Local timeKingston ·
North America / Caribbean · Card 023
Flag shown for Jamaica

Jamaica

Jamaica is a country in Caribbean. Its capital is Kingston.

Find Jamaica

KingstonJamaica
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.

At a glance

Capital
Kingston
Languages
English & Jamaican Patois
Currency
Jamaican dollar (JMD)
Population
2.8 million2025 · World Bank
Area
10,991 km²4,243.65 square miles
Independence
1962from the UK

Jamaica in context

North America and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Kingston; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.

Natural Earth · locator map

Geography & languages

01

Physical geography

Mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain.

02

Languages

English is official. Jamaican Patwa is widely used in everyday life.

03

Location

Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba.

Flag shown for Jamaica

Flag

Diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles, two green (top and bottom) and two black (left and right)

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

History & independence

Taíno communities lived on Jamaica before Spanish colonization. England seized the island in 1655, and plantation slavery became central to the economy. After the end of slavery and later constitutional reforms, Jamaica gained independence through negotiations with Britain on 6 August 1962.

  1. England takes control of Jamaica

  2. Slavery is abolished

  3. Independence from Britain

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Economy

Main activities

Tourism, mining and processing of bauxite into alumina, agriculture and other services are major activities. Remittances support household income. Global tourism demand, commodity prices and hurricanes affect the economy.

Industry and production

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

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Population & economic trends

Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.

Population, 1970–2025

Millions of people
2.82025 · millions of people
0.001.53.01.919702.119802.419902.620002.720102.820202.82025

Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.

Sources: World Bank · Population

View data table
Population: source values and plotted units
Year People Millions of people
1970 1,878,196 1.878
1980 2,145,658 2.146
1990 2,379,877 2.380
2000 2,607,826 2.608
2010 2,748,568 2.749
2020 2,830,739 2.831
2025 2,837,077 2.837

Real GDP, 1990–2025

Billions of constant 2015 US dollars
17.32025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
0.0010.020.019902000201020202025

Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.

Sources: World Bank · Real GDP

View data table
Real GDP: source values and plotted units
Year Constant 2015 US$ Billions of constant 2015 US dollars
1990 11,360,648,631 11.361
1991 11,910,303,936 11.910
1992 12,143,214,991 12.143
1993 13,286,754,001 13.287
1994 13,470,561,602 13.471
1995 13,787,114,012 13.787
1996 13,771,433,761 13.771
1997 13,614,376,085 13.614
1998 13,296,541,186 13.297
1999 13,435,845,574 13.436
2000 13,553,906,826 13.554
2001 13,736,197,326 13.736
2002 14,010,549,151 14.011
2003 14,524,220,379 14.524
2004 14,716,481,130 14.716
2005 14,848,016,735 14.848
2006 15,278,479,351 15.278
2007 15,497,260,153 15.497
2008 15,371,463,205 15.371
2009 14,703,526,729 14.704
2010 14,489,274,699 14.489
2011 14,739,993,670 14.740
2012 14,649,543,757 14.650
2013 14,725,382,395 14.725
2014 14,826,961,376 14.827
2015 14,963,589,916 14.964
2016 15,376,650,480 15.377
2017 15,729,242,259 15.729
2018 16,124,965,549 16.125
2019 16,416,735,751 16.417
2020 15,053,421,189 15.053
2021 15,912,170,665 15.912
2022 16,936,803,585 16.937
2023 17,401,946,532 17.402
2024 17,308,839,320 17.309
2025 17,322,971,206 17.323

Human development

The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.

HDI · 20230.720High human developmentRank 117 of 193 · 2025 report

Human Development Index over time

19900.662
20000.659
20100.708
20200.711
20230.720
71.5 yearsLife expectancy at birth
10.0 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+

The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.

Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025

Government

A parliamentary constitutional monarchy. A Governor-General represents the monarch, a Prime Minister heads the government, and Parliament has an elected House of Representatives and an appointed Senate.

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Knowledge check

Three questions about Jamaica.

QUESTION 1 OF 3

Which mineral is mined and processed into alumina in Jamaica?

Sources & notes

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.

Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.

KingstonJamaica