Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Jamaica: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna grade (MCC, ranked #139 of 195).
Jamaica is a parliamentary democracy (Parliament) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm in Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba. The country's capital is Kingston; it covers 10,991 sq km. Independence: 6 August 1962 (from the UK). Terrain: mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain. Climate: tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior. Population: 2.9 million (2025 estimate). Population growth: +0.25% per year. Median age: 28.8 years. Life expectancy: 76.3 years (2024 est.). Languages: English, Jamaican patois Religions: Protestant 64.8% (includes Seventh Day Adventist 12.0%, Pentecostal 11.0%, Other Church of God 9.2%, New Testament Church of G…
| 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% |
| Unemployment | 4.9% |
| 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 |
| 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 |
MCC · 42/100 — The Magna grade is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — five dimensions, 100+ 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.
Bauxite, Gypsum.
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) |
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. |
MCC · 42 Ranked #139 of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Jamaica.
