Population in the largest city in Jamaica
Jamaica: Population in the largest city was 35.8% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Population in the largest city in Jamaica, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of urban population.
Analysis
Jamaica recorded 35.8% for population in the largest city in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 5.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in the largest city in Jamaica peaked at 85.7% in 1960 and was at its lowest, 35.8%, in 2025.
That places Jamaica 55th out of 153 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Population in the largest city in Jamaica, year by year
| Year | % of urban population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 85.7% | — |
| 1961 | 82.8% | -3.4% |
| 1962 | 79.6% | -3.8% |
| 1963 | 76.4% | -4.0% |
| 1964 | 73.3% | -4.0% |
| 1965 | 70.5% | -3.9% |
| 1966 | 67.9% | -3.6% |
| 1967 | 65.7% | -3.3% |
| 1968 | 63.8% | -2.9% |
| 1969 | 62.3% | -2.4% |
| 1970 | 61.0% | -2.1% |
| 1971 | 59.6% | -2.2% |
| 1972 | 58.3% | -2.2% |
| 1973 | 57.0% | -2.2% |
| 1974 | 55.8% | -2.1% |
| 1975 | 54.8% | -1.9% |
| 1976 | 53.8% | -1.7% |
| 1977 | 53.0% | -1.5% |
| 1978 | 52.3% | -1.4% |
| 1979 | 51.6% | -1.3% |
| 1980 | 51.0% | -1.2% |
| 1981 | 50.4% | -1.2% |
| 1982 | 49.8% | -1.2% |
| 1983 | 49.3% | -1.1% |
| 1984 | 48.8% | -0.9% |
| 1985 | 48.5% | -0.7% |
| 1986 | 48.2% | -0.5% |
| 1987 | 48.1% | -0.3% |
| 1988 | 48.0% | -0.2% |
| 1989 | 47.9% | -0.2% |
| 1990 | 47.8% | -0.3% |
| 1991 | 47.5% | -0.6% |
| 1992 | 46.9% | -1.2% |
| 1993 | 46.3% | -1.3% |
| 1994 | 45.7% | -1.3% |
| 1995 | 45.2% | -1.2% |
| 1996 | 44.6% | -1.2% |
| 1997 | 44.1% | -1.2% |
| 1998 | 43.7% | -1.1% |
| 1999 | 43.2% | -1.0% |
| 2000 | 42.8% | -0.9% |
| 2001 | 42.5% | -0.8% |
| 2002 | 42.1% | -0.9% |
| 2003 | 41.7% | -0.9% |
| 2004 | 41.3% | -0.9% |
| 2005 | 41.0% | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 40.7% | -0.8% |
| 2007 | 40.4% | -0.7% |
| 2008 | 40.1% | -0.7% |
| 2009 | 39.8% | -0.7% |
| 2010 | 39.5% | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 39.3% | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 38.9% | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 38.6% | -0.9% |
| 2014 | 38.3% | -0.8% |
| 2015 | 38.0% | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 37.7% | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 37.4% | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 37.1% | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 36.9% | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 36.6% | -0.8% |
| 2021 | 36.3% | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 36.1% | -0.5% |
| 2023 | 36.0% | -0.4% |
| 2024 | 35.9% | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 35.8% | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 72.8% | 62.3% | 85.7% | 10 |
| 1970s | 55.7% | 51.6% | 61.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 49.0% | 47.9% | 51.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 45.5% | 43.2% | 47.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 41.2% | 39.8% | 42.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 38.2% | 36.9% | 39.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 36.1% | 35.8% | 36.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Jamaica
More urban development data for Jamaica
- Population density 262.21 people per sq. km of land area (2023)
- 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 current US$ (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in the largest city in Jamaica?
- Population in the largest city in Jamaica was 35.8% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest population in the largest city recorded in Jamaica?
- The highest recorded value was 85.7% in 1960.
- What is the lowest population in the largest city recorded in Jamaica?
- The lowest recorded value was 35.8% in 2025.
- How does Jamaica rank for population in the largest city?
- Jamaica ranks 55th out of 153 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population in the largest city rising or falling in Jamaica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Jamaica data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as part of Population in the largest city (% of urban population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Population in largest city is the percentage of a country's urban population living in that country's largest metropolitan area.