Jamaica — Country Profile
Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Jamaica: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna Power score (--/100, ranked #-- of 195).
Last updated: October 2026
Jamaica is a parliamentary democracy (Parliament) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm in Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba. It covers 10,991 sq km. Terrain: mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain. Climate: tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior.
| Capital | Kingston |
|---|---|
| Population | 2,938,503 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $29.13 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $10,300 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | -0.7% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 5.4% (2024 est.) |
| Unemployment | 4.9% (2024 est.) |
| Public debt | 106.3% of GDP (2020 est.) |
| Exports | $7.124 billion (2024 est.) |
| Imports | $9.524 billion (2024 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 76.3 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 28.8 years (2025 est.) |
| Urbanization | 57.4% of total population (2023) |
| Government | parliamentary democracy (Parliament) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm |
| Independence | 6 August 1962 (from the UK) |
| Languages | English, Jamaican patois |
Jamaica’s GDP is $29.13 billion (2024 est.) in purchasing-power-parity terms. At official exchange rates it stands at $19.93 billion (2024 est.). Real GDP grew -0.7% (2024 est.). See where Jamaica ranks among all 195 countries by GDP.
POWER --/100 — The Magna Power score is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — nine components, 135 indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
Little moved in Jul–Sep 2026: no crisis, no windfall. The quarter simply confirmed the country's standing course.
Deeper forces — trade patterns, regional stability, institutional strength — will decide the trajectory; three months rarely do.
- What our model rewards: unemployment near 4.9% — work for whoever wants it
- What drags it down: public debt above 106% of GDP — the budget's ball and chain; graded on patchy data (86% complete) — read the score as an order of magnitude
Bauxite, Gypsum.
Energy is the physical base of economic power — what a country can generate, move and burn decides what it can build, sell and defend.
| Electricity access | 100% (2022 est.) |
|---|---|
| Installed capacity mix (CIA) | fossil fuels: 87.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 2.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); wind: 6.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 2.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) |
| Energy consumption per capita (CIA) | 42.095 million Btu/person (2023 est.) |
| Primary energy consumption (OWID) | 35.0 TWh (2023) |
| Energy per capita (OWID) | 12,337 kWh per person (2023) |
Sources: CIA World Factbook, Energy section; Our World in Data (IEA/Ember), 2023.
Trade shows what the world buys from a country and what the country must buy from the world — the balance between the two is a direct measure of economic leverage.
| Exports | $7.124 billion (2024 est.) |
|---|---|
| Imports | $9.524 billion (2024 est.) |
| Trade balance (calculated) | Deficit of $2.4 billion (2024), calculated from the CIA export and import figures above. |
| Key industries | agriculture, mining, manufacture, construction, financial and insurance services, tourism, telecommunications |
Source: CIA World Factbook, Economy section.
Andrew Holness — Prime Minister. King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor General Sir Patrick L. ALLEN (since 26 February 2009)
Jamaica maintains 16 embassies and 3 consulates abroad, hosts 25 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN New York, OAS Washington. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 16 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 3 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 25 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York, OAS Washington |
Source: Consular Affairs Center, diplomatic & consular networks database, Mar 2026 report (of-country) https://zenodo.org/records/18917562 ; Jan 2026 report (in-city ranking) https://zenodo.org/records/18109976 ; cross-check https://kingshouse.gov.jm/consular-corps-executive-officers-courtesy-call/
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 1022 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 20 + 2 heliports (registration prefix 6Y) |
| Major seaports | Falmouth, Kingston, Lucea, Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Port Antonio, Port Esquivel, Port Kaiser, Rio Bueno, Rocky Point, Savannah la Mar |
| Top container ports (TEU) | Kingston (2,004,302 TEU, 2021) |
Major airports
Norman Manley International Airport (KIN) — Kingston; Sangster International Airport (MBJ) — Montego Bay; Ian Fleming International Airport (OCJ) — Boscobel; Tinson Pen Airport (KTP) — Tinson Pen.
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28); theodora.com CIA mirror (CIA World Factbook Transportation section), scraped 2026-10-02
| Political system | parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
POWER --/100 Ranked #-- of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Jamaica.
Historical timeline of Jamaica
This profile covers the population, economy, natural resources, leaders, and history of Jamaica — with the Bureau’s live national-power score of --/100, ranking #-- of 195 countries.
What is Jamaica's power score?
Jamaica has a Magna Power score of --/100. The score measures structural power — the proven capacity to shape events — across nine components.