Jamaica population pyramid 2026
Latin America and the Caribbean · Caribbean
2,833,404 people in 2026 (projected). Jamaica lost about a million people to net emigration in 1950–99, then saw fertility fall from 5.5 to 1.4; its population peaked in 2023 and is now shrinking.
- 2026 population
- 2.8Mrank 142 of 237
- Median age
- 33.3 yearsoldest rank 120
- Fertility rate
- 1.33births per woman · below replacement
- Structure
- Older9.0% age 65+
Jamaica population pyramid
2026 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex
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The UN series provides historical estimates through 2023. Figures from 2024 onward—including 2026—are medium-scenario projections, not counts or predictions guaranteed to occur.
Jamaica age distribution in 2026
Children under 15 account for 17.9% of the population, while 9.0% are aged 65 or older. The remaining 73.1% are in the conventional working-age range of 15–64. On these shares, the site classifies Jamaica’s age structure as older; the guide to constrictive population pyramids explains what that shape implies.
The total age dependency ratio is 36.7: about 37 people under 15 or 65+ for every 100 people aged 15–64 (24.5 children and 12.3 older people). This is an age-balance indicator, not a literal count of economic dependants per worker.
What shapes Jamaica’s population pyramid
A nation shaped by departures
Jamaica has lost an unusually large share of its people to emigration. The UN estimates net emigration from Jamaica of about 1 million between 1950 and 1999, at a time when the population itself was between 1.4 and 2.6 million. The first large wave went to the United Kingdom in the 1950s and early 1960s, the Windrush generation; after British immigration rules tightened, the main destinations became the United States and Canada. A further net outflow of about 300,000 followed between 2000 and 2023.
The 1975 chart shows the result. Children and teenagers form a broad base, but the 20–24 band is about 30% smaller than the 15–19 band below it, and the bands from 45–49 to 60–64 are almost the same size, where an undisturbed pyramid would narrow steadily. Part of the step at 20–24 reflects a rise in births in the late 1950s, but young adults, the age group most likely to migrate, are also missing in large numbers. Women outnumber men at most adult ages in that year, which suggests that men left in greater numbers, though the chart cannot show migration directly.
Fertility’s steep descent
Fertility peaked at about 5.5 children per woman around 1960 and then fell steeply, to 3.6 in 1980, 2.3 in 2000 and about 1.36 in 2023. In 2026 the widest band is 30–34, born around 1992–96, and every younger band is smaller, leaving a 0–4 band only about 60% of its width. Jamaica’s structure now resembles those of Saint Lucia and Colombia more than its own past.
Mortality has followed an unusual path. Life expectancy rose quickly to about 72 by 1990, then stalled for three decades and was about 71.5 in 2023. Men live about five years less than women, and from the late fifties onwards women form a clear majority. The chart alone cannot establish why gains stopped.
Decline ahead
The population peaked at about 2.84 million in 2023, placing Jamaica among the countries in the population peak year ranking whose peak is already past. Deaths are projected to exceed births from 2034, but continued emigration means decline has already begun. Under the UN medium scenario the population falls to about 2.5 million in 2050 and 1.1 million in 2100, and the median age rises from about 33 to 46 by 2050. The guide to constrictive pyramids describes the shape the chart is moving towards.
What to notice across the years
Distinctive cohorts and turning points
No five-year band under age 80 is more than 10% larger or smaller than both of its neighbours, so Jamaica’s 2026 pyramid has a comparatively smooth profile without sharp bulges or notches.
Births outnumber deaths in 2026; the medium scenario projects deaths to exceed births from 2034. People aged 65 and older are projected to outnumber children under 15 by 2045.
Births, deaths, and migration
A pyramid changes in only three ways: births add to the base, deaths remove people at every age, and migration adds or removes people mainly in young adulthood. In 2026, Jamaica is projected to record 31,322 births (about 86 births a day) and 24,086 deaths, a natural increase of 7,236. Net migration adds −11,683 people, ranking #210 in the net migration rate ranking.
Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates 1,004,678 births, 463,208 deaths, and cumulative net migration of −300,998. Over that period the balance of births and deaths moved the total more than migration did. See how migration shapes a pyramid and birth rate versus fertility rate. The medium scenario assumes net migration of −280,858 between 2026 and 2050.
Annual values 1950–2100; dashed lines after 2023 are the UN medium projection. The trend table below lists the values by decade.
Life expectancy and mortality
- Life expectancy, women
- 74.4 years57.9 in 1950
- Life expectancy, men
- 69.3 years55.1 in 1950
- Further years at 65
- 14.6 yearsboth sexes
- Infant mortality
- 14.7per 1,000 births · 100 in 1950
- Under-five mortality
- 17.9per 1,000 births
- Mother’s mean age at birth
- 28.0 yearssex ratio at birth 103.9
Women in Jamaica are projected to live 5.1 years longer than men, which is why the female side of the pyramid widens relative to the other at older ages (see the life expectancy gap ranking). Infant mortality has fallen from 100 to 14.7 deaths per 1,000 live births since 1950, ranking #80 of 237 in the infant mortality ranking (highest first). A mean age at childbearing of 28.0 years sets the spacing between generations, and so how far apart echo cohorts sit in the pyramid.
Median age, fertility rate, and global ranks for Jamaica
The median age of 33.3 years splits the population into two equal halves. A total fertility rate of 1.33 births per woman is below the replacement level of roughly 2.1, and life expectancy at birth is 71.9 years.
These ranks compare all 237 countries and areas in this dataset using the same 2026 UN medium projection. Ranks use the stored source precision, so displayed rounding can make adjacent values look identical; small differences should not be overinterpreted.
| Indicator | 2026 value | Global rank | Ranking direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,833,404 | #142 | Largest first |
| Median age | 33.3 years | #120 | Oldest first |
| Fertility rate | 1.33 | #207 | Highest first |
| Annual growth | -0.2% | #186 | Fastest first |
| Life expectancy | 71.9 years | #163 | Highest first |
| Population aged 65+ | 9.0% | #125 | Highest share first |
Largest age groups in Jamaica
The five largest cohorts identify where the 2026 population is concentrated. They can reflect past birth patterns, survival, and migration; the chart alone does not establish which cause dominates.
| Rank | Age group | Population | Share of total | Male / female |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30–34 | 265,136 | 9.4% | 134.5K / 130.6K |
| 2 | 25–29 | 242,494 | 8.6% | 123.2K / 119.3K |
| 3 | 35–39 | 240,472 | 8.5% | 121.9K / 118.6K |
| 4 | 20–24 | 227,234 | 8.0% | 115.5K / 111.7K |
| 5 | 40–44 | 225,561 | 8.0% | 113.9K / 111.7K |
Sex ratio and the balance by age
In the 2026 projection, Jamaica has 1,400,322 males and 1,433,081 females. That is 97.7 males per 100 females, ranking #130 when the dataset is ordered from the highest male-to-female ratio to the lowest.
Males account for 49.4% of the population and females for 50.6%. There are 32,759 more females than males overall. Among people aged 65 and older, the ratio is 75.1 males per 100 females.
The overall balance can conceal large differences by age; how sex ratios change with age explains the usual pattern. The ratio reflects the male/female categories in the UN source and is not a measure of gender identity. Compare all profiles in the sex-ratio ranking.
At birth, 103.9 boys are projected to be born for every 100 girls in 2026, close to the biological norm of about 105 (compare the sex ratio at birth ranking). The ratio at birth sets the balance at the base of the pyramid; how it changes with age then depends on survival and migration.
How Jamaica has changed since 1950
The population has increased from 1,407,206 in 1950 to 2,833,404 in 2026, a change of 101%. Over the same span, median age moved from 21.2 to 33.3 years.
The under-15 share changed from 35.9% to 17.9%, while the share aged 65 and older changed from 3.8% to 9.0%. These shifts show why total population growth and age-structure change need to be read separately.
How the population could change by 2050
Under the UN medium scenario, Jamaica’s population is projected to decline by about 13%, reaching 2,454,940 in 2050. The median age changes from 33.3 to 46.0 years.
The 65+ share is projected to rise by 10.4 percentage points to 19.4%. At the same time, the under-15 share is projected at 12.5%. How UN projections work explains the assumptions behind these figures.
The annual UN series reaches its highest estimated population of 2,839,786 in 2023. Historical population totals are estimates rather than exact head counts. Compare timing across countries in the population peak ranking.
Population trend: 1950–2100
Mid-year population for every year. Estimates through 2023; dashed line shows the UN medium projection.
| Year | Population | Median age | Fertility | Life exp. | Births | Deaths | Net migration | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 1,407,206 | 21.2 | 3.92 | 56.6 | 46,008 | 15,748 | +13,504 | +3.1% |
| 1960 | 1,650,005 | 18.7 | 5.54 | 63.8 | 66,835 | 14,891 | −28,952 | +1.4% |
| 1970 | 1,878,196 | 16.4 | 5.35 | 66.7 | 63,461 | 15,914 | −23,371 | +1.3% |
| 1980 | 2,145,658 | 18.3 | 3.59 | 69.0 | 60,658 | 18,342 | −15,277 | +1.3% |
| 1990 | 2,379,877 | 20.8 | 2.95 | 71.7 | 62,242 | 17,775 | −25,085 | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 2,607,826 | 22.3 | 2.34 | 71.3 | 52,498 | 18,045 | −17,498 | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 2,748,568 | 25.5 | 1.80 | 72.0 | 42,755 | 17,724 | −13,248 | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 2,830,739 | 30.2 | 1.38 | 71.5 | 34,014 | 21,844 | 0 | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 2,839,786 | 31.7 | 1.36 | 71.5 | 33,007 | 22,933 | −10,003 | 0.0% |
| 2024* | 2,839,175 | 32.2 | 1.35 | 71.6 | 32,508 | 23,298 | −10,506 | -0.1% |
| 2026* | 2,833,404 | 33.3 | 1.33 | 71.9 | 31,322 | 24,086 | −11,683 | -0.2% |
| 2030* | 2,808,954 | 35.6 | 1.33 | 72.4 | 29,264 | 25,776 | −11,459 | -0.3% |
| 2040* | 2,676,100 | 41.2 | 1.37 | 73.7 | 23,320 | 30,173 | −11,272 | -0.7% |
| 2050* | 2,454,940 | 46.0 | 1.41 | 75.0 | 18,716 | 33,981 | −9,525 | -1.0% |
| 2060* | 2,179,682 | 50.2 | 1.43 | 76.3 | 15,264 | 36,179 | −8,837 | -1.4% |
| 2070* | 1,871,879 | 52.9 | 1.45 | 77.7 | 12,363 | 37,284 | −6,835 | -1.7% |
| 2080* | 1,558,623 | 53.9 | 1.47 | 79.1 | 10,022 | 35,253 | −5,047 | -1.9% |
| 2090* | 1,282,938 | 54.2 | 1.49 | 80.4 | 8,421 | 29,610 | −3,502 | -1.9% |
| 2100* | 1,066,774 | 54.1 | 1.50 | 81.7 | 7,103 | 23,334 | −2,583 | -1.8% |
* 2024 onward is the UN medium projection. Fertility is births per woman; life expectancy is years at birth; births, deaths, and net migration are counts for that calendar year.
Download every year, 1950–2100 (CSV)
2026 population by age and sex
The table provides the counts behind the chart. Age groups are five-year bands, with everyone aged 100 or older combined.
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 80,317 | 77,478 | 157,795 | 5.6% |
| 5–9 | 84,472 | 81,469 | 165,941 | 5.9% |
| 10–14 | 93,433 | 90,104 | 183,537 | 6.5% |
| 15–19 | 107,115 | 103,421 | 210,536 | 7.4% |
| 20–24 | 115,544 | 111,690 | 227,234 | 8.0% |
| 25–29 | 123,210 | 119,284 | 242,494 | 8.6% |
| 30–34 | 134,517 | 130,619 | 265,136 | 9.4% |
| 35–39 | 121,860 | 118,612 | 240,472 | 8.5% |
| 40–44 | 113,894 | 111,667 | 225,561 | 8.0% |
| 45–49 | 96,730 | 96,099 | 192,829 | 6.8% |
| 50–54 | 84,968 | 88,907 | 173,875 | 6.1% |
| 55–59 | 72,263 | 81,942 | 154,205 | 5.4% |
| 60–64 | 63,019 | 76,631 | 139,650 | 4.9% |
| 65–69 | 47,962 | 61,471 | 109,433 | 3.9% |
| 70–74 | 28,919 | 38,487 | 67,406 | 2.4% |
| 75–79 | 17,078 | 23,206 | 40,284 | 1.4% |
| 80–84 | 10,320 | 14,264 | 24,584 | 0.9% |
| 85–89 | 3,592 | 5,625 | 9,217 | 0.3% |
| 90–94 | 957 | 1,749 | 2,706 | 0.1% |
| 95–99 | 143 | 324 | 467 | 0.0% |
| 100+ | 7 | 34 | 41 | 0.0% |
Countries with the most similar age structure
These profiles have the 2026 age distributions closest to Jamaica’s, measured by the total difference in the share of the population in each five-year band. Similar shapes can arise from very different histories, so the match is a starting point for comparison, not an explanation.
- Colombia96% overlap · median age 33.0
- Saint Lucia96% overlap · median age 35.1
- Malaysia96% overlap · median age 31.4
- Brunei96% overlap · median age 33.2
- Seychelles96% overlap · median age 34.6
- Kosovo95% overlap · median age 33.2
To calculate school-age, working-age, or older groups with other boundaries, use the age-group calculator for Jamaica.
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APA
World Population Pyramid. (2026, October 19). Jamaica Population Pyramid 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/jamaica/
MLA
“Jamaica Population Pyramid 2026.” World Population Pyramid, 19 Oct. 2026, worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/jamaica/.
Chicago
World Population Pyramid. “Jamaica Population Pyramid 2026.” Last modified October 19, 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/jamaica/.
Underlying data: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024.
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Jamaica in 2026?
Under the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium scenario, Jamaica's population in 2026 is projected at 2,833,404.
What is the median age in Jamaica?
The projected median age in Jamaica in 2026 is 33.3 years: half the population is younger and half is older.
What is the fertility rate in Jamaica?
The projected total fertility rate in 2026 is 1.33 births per woman, below the replacement level of about 2.1 in low-mortality populations.
Is Jamaica's population projected to grow?
Between 2026 and 2050, the UN medium scenario indicates the population will decline by about 13%, from 2.8M to 2.5M.
What share of Jamaica is aged 65 or older?
In 2026, 9.0% of the projected population is aged 65 or older. By 2050, the medium scenario places the share at 19.4%.
How many babies are born in Jamaica each year?
The UN medium scenario projects 31,322 births and 24,086 deaths in 2026, about 86 births a day. Births exceed deaths by 7,236.
What is life expectancy in Jamaica for men and women?
Life expectancy at birth in 2026 is projected at 74.4 years for women and 69.3 years for men, a gap of 5.1 years in favour of women.
Does Jamaica have more immigrants or emigrants?
Jamaica is projected to lose about 11,683 more people through emigration than it gains in 2026. Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates cumulative net migration of −300,998.
What is the sex ratio in Jamaica?
The projected 2026 population sex ratio is 97.7 males per 100 females. This all-age ratio is different from the sex ratio at birth and can vary substantially by age.
Sources and notes
- United Nations, DESA, Population Division: World Population Prospects 2024, medium scenario.
- Population values are mid-year figures. Source values published in thousands are converted to people; displayed figures may imply more precision than is appropriate for planning.
- Historical values through 2023 are estimates. Values from 2024 onward are projections.
- Calculations follow the site methodology.