Population density in Jamaica
Jamaica: Population density was 262.21 people per sq. km of land area in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
262.21 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 0.0%
World rank
47th
of 215 countries
All-time high
262.21 people per sq. km of land area
in 2023
All-time low
154.5 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Population density in Jamaica, 1961–2023
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population density in Jamaica is 262.21 people per sq. km of land area, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Jamaica peaked at 262.21 people per sq. km of land area in 2023 and was at its lowest, 154.5 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
Jamaica ranks 47th of 215 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Population density in Jamaica, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 154.5 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 156.69 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 1963 | 158.92 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 1964 | 161.18 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 1965 | 163.36 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 1966 | 165.42 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 1967 | 167.39 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1968 | 169.32 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1969 | 171.29 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1970 | 173.43 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1971 | 175.78 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 1972 | 178.35 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 1973 | 181.09 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 1974 | 183.83 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 1975 | 186.43 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 1976 | 188.88 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 1977 | 191.2 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1978 | 193.43 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1979 | 195.71 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1980 | 198.12 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1981 | 200.72 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 1982 | 203.5 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 1983 | 206.36 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 1984 | 209.1 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 1985 | 211.51 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1986 | 213.49 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 1987 | 215.13 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1988 | 216.6 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1989 | 218.09 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1990 | 219.75 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1991 | 221.69 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 1992 | 223.89 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1993 | 226.22 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1994 | 228.55 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1995 | 230.85 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 233.1 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1997 | 235.26 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 1998 | 237.28 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 1999 | 239.13 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 240.8 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 242.33 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 243.82 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 245.3 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 246.74 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 248.11 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 249.4 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 250.58 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 251.68 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 252.72 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 253.79 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 254.89 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 256 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 257.04 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 257.96 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 258.77 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 259.46 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 260 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 260.4 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 260.69 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 261.38 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 262.02 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 262.15 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 262.21 people per sq. km of land area | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 163.12 people per sq. km of land area | 154.5 people per sq. km of land area | 171.29 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 184.81 people per sq. km of land area | 173.43 people per sq. km of land area | 195.71 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 209.26 people per sq. km of land area | 198.12 people per sq. km of land area | 218.09 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 229.57 people per sq. km of land area | 219.75 people per sq. km of land area | 239.13 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 247.15 people per sq. km of land area | 240.8 people per sq. km of land area | 252.72 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 257.9 people per sq. km of land area | 253.79 people per sq. km of land area | 260.69 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 261.94 people per sq. km of land area | 261.38 people per sq. km of land area | 262.21 people per sq. km of land area | 4 |
Countries ranked near Jamaica
- 44 Kuwait 272.36 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 45 Gambia 266.58 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 46 Trinidad and Tobago 266.57 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 48 Seychelles 260.38 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 49 British Virgin Islands 259.9 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 50 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 259.8 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Jamaica
- Population in the largest city 35.8% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 21.65 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in largest city 603,770 (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 23.18 Hectares (2020)
- PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO 100.0% (2017)
- Dollar value of all resources made available to strengthen 5.54 million (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Jamaica?
- Population density in Jamaica was 262.21 people per sq. km of land area in 2023, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in Jamaica?
- The highest recorded value was 262.21 people per sq. km of land area in 2023.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Jamaica?
- The lowest recorded value was 154.5 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does Jamaica rank for population density?
- Jamaica ranks 47th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population density rising or falling in Jamaica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Jamaica data come from?
- The figures come from FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.