Introduction
Background
The island - "discovered" by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1494 - was settled by the Spanish early in the 16th century. The Native Taino, who had inhabited Jamaica for centuries, were gradually exterminated and replaced by 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 recurrent 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, the COVID-19 pandemic, and poverty pose significant challenges to the government today. Nonetheless, many rural and resort areas remain relatively safe and contribute substantially to the economy.
Visit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic.
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 - comparative
about half the size of New Jersey; slightly smaller than Connecticut
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
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: 24.11% (male 346,566/female 333,673)
15-64 years: 65.8% (male 914,208/female 942,134)
65 years and over: 10.08% (2023 est.) (male 135,388/female 149,013)
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: 30.5 years (2023 est.)
male: 29.7 years
female: 31.3 years
comparison ranking: total 129
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.)
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 (2023 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
Infant mortality rate
total: 10.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
male: 12.2 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 9.6 deaths/1,000 live births
comparison ranking: total 128
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 76 years (2023 est.)
male: 74.3 years
female: 77.9 years
comparison ranking: total population 110
Gross reproduction rate
1 (2023 est.)
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)
Physicians 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.)
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
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
32.7% (2023 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)
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.)
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)
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
Legal system
common law system based on the English model
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); the Jamaican Government, in May 2023, announced plans to transition to a republic and to hold a referendum in 2024 to remain in the Commonwealth or become a republic
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
Legislative branch
description: bicameral Parliament consists of:
Senate (21 seats; 13 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister and 8 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the opposition party leader; members serve 5-year terms (no term limits) or until Parliament is dissolved)
House of Representatives (63 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms (no term limits) or until Parliament is dissolved)
elections: Senate - last full slate of appointments early on 3 September 2020 (next full slate in 2025)
House of Representatives - last held on 3 September 2020 (next to be held in 2025)
election results: Senate - percent by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition (as of June 2021) - men 13, women 8, percent of women 38.1%
House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - JLP 57%, PNP 42.8%, independent 0.2%; seats by party - JLP 48, PNP 15; composition (as of June 2021) - men 45, women 18; percent of women 28.6%; note - total Parliament percent of women 31%
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 and leaders
Jamaica Labor Party or JLP [Andrew Michael HOLNESS]
Jamaica Progressive Party or JPP [Gilbert Alexander EDWARDS]
People's National Party or PNP [Mark GOLDING]
United Independents' Congress or UIC [Joseph L. PATTERSON]
International organization participation
ACP, 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
https://www.embassyofjamaica.org/
consulate(s) general: Miami, New York
consulate(s): Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Concord (MA), Houston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Richmond (VA), San Francisco, Seattle
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador N. Nickolas PERRY (since 13 May 2022)
embassy: 142 Old Hope Road, Kingston 6
mailing address: 3210 Kingston Place, Washington DC 20521-3210
telephone: (876) 702-6000 (2018)
FAX: (876) 702-6348 (2018)
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; ongoing debt restructuring; hurricane-vulnerable economy; high crime, youth unemployment, and poverty; susceptible to commodity shocks from ongoing Russia invasion of Ukraine
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$27.136 billion (2021 est.)
$25.943 billion (2020 est.)
$28.825 billion (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
comparison ranking: 143
Real GDP per capita
$9,600 (2021 est.)
$9,200 (2020 est.)
$10,200 (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
comparison ranking: 145
GDP (official exchange rate)
$15.847 billion (2019 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
5.86% (2021 est.)
5.23% (2020 est.)
3.91% (2019 est.)
comparison ranking: 53
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: 7% (2017 est.)
industry: 21.1% (2017 est.)
services: 71.9% (2017 est.)
comparison rankings: services 62; industry 139; agriculture 110
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption: 81.9% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 13.7% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 21.3% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 0.1% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 30.1% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -47.1% (2017 est.)
Agricultural products
sugar cane, goat milk, yams, poultry, coconuts, oranges, bananas, gourds, plantains, grapefruit
Industries
agriculture, mining, manufacture, construction, financial and insurance services, tourism, telecommunications
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
total: 26.1% (2021 est.)
male: 22.1%
female: 31.4%
comparison ranking: total 58
Population below poverty line
17.1% (2016 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 2.6%
highest 10%: 29.3% (2015)
Budget
revenues: $4.029 billion (2020 est.)
expenditures: $4.564 billion (2020 est.)
Public debt
106.28% of GDP (2020 est.)
92.25% of GDP (2019 est.)
102.46% of GDP (2017 est.)
comparison ranking: 18
Fiscal year
1 April - 31 March
Current account balance
$125.275 million (2021 est.)
-$61.433 million (2020 est.)
-$350.949 million (2019 est.)
comparison ranking: 66
Exports
$4.385 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$3.343 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$5.991 billion (2019 est.)
comparison ranking: 134
Exports - partners
United States 46%, Netherlands 9%, Canada 6%, United Kingdom 4&, Russia 3% (2021)
Exports - commodities
aluminum oxide, refined petroleum, aluminum, rums, fruits, nuts, natural gas, sauces and seasonings (2021)
Imports
$7.414 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$5.911 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$8.317 billion (2019 est.)
comparison ranking: 127
Imports - partners
United States 35%, China 13%, Turkey 5%, Trinidad and Tobago 3%, Japan 3% (2021)
Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, natural gas, cars, crude petroleum, iron bars, steel bars (2021)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$4.838 billion (31 December 2021 est.)
$3.938 billion (31 December 2020 est.)
$3.631 billion (31 December 2019 est.)
comparison ranking: 103
Exchange rates
Jamaican dollars (JMD) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
150.79 (2021 est.)
142.403 (2020 est.)
133.312 (2019 est.)
128.872 (2018 est.)
127.965 (2017 est.)
Energy
Electricity access
electrification - total population: 100% (2021)
Electricity
installed generating capacity: 1.216 million kW (2020 est.)
consumption: 3,050,780,000 kWh (2019 est.)
exports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)
imports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 1.149 billion kWh (2019 est.)
comparison rankings: imports 161; exports 148; installed generating capacity 131; transmission/distribution losses 109; consumption 139
Electricity generation sources
fossil fuels: 87.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
solar: 1.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
wind: 6.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
hydroelectricity: 4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
biomass and waste: 0.6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Coal
production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
consumption: 61,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
imports: 82,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
Petroleum
total petroleum production: 3,000 bbl/day (2021 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 61,100 bbl/day (2019 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate imports: 20,100 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)
Natural gas
production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
consumption: 693.422 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
imports: 667.115 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
10.002 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 177,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 9.276 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 549,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
comparison ranking: total emissions 106
Communications
Telephones - fixed lines
total subscriptions: 473,617 (2021 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 17 (2021 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 95
Telephones - mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 2,905,408 (2021 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 103 (2021 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 142
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 users
total: 2.296 million (2021 est.)
percent of population: 82% (2021 est.)
comparison ranking: total 131
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
total: 385,603 (2020 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 13 (2020 est.)
comparison ranking: total 99
Transportation
National air transport system
number of registered air carriers: 0 (2020)
Airports - with paved runways
11
note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
Airports - with unpaved runways
17
note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control
Roadways
total: 22,121 km (2011) (includes 44 km of expressways)
paved: 16,148 km (2011)
unpaved: 5,973 km (2011)
comparison ranking: total 109
Merchant marine
total: 36 (2022)
by type: bulk carrier 1, general cargo 9, oil tanker 1, other 25
comparison ranking: total 128
Ports and terminals
major seaport(s): Discovery Bay (Port Rhoades), Kingston, Montego Bay, Port Antonio, Port Esquivel, Port Kaiser, Rocky Point
cruise port(s): Falmouth, Montego Bay, Port Antonio, Ocho Rios,
container port(s) (TEUs): Kingston (2,004,302) (2021)
Military and Security
Military and security forces
Jamaica Defense Force (JDF): Jamaica Regiment (Ground Forces), Maritime-Air-Cyber Command (includes Coast Guard, Air Wing, Military Intelligence Unit, Special Activities Regiment, and Military Cyber Corps), Support Brigade (logistics, engineers, health service, and military police); Jamaica National Service Corps (JNSC); Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) (2023)
note 1: 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 2: 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
1.3% of GDP (2022 est.)
1.4% of GDP (2021 est.)
1.7% of GDP (2020 est.)
1.6% of GDP (2019 est.)
1.4% of GDP (2018 est.)
comparison ranking: 104
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 Europe and the US (2023)
Military service age and obligation
no conscription; 18-23 for voluntary military service (17 with parental consent) for men and women; 18-28 for the reserves; since 2017, the JDF's standard mode of recruitment is to enroll recruits ages 18-23 through the Jamaica National Service Corps (JNSC); in the 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 seek other opportunities with other government agencies (2023)
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; troops for the WIR were recruited from freed slaves from North America, slaves purchased in the West Indies, and slaves from Africa bought off slave ships (2023)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
none identified
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