Jamaica Population
Jamaica had an estimated population of 2,837,077 in mid-2025 (World Bank), making it the 140th most populous of 217 countries and territories, with 0.03% of everyone alive. The counter above projects that figure forward at the current growth rate of −0.07% a year.
Jamaica at a glance
How Jamaica's population is changing
Jamaica's population is roughly stable: −0.07% a year, which works out to about −2,097 people per year, or −6 a day. Births (11.4 per 1,000) and deaths (8.2 per 1,000) alone would give +0.32% a year; net migration removes about 11,053 people a year (−0.39%). Roughly one in every 2,896 people on Earth lives in Jamaica.
Population of Jamaica since 1960
In 1960, Jamaica had 1,650,005 people. By 2025 that was 2,837,077 — 1.7× larger. The fastest growth came between 1969 and 1979, when the population rose by 14%.
| Year | Population | Change vs previous row |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 1,650,005 | — |
| 1970 | 1,878,196 | +13.8% |
| 1980 | 2,145,658 | +14.2% |
| 1990 | 2,379,877 | +10.9% |
| 2000 | 2,607,826 | +9.6% |
| 2010 | 2,748,568 | +5.4% |
| 2020 | 2,830,739 | +3.0% |
| 2025 | 2,837,077 | +0.2% |
Jamaica from 1800 to 2100
Modelled estimates put Jamaica at about 300,000 people in 1800; the UN estimates 2,837,080 in 2025 (9× 1800) and projects 1,066,769 for 2100 in its medium scenario. The population is projected to peak around 2023 at 2,839,785 and decline afterwards.
| Year | Population | Kind |
|---|---|---|
| 1800 | 300,000 | modelled estimate |
| 1850 | 400,065 | modelled estimate |
| 1900 | 727,676 | modelled estimate |
| 1950 | 1,407,214 | UN estimate |
| 2000 | 2,607,827 | UN estimate |
| 2025 | 2,837,080 | UN projection |
| 2050 | 2,454,944 | UN projection |
| 2075 | 1,712,843 | UN projection |
| 2100 | 1,066,769 | UN projection |
Country live/base figures use World Bank estimates; this historical/future chart uses a separate UN series and need not match the World Bank base in overlapping years. Before 1950: HYDE 3.3 / Gapminder reconstructions via Our World in Data — historical modelling, not censuses. 1950–2023: UN World Population Prospects 2024. 2024–2100: UN medium projection. Open the time machine to see the whole map in any year.
Largest listed places in Jamaica
10 records sorted by displayed base population. Definitions vary (province/administrative unit, UN urban centre or GeoNames settlement); this is not a harmonised city ranking. Shares use World Bank 2025 country population 2,837,077. Dates and boundaries may differ. Overlapping entities are not summed.
| # | Place | Population | Definition | Share | Source / reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kingston | 598,012 | UN urban centre | 21.08% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 2 | Portmore | 347,722 | UN urban centre | 12.26% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 3 | Spanish Town | 145,018 | GeoNames settlement | 5.11% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 4 | Montego Bay | 118,854 | UN urban centre | 4.19% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 5 | Mandeville | 47,115 | GeoNames settlement | 1.66% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 6 | May Pen | 44,755 | GeoNames settlement | 1.58% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 7 | Ocho Rios | 26,503 | GeoNames settlement | 0.93% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 8 | Old Harbour | 26,024 | GeoNames settlement | 0.92% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 9 | Linstead | 20,660 | GeoNames settlement | 0.73% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 10 | Barrett Town | 17,169 | GeoNames settlement | 0.61% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
How Jamaica compares
Jamaica has almost the same population as Gambia (2,822,093).
| Rank | Country | Population | vs Jamaica | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #138 |  Qatar | 2,972,215 | +5% | compare → |
| #139 |  Lithuania | 2,888,774 | +2% | compare → |
| #141 |  Gambia | 2,822,093 | −1% | compare → |
| #142 |  Gabon | 2,593,130 | −9% | compare → |
Compare Jamaica with any country →
Same region (Latin America & Caribbean): Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Peru, Venezuela.
Explore around Jamaica
Nearest countries
Jamaica has no land border. Closest by distance:
Haiti 11,906,095 · 4.2× the population · compare
Cayman Islands 75,844 · 37.4× smaller · compare
Turks and Caicos Islands 46,855 · 60.6× smaller · compare
Dominican Republic 11,520,487 · 4.1× the population · compare
In its region
Jamaica is the 22nd most populous of the 42 economies in Latin America & Caribbean, holding 0.4% of the region's 666,592,570 people.
Rankings
Largest countries, fastest-growing, oldest populations, densest — all rankings.
Cities
Kingston, Portmore, Spanish Town, Montego Bay, Mandeville, May Pen, Ocho Rios, Old Harbour — all Jamaica's cities on the map.
World population history · The world when you were born · Jamaica when you were born · Time machine · Embed this live counter on your site
About these numbers
Population, growth, birth and death rates, migration, density, age structure, life expectancy, fertility and GDP per capita come from the World Bank Indicators API (latest available year shown beside each figure). The live counter applies the annual growth rate continuously from 1 July 2025 — a model, not a measurement. City populations are the latest census or official estimate held by GeoNames and are not projected. Sub-city units are folded into their parent city.
What changed during your lifetime?
Turn these figures into a private, five-scene personal world story.
Read this country carefully
This page is a structured reference entry. Its sources, geographic definition and reference dates determine what the figures mean; it is not independent reporting about the causes of change. Read the accompanying explanation before comparing different places or vintages.