites: 1 (mixed)
selected World Heritage Site locales: Blue and John Crow Mountains
Economy
Economic 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
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$29.225 billion (2023 est.)
$28.596 billion (2022 est.)
$27.177 billion (2021 est.)
note: data in 2021 dollars
comparison ranking: 149
Real GDP growth rate
2.2% (2023 est.)
5.22% (2022 est.)
4.6% (2021 est.)
note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
comparison ranking: 139
Real GDP per capita
$10,300 (2023 est.)
$10,100 (2022 est.)
$9,600 (2021 est.)
note: data in 2021 dollars
comparison ranking: 144
GDP (official exchange rate)
$19.423 billion (2023 est.)
note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
6.47% (2023 est.)
10.35% (2022 est.)
5.86% (2021 est.)
note: annual % change based on consumer prices
comparison ranking: 139
Credit ratings
Fitch rating: B+ (2019)
Moody's rating: B2 (2019)
Standard & Poors rating: B+ (2019)
note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 9% (2023 est.)
industry: 18.6% (2023 est.)
services: 60.1% (2023 est.)
note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
comparison rankings: services 88; industry 152; agriculture 83
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
Agricultural products
sugarcane, yams, goat milk, chicken, coconuts, oranges, bananas, pumpkins/squash, plantains, sweet potatoes (2022)
note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
Industries
agriculture, mining, manufacture, construction, financial and insurance services, tourism, telecommunications
Industrial production growth rate
4.98% (2023 est.)
note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
comparison ranking: 51
Labor force
1.573 million (2023 est.)
note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
comparison ranking: 133
Unemployment rate
4.42% (2023 est.)
4.08% (2022 est.)
5.19% (2021 est.)
note: % of labor force seeking employment
comparison ranking: 86
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
total: 13.8% (2023 est.)
male: 13.1% (2023 est.)
female: 14.9% (2023 est.)
note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
comparison ranking: total 101
Population below poverty line
16.7% (2021 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
40.2 (2021 est.)
comparison ranking: 45
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 2.2% (2021 est.)
highest 10%: 29.9% (2021 est.)
Remittances
18.54% of GDP (2023 est.)
21.57% of GDP (2022 est.)
25.29% of GDP (2021 est.)
note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Budget
revenues: $4.041 billion (2020 est.)
expenditures: $4.12 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
Public debt
106.28% of GDP (2020 est.)
note: central government debt as a % of GDP
comparison ranking: 17
Taxes and other revenues
25.71% (of GDP) (2020 est.)
note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
comparison ranking: 41
Current account balance
$583.407 million (2023 est.)
-$129.756 million (2022 est.)
$149.262 million (2021 est.)
note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
comparison ranking: 63
Exports
$7.275 billion (2023 est.)
$6.424 billion (2022 est.)
$4.401 billion (2021 est.)
note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
comparison ranking: 127
Exports - partners
US 57%, Russia 5%, Canada 4%, UK 4%, Iceland 2% (2022)
note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Exports - commodities
refined petroleum, natural gas, aluminum oxide, liquor, aluminum ore (2022)
note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
Imports
$9.866 billion (2023 est.)
$9.726 billion (2022 est.)
$7.405 billion (2021 est.)
note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
comparison ranking: 123
Imports - partners
US 36%, China 12%, Trinidad and Tobago 6%, Brazil 5%, Turkey 4% (2022)
note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, crude petroleum, natural gas, cars, plastic products (2022)
note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$4.869 billion (2023 est.)
$4.52 billion (2022 est.)
$4.838 billion (2021 est.)
note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
comparison ranking: 107
Debt - external
$9.776 billion (2023 est.)
note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
comparison ranking: 52
Exchange rates
Jamaican dollars (JMD) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
154.159 (2023 est.)
153.427 (2022 est.)
150.79 (2021 est.)
142.403 (2020 est.)
133.312 (2019 est.)
Energy
Electricity access
electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Electricity
installed generating capacity: 1.222 million kW (2022 est.)
consumption: 3.367 billion kWh (2022 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 1.212 billion kWh (2022 est.)
comparison rankings: transmission/distribution losses 106; consumption 138; installed generating capacity 132
Electricity generation sources
fossil fuels: 86.6% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
solar: 3% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
wind: 6.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
hydroelectricity: 3.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
biomass and waste: 1.2% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Coal
consumption: 65,000 metric tons (2022 est.)
exports: 100 metric tons (2022 est.)
imports: 65,000 metric tons (2022 est.)
Petroleum
total petroleum production: 3,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 49,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)
Natural gas
consumption: 664.834 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
imports: 664.834 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
8.86 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 147,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 7.411 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 1.302 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
comparison ranking: total emissions 110
Energy consumption per capita
46.586 million Btu/person (2022 est.)
comparison ranking: 97
Communications
Telephones - fixed lines
total subscriptions: 459,000 (2023 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 16 (2023 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 95
Telephones - mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 3.27 million (2023 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 106 (2022 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 140
Telecommunication systems
general assessment: Jamaica’s telecom sector has for many years been propped up by the mobile sector, which accounts for the vast majority of internet connections and voice lines; it also accounts for just over half of telecom sector revenue; in December 2020, the government announced the rollout of a national broadband network costing up to $237 million; the funding will be spent on improving connectivity in under served areas, improving access to education, and deploying networks to public locations such as hospitals, municipal institutions, and police stations; to aid in this national broadband effort, the government received a donation of 650km of fiber cabling from local cable TV providers and the two main toll road operators; to encourage the use of digital channels as the country deals with the Covid-19 pandemic (2021)
domestic: fixed-line subscriptions nearly 17 per 100, cellular-mobile roughly 103 per 100 subscriptions (2021)
international: country code - 1-876 and 1-658; landing points for the ALBA-1, CFX-1, Fibralink, East-West, and Cayman-Jamaican Fiber System submarine cables providing connections to South America, parts of the Caribbean, Central America and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)
Broadcast media
3 free-to-air TV stations, subscription cable services, and roughly 30 radio stations (2019)
Internet country code
.jm
Internet users
percent of population: 85% (2022 est.)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
total: 448,000 (2023 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 16 (2023 est.)
comparison ranking: total 102
Transportation
National air transport system
number of registered air carriers: 0 (2020)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
6Y
Airports
20 (2024)
comparison ranking: 135
Heliports
2 (2024)
Roadways
total: 25,595 km (2017)
comparison ranking: total 105
Merchant marine
total: 40 (2023)
by type: bulk carrier 1, general cargo 11, oil tanker 1, other 27
comparison ranking: total 125
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
Military and Security
Military and security forces
Jamaica Defense Force (JDF): Ground Forces (Jamaica Regiment), Air Wing, Coast Guard; Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF); Jamaica National Service Corps (JNSC) (2024)
note 1: the Coast Guard and Air Wing are operationally combined under the joint Military-Air-Cyber Command, along with the Military Cyber Corps, Special Activities Regiment, Support Brigade, and Military Intelligence Unit
note 2: the JCF is the country’s police force; it has primary responsibility for internal security and has units for community policing, special response, intelligence gathering, and internal affairs; both it and the JDF are under the Ministry of National Security
note 3: the JNSC is a third category of service that military recruits can join as a preparatory phase for future careers; JNSC soldiers receive basic military, vocational, and life skills training; upon completion of 12 months of service, soldiers can continue on with the JDF or the JDF reserves or seek opportunities in other public sector entities such as the JCF, the Department of Correctional Services, the Jamaica Fire Brigade, the Jamaica Customs Agency, or the Passport Immigration and Citizenship Agency
Military expenditures
1.2% of GDP (2023 est.)
1.3% of GDP (2022 est.)
1.4% of GDP (2021 est.)
1.7% of GDP (2020 est.)
1.6% of GDP (2019 est.)
comparison ranking: 116
Military and security service personnel strengths
approximately 5,000 personnel (2023)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the JDF is lightly armed with a limited inventory featuring equipment mostly from Australia, Canada, Japan, the Netherlands, the UK, and the US (2024)
Military service age and obligation
18-23 for voluntary military service (17 with parental consent) for men and women; 18-28 for the reserves; no conscription; since 2017, the JDF's standard mode of recruitment is to enroll recruits ages 18-23 through the Jamaica National Service Corps (JNSC), which has a service requirement of 12 months (2024)
note: as of 2022, women made up about 20% of the JDF's uniformed personnel
Military - note
in addition to its responsibility of defending against external aggression, the JDF's primary missions are border, internal, and maritime security, including support to police operations in combating crime and violence; other missions include search and rescue, disaster response, humanitarian assistance, and peacekeeping; it has arrest authority and partners with the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF); both the JDF and JCF are under the Ministry of National Security, which directs policy for the security forces; the JDF participates in bilateral and multinational training exercises, including with the militaries of Canada, the UK, the US, and other Caribbean nations
while Jamaica had a militia force as early as the 1660s, the JDF was constituted in 1962 from the West India Regiment (WIR), a British colonial regiment which dates back to 1795 (2024)
Transnational Issues
Illicit drugs
Jamaica is the largest Caribbean source of marijuana and a transit point for cocaine trafficked from South America to North America and other international markets; criminal gangs in Jamaica, Haiti, and Central America use marijuana for currency to obtain guns or other contraband from criminal entities in Haiti and Central America
