Central America :: Jamaica

- Introduction :: Jamaica
- 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, and poverty pose significant challenges to the government today. Nonetheless, many rural and resort areas remain relatively safe and contribute substantially to the economy.
  JAMAICA SUMMARY: PDF
- Geography :: Jamaica
- 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
  country comparison to the world: 167
  Area - comparative:
  about half the size of New Jersey; slightly smaller than Connecticut
  Land boundaries:
  0 km
  Coastline:
  1,022 km
  Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 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:
  mean elevation: 18 m
  elevation extremes: 0 m lowest point: Caribbean Sea
  2256 highest point: Blue Mountain Peak
  Natural resources:
  bauxite, gypsum, limestone
  Land use:
  agricultural land: 41.4% (2011 est.)
  arable land: 11.1% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 9.2% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 21.1% (2011 est.)
  forest: 31.1% (2011 est.)
  other: 27.5% (2011 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)
  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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
  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 :: Jamaica
- Population:
  2,812,090 (July 2018 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 139
  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 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: 26.01% (male 372,158 /female 359,388)
  15-24 years: 18.36% (male 261,012 /female 255,223)
  25-54 years: 38.03% (male 518,984 /female 550,412)
  55-64 years: 8.89% (male 123,769 /female 126,350)
  65 years and over: 8.71% (male 115,573 /female 129,221) (2018 est.)
  population pyramid:
  The World Factbook Field Image Modal
  Central America :: Jamaica Print
  Image Description
  This is the population pyramid for Jamaica. A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends.
  For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page under the References tab.
  Dependency ratios:
  total dependency ratio: 48.7 (2015 est.)
  youth dependency ratio: 34.9 (2015 est.)
  elderly dependency ratio: 13.8 (2015 est.)
  potential support ratio: 7.2 (2015 est.)
  Median age:
  total: 28.6 years
  male: 27.8 years
  female: 29.3 years (2018 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 133
  Population growth rate:
  -0.05% (2018 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 201
  Birth rate:
  16.5 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 110
  Death rate:
  7.6 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 104
  Net migration rate:
  -4.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 184
  Population distribution:
  population density is high throughout, but increases in and around Kingston, Montego Bay, and Port Esquivel
  Urbanization:
  urban population: 55.7% of total population (2018)
  rate of urbanization: 0.82% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)
  Major urban areas - population:
  589,000 KINGSTON (capital) (2018)
  Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
  0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
  15-24 years: 1.01 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
  25-54 years: 0.98 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
  55-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
  65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
  Mother's mean age at first birth:
  21.2 years (2008 est.)

  note: median age at first birth among women 25-29

  Maternal mortality rate:
  89 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 77
  Infant mortality rate:
  total: 12.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)
  male: 13.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)
  female: 10.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 108
  Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 74.5 years (2018 est.)
  male: 72.7 years (2018 est.)
  female: 76.5 years (2018 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 123
  Total fertility rate:
  2.09 children born/woman (2018 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 102
  Contraceptive prevalence rate:
  72.5% (2008/09)
  Health expenditures:
  5.4% of GDP (2014)
  country comparison to the world: 130
  Physicians density:
  0.47 physicians/1,000 population (2016)
  Hospital bed density:
  1.7 beds/1,000 population (2013)
  Drinking water source:
  improved: urban: 97.5% of population
  rural: 89.4% of population
  total: 93.8% of population
  unimproved: urban: 2.5% of population
  rural: 10.6% of population
  total: 6.2% of population (2015 est.)
  Sanitation facility access:
  improved: urban: 79.9% of population (2015 est.)
  rural: 84.1% of population (2015 est.)
  total: 81.8% of population (2015 est.)
  unimproved: urban: 20.1% of population (2015 est.)
  rural: 15.9% of population (2015 est.)
  total: 18.2% of population (2015 est.)
  HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  1.8% (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 28
  HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  34,000 (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 70
  HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  1,500 (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 58
  Major infectious diseases:

  note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus

  Obesity - adult prevalence rate:
  24.7% (2016)
  country comparison to the world: 55
  Children under the age of 5 years underweight:
  2.3% (2014)
  country comparison to the world: 108
  Education expenditures:
  5.4% of GDP (2017)
  country comparison to the world: 56
  Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school (2015 est.)
  total population: 88.7% (2015 est.)
  male: 84% (2015 est.)
  female: 93.1% (2015 est.)
  Unemployment, youth ages 15-24:
  total: 28.3% (2017 est.)
  male: 23.2% (2017 est.)
  female: 34.4% (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 40
- Government :: Jamaica
- 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)
  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) (2018)
  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 (2018)
  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
  Judicial branch:
  highest courts: 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 implemented 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
  Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Dr. 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
  Legislative branch:
  description: bicameral Parliament consists of:
  Senate (21 seats; members appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister and the opposition party leader, 13 seats allocated to the ruling party, and 8 seats allocated to the opposition party; members serve 5-year terms)
  House of Representatives (63 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)
  elections:
  House of Representatives - last held on 25 February 2016; byelection for 3 seats and 1 seat held on 30 October 2017 and 5 March 2018, respectively (next to be held no later than February 2021)
  election results:
  percent of vote by party - JLP 50.1%, PNP 49.7%, other 0.2%; seats by party - JLP 32, PNP 31
  Political parties and leaders:
  Jamaica Labor Party or JLP [Andrew HOLNESS]
  People's National Party or PNP [Dr. Peter David PHILLIPS]
  National Democratic Movement or NDM [Peter TOWNSEND]
  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) (2017)
  chancery: 1520 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
  telephone: [1] (202) 452-0660
  FAX: [1] (202) 452-0036
  consulate(s) general: Miami, New York
  consulate(s): Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Concord (MA), Houston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Richmond (VA), San Francisco, Seattle (2017)
  Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Eric KHANT (since 30 June 2017)
  embassy: 142 Old Hope Road, Kingston 6
  mailing address: P.O. Box 541, Kingston 5
  telephone: [1] (876) 702-6000 (2018)
  FAX: [1] (876) 702-6001 (2018)
  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

- Economy :: Jamaica
- Economy - overview:

  The Jamaican economy is heavily dependent on services, which accounts for more than 70% of GDP. The country derives most of its foreign exchange from tourism, remittances, and bauxite/alumina. Earnings from remittances and tourism each account for 14% and 20% of GDP, while bauxite/alumina exports have declined to less than 5% of GDP.

  Jamaica's economy has grown on average less than 1% a year for the last three decades and many impediments remain to growth: a bloated public sector which crowds out spending on important projects; high crime and corruption; red-tape; and a high debt-to-GDP ratio. Jamaica, however, has made steady progress in reducing its debt-to-GDP ratio from a high of almost 150% in 2012 to less than 110% in 2017, in close collaboration with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The current IMF Stand-By Agreement requires Jamaica to produce an annual primary surplus of 7%, in an attempt to reduce its debt burden below 60% by 2025.

  Economic growth reached 1.6% in 2016, but declined to 0.9% in 2017 after intense rainfall, demonstrating the vulnerability of the economy to weather-related events. The HOLNESS administration therefore faces the difficult prospect of maintaining fiscal discipline to reduce the debt load while simultaneously implementing growth inducing policies and attacking a serious crime problem. High unemployment exacerbates the crime problem, including gang violence fueled by advanced fee fraud (lottery scamming) and the drug trade.

  GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $26.06 billion (2017 est.)
  $25.89 billion (2016 est.)
  $25.51 billion (2015 est.)

  note: data are in 2017 dollars

  country comparison to the world: 140
  GDP (official exchange rate):
  $14.77 billion (2017 est.) (2017 est.)
  GDP - real growth rate:
  0.7% (2017 est.)
  1.5% (2016 est.)
  0.9% (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 189
  GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $9,200 (2017 est.)
  $9,200 (2016 est.)
  $9,100 (2015 est.)

  note: data are in 2017 dollars

  country comparison to the world: 143
  Gross national saving:
  18.3% of GDP (2017 est.)
  20.6% of GDP (2016 est.)
  18% of GDP (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 109
  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.)
  GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
  agriculture: 7% (2017 est.)
  industry: 21.1% (2017 est.)
  services: 71.9% (2017 est.)
  Agriculture - products:
  sugar cane, bananas, coffee, citrus, yams, ackees, vegetables; poultry, goats, milk; shellfish
  Industries:
  agriculture, mining, manufacture, construction, financial and insurance services, tourism, telecommunications
  Industrial production growth rate:
  0.9% (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 162
  Labor force:
  1.348 million (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 135
  Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture: 16.1%
  industry: 16%
  services: 67.9% (2017)
  Unemployment rate:
  12.2% (2017 est.)
  12.8% (2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 162
  Population below poverty line:
  17.1% (2016 est.)
  Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: 29.3% (2015)
  highest 10%: 29.3% (2015)
  Distribution of family income - Gini index:
  35 (2016)
  38 (2015)
  country comparison to the world: 97
  Budget:
  revenues: 4.382 billion (2017 est.)
  expenditures: 4.314 billion (2017 est.)
  Taxes and other revenues:
  29.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 81
  Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
  0.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 37
  Public debt:
  101% of GDP (2017 est.)
  113.6% of GDP (2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 16
  Fiscal year:
  1 April - 31 March
  Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  4.4% (2017 est.)
  2.3% (2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 166
  Central bank discount rate:
  3.25% (31 December 2017)
  3% (31 December 2016)
  country comparison to the world: 105
  Commercial bank prime lending rate:
  14.91% (31 December 2017 est.)
  16.49% (31 December 2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 41
  Stock of narrow money:
  $3.55 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
  $3.427 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 115
  Stock of broad money:
  $3.55 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
  $3.427 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 121
  Stock of domestic credit:
  $7.326 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
  $7.382 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 118
  Market value of publicly traded shares:
  $8.393 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
  $5.715 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
  $5.38 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 76
  Current account balance:
  -$679 million (2017 est.)
  -$381 million (2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 126
  Exports:
  $1.296 billion (2017 est.)
  $1.195 billion (2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 151
  Exports - partners:
  US 39.1%, Netherlands 12.3%, Canada 8.4% (2017)
  Exports - commodities:
  alumina, bauxite, chemicals, coffee, mineral fuels, waste and scrap metals, sugar, yams
  Imports:
  $5.151 billion (2017 est.)
  $4.169 billion (2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 126
  Imports - commodities:
  food and other consumer goods, industrial supplies, fuel, parts and accessories of capital goods, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials
  Imports - partners:
  US 40.6%, Colombia 6.8%, Japan 5.8%, China 5.8%, Trinidad and Tobago 4.7% (2017)
  Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
  $3.781 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
  $2.719 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 100
  Debt - external:
  $14.94 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
  $10.24 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 103
  Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
  $15.03 billion (2016)
  $10.86 billion (2010)
  country comparison to the world: 90
  Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
  $604 million (2016)
  $176 million (2010)
  country comparison to the world: 96
  Exchange rates:
  Jamaican dollars (JMD) per US dollar -
  128.36 (2017 est.)
  125.14 (2016 est.)
  125.126 (2015 est.)
  116.898 (2014 est.)
  110.935 (2013 est.)
- Energy :: Jamaica
- Electricity access:
  population without electricity: 200,000 (2013)
  electrification - total population: 93% (2013)
  electrification - urban areas: 98% (2013)
  electrification - rural areas: 87% (2013)
  Electricity - production:
  4.007 billion kWh (2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 128
  Electricity - consumption:
  2.847 billion kWh (2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 137
  Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 151
  Electricity - imports:
  0 kWh (2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 162
  Electricity - installed generating capacity:
  1.078 million kW (2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 126
  Electricity - from fossil fuels:
  83% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 76
  Electricity - from nuclear fuels:
  0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 115
  Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:
  3% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 134
  Electricity - from other renewable sources:
  15% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 59
  Crude oil - production:
  0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 152
  Crude oil - exports:
  0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 142
  Crude oil - imports:
  24,360 bbl/day (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 61
  Crude oil - proved reserves:
  0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 149
  Refined petroleum products - production:
  24,250 bbl/day (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 87
  Refined petroleum products - consumption:
  55,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 99
  Refined petroleum products - exports:
  823 bbl/day (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 109
  Refined petroleum products - imports:
  30,580 bbl/day (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 100
  Natural gas - production:
  0 cu m (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 149
  Natural gas - consumption:
  198.2 million cu m (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 104
  Natural gas - exports:
  0 cu m (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 127
  Natural gas - imports:
  198.2 million cu m (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 71
  Natural gas - proved reserves:
  0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 150
  Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:
  8.9 million Mt (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 112
- Communications :: Jamaica
- Telephones - fixed lines:
  total subscriptions: 297,027 (2017 est.)
  subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 10 (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 113
  Telephones - mobile cellular:
  total subscriptions: 3,091,222 (2017 est.)
  subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 103 (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 140
  Telephone system:
  general assessment: fully automatic domestic telephone network; LTE networks providing coverage to 90% of the island population (2017)
  domestic: the 1999 agreement to open the market for telecommunications services resulted in rapid growth in mobile-cellular telephone usage 103 per 100 subscriptions, while the number of fixed-lines 10 per 100 subscriptions has declined (2017)
  international: country code - 1-876; the Fibralink submarine cable network provides enhanced delivery of business and broadband traffic and is linked to the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) submarine cable in the Dominican Republic; the link to ARCOS-1 provides seamless connectivity to US, parts of the Caribbean, Central America, and South America; the ALBA-1 fiber-optic submarine cable links Jamaica, Cuba, and Venezuela; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2016)
  Broadcast media:
  3 free-to-air TV stations, subscription cable services, and roughly 30 radio stations (2013)
  Internet country code:
  .jm
  Internet users:
  total: 1,336,653 (July 2016 est.)
  percent of population: 45% (July 2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 125
  Broadband - fixed subscriptions:
  total: 239,120 (2017 est.)
  subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 8 (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 103
- Transportation :: Jamaica
- National air transport system:
  number of registered air carriers: 2 (2015)
  inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 5 (2015)
  annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 92,836 (2015)
  annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 0 mt-km (2015)
  Civil aircraft registration country code prefix:
  6Y (2016)
  Airports:
  28 (2013)
  country comparison to the world: 122
  Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 11 (2017)
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2017)
  914 to 1,523 m: 4 (2017)
  under 914 m: 5 (2017)
  Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 17 (2013)
  914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2013)
  under 914 m: 16 (2013)
  Roadways:
  total: 22,121 km (includes 44 km of expressways) (2011)
  paved: 16,148 km (2011)
  unpaved: 5,973 km (2011)
  country comparison to the world: 105
  Merchant marine:
  total: 41 (2017)
  by type: bulk carrier 3, container ship 8, general cargo 11, other 19 (2017)
  country comparison to the world: 121
  Ports and terminals:
  major seaport(s): Discovery Bay (Port Rhoades), Kingston, Montego Bay, Port Antonio, Port Esquivel, Port Kaiser, Rocky Point
  container port(s) (TEUs): Kingston (1,567,442) (2016)
- Military and Security :: Jamaica
- Military expenditures:
  0.82% of GDP (2016)
  0.83% of GDP (2015)
  0.87% of GDP (2014)
  0.9% of GDP (2013)
  0.93% of GDP (2012)
  country comparison to the world: 128
  Military branches:
  Jamaica Defense Force: Ground Forces, Coast Guard, Air Wing (2010)
  Military service age and obligation:
  17 1/2 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)
- Transnational Issues :: Jamaica
- Disputes - international:
  none
  Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: Jamaica is a source and destination country for children and adults subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor; sex trafficking of children and adults occurs on the street, in night clubs, bars, massage parlors, and private homes; child sex tourism is a problem in resort areas; Jamaicans have been subjected to sexual exploitation or forced labor in the Caribbean, Canada, the US, and the UK, while foreigners have endured conditions of forced labor in Jamaica or aboard foreign-flagged fishing vessels operating in Jamaican waters; a high number of Jamaican children are reported missing
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List – Jamaica does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; in 2014, the government made significant efforts to raise public awareness of human trafficking, and named a national trafficking-in-persons rapporteur – the first in the region; authorities initiated more new trafficking investigations than in 2013 and concluded a trafficking case in the Supreme Court, but chronic delays impeded prosecutions and no offenders were convicted for the sixth consecutive year; more adult trafficking victims were identified than in previous years, but only one child victim was identified, which was exceptionally low relative to the number of vulnerable children (2015)
  Illicit drugs:
  transshipment point for cocaine from South America to North America and Europe; illicit cultivation and consumption of cannabis; government has an active manual cannabis eradication program; corruption is a major concern; substantial money-laundering activity; Colombian narcotics traffickers favor Jamaica for illicit financial transactions