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Jamaica Population 2024

Jamaica is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. It’s the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). As per the UN World Population Prospects report,  the population of Jamaica in 2024 is 2,824,738 (2.8 million).

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Estimated Population of Jamaica in 2024  – 2.8 million
Jamaica2024 Estimates
Total Population2,824,738
Caribbean Rank5
SovereigntyIndependent
Land Area 10,831 sq. km (4,182 sq. mi)
Area Rank160
Pop. Density273 people/sq. km
Capital CityKingston

Source: UN World Population Prospects

Religion in Jamaica

Jamaica has a multitude of faiths reflecting the island’s diverse cultural elements. Christianity is the majority religion and is followed by 69% of the population. 21.30% of Jamaicans declared themselves to be Non-religious and 2% claimed to be Unspecified

The Rastafari movement or Rasta is a new religious movement that arose in the 1930s in Jamaica, followed by 1.90% of the population. Various faiths and traditional religious practices derived from Africa are also practiced on the island, notably Kumina, Convince, Myal, and Obeah.

Other religions in Jamaica include Jews, Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, and members of the Baháʼí Faith.

Religion/AffiliationsPercentage
Christians69%
– Protestant– 64.80%
– Roman Catholics– 2.20%
– Jehovah’s Witness– 1.90%
Rastafari1.10%
Other Religion6.50%
No Religion21.30%
Unspecified2%
Christianity in Jamaica

Christianity is the majority religion and Protestantism is the most prevalent professed faith followed by Catholics. Among Christians, 65% are Protestants; Roman Catholics are just 2% of the population. Jehovah’s Witnesses were also followed by the (1.90% population).

Jamaican Protestantism is composed of several denominations: 24% Church of God, 11% Seventh-day Adventist, 10% Pentecostal, 7% Baptist, 4% Anglican, 2% United Church, 2% Methodist, 1% Moravian and 1% Brethren Christian.

Ethnicity in Jamaica

Jamaica is a diverse-ethnic nation. Most of the population are of African or partially African descent, with many being able to trace their origins to the West African countries of Ghana and Nigeria.  Other major ancestral areas are Europe, South Asia, and East Asia. The racial composition is as follows

Ethnic group%
Black or Black Mixed92.10%
Mixed non-Black6.10%
Indo-Jamaican0.80%
Others0.40%
Unspecified0.70%
Black or Afro-Jamaicans

Afro-Jamaicans are Jamaicans of predominantly or partial Sub-Saharan African descent. They represent the largest ethnic group in the country.  A study in 2020 showed that Jamaicans of African descent represent 76.3% of the population, followed by 15.1% Afro-European, 3.4% East Indian and Afro-East Indian, 3.2% Caucasian, 1.2% Chinese, and 0.8% other.

Asians

Asians form the second-largest group and include Indo-Jamaicans and Chinese Jamaicans. Most are descended from indentured workers brought by the British colonial government to fill labour shortages following the abolition of slavery in 1838. The southwestern parish of Westmoreland is famous for its large population of Indo-Jamaicans.

Europeans

The majority of European ancestry comes from the English. Other European nationalities with significant influx include Germans, Irish, Portuguese, Poles, and Scots. There is also a small European Jewish community.

There are about 20,000 Jamaicans who have Lebanese and Syrian ancestry.

Others

In recent years immigration has increased, coming mainly from China, Haiti, Cuba, Colombia, and Latin America.

Top Cities in Jamaica by Population

#CityPopulation
1Kingston661,862
2Portmore182,153
3Spanish Town147,152
4Montego Bay110,115
5May Pen61,548
6Mandeville49,695
7Old Harbour28,912
8Savanna-la-Mar22,633
9Ocho Rios16,671
10Linstead15,231
Jamaica Population 2024 | Religion in Jamaica