Page last updated on June 20, 2014

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, English 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 .9%, and Moravian .7%), Roman Catholic 2.2%, Jehovah's Witness 1.9%, Rastafarian 1.1%, other 6.5%, none 21.3%, unspecified 2.3% (2011 est.)

Population:
2,930,050 (July 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 140
[see also: Population country ranks ]

Age structure:
0-14 years: 28.4% (male 423,855/female 409,651)
15-24 years: 21.7% (male 319,291/female 316,773)
25-54 years: 36.4% (male 525,288/female 542,015)
55-64 years: 5.6% (male 79,875/female 84,562)
65 years and over: 7.7% (male 102,377/female 126,363) (2014 est.)
population pyramid:

Dependency ratios:
total dependency ratio: 52.6 %
youth dependency ratio: 40.5 %
elderly dependency ratio: 12.2 %
potential support ratio: 8.2 (2014 est.)

Median age:
total: 24.9 years
male: 24.4 years
female: 25.4 years (2014 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.69% (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 146
[see also: Population growth rate country ranks ]

Birth rate:
18.41 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 102
[see also: Birth rate country ranks ]

Death rate:
6.67 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 142
[see also: Death rate country ranks ]

Net migration rate:
-4.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 193
[see also: Net migration rate country ranks ]

Urbanization:
urban population: 52% of total population (2011)
rate of urbanization: 0.51% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas - population:
KINGSTON (capital) 571,000 (2011)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth:
21.2
note: median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2008 est.)
[see also: Mother's mean age at first birth country ranks ]

Maternal mortality rate:
110 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
country comparison to the world: 65
[see also: Maternal mortality rate country ranks ]

Infant mortality rate:
total: 13.69 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 114
male: 14.27 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 13.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.48 years
country comparison to the world: 121
male: 71.87 years
female: 75.17 years (2014 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.05 children born/woman (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 118
[see also: Total fertility rate country ranks ]

Contraceptive prevalence rate:
69% (2002/03)
[see also: Contraceptive prevalence rate country ranks ]

Health expenditures:
5.2% of GDP (2010)
country comparison to the world: 139
[see also: Health expenditures country ranks ]

Physicians density:
0.41 physicians/1,000 population (2008)
[see also: Physicians density country ranks ]

Hospital bed density:
1.8 beds/1,000 population (2010)
[see also: Hospital bed density country ranks ]

Drinking water source:
improved:
urban: 97.1% of population
rural: 88.8% of population
total: 93.1% of population
unimproved:
urban: 2.9% of population
rural: 11.2% of population
total: 6.9% of population (2012 est.)

Sanitation facility access:
improved:
urban: 78.4% of population
rural: 82.2% of population
total: 80.2% of population
unimproved:
urban: 21.6% of population
rural: 17.8% of population
total: 19.8% of population (2012 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.7% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 29
[see also: HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate country ranks ]

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
28,400 (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 73
[see also: HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS country ranks ]

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
1,300 (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 66
[see also: HIV/AIDS - deaths country ranks ]

Obesity - adult prevalence rate:
24.1% (2008)
country comparison to the world: 67
[see also: Obesity - adult prevalence rate country ranks ]

Children under the age of 5 years underweight:
3.2% (2010)
country comparison to the world: 112
[see also: Children under the age of 5 years underweight country ranks ]

Education expenditures:
6.1% of GDP (2012)
country comparison to the world: 40
[see also: Education expenditures - percent of GDP country ranks ]

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 87%
male: 82.1%
female: 91.8% (2011 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 12 years
male: 12 years
female: 12 years (2002)

Child labor - children ages 5-14:
total number: 38,516
percentage: 6 % (2005 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24
total: 34%
country comparison to the world: 20
male: 27.1%
female: 42.6% (2012)