Jamaica at its true size
Jamaica covers 10,992 km², number 161 of 194 countries by area. Home to 2,837,077 people (2025). Sitting near the equator, it is one of the few places Mercator gets almost right.
Equal-area projection · Natural Earth 50m
| Area | 10,992 km² Wikidata |
|---|---|
| Population | 2,837,077 World Bank, 2025 |
| Density | 258 per km² |
| Capital | Kingston |
| Local time in Kingston | |
| Time zone | UTC−5 IANA |
| Currency | Jamaican dollar (JMD) Wikidata |
| Languages | English, Jamaican Patois |
| Traffic | On the left |
| Region | Caribbean, North America |
| Status | Independent state |
| Coast | Has a coastline |
| Calling code | +1 876 |
| Codes | JM · JAM · 388 |
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Where Jamaica ranks
Among the independent states, in 42 rankings. Each links to its table.
People
- Population#138 of 1942.8 million people#13 of 23 in North America
- Population density#37 of 194258 people per km²#7 of 23 in North America
- Urban population#108 of 19259% urban#12 of 23 in North America
- Fertility rate#166 of 1921.35 births per woman#21 of 23 in North America
- Population growth#161 of 192−0.07% a year#20 of 23 in North America
- Birth rate#116 of 19211.5 births per 1,000 people#13 of 23 in North America
- Death rate#68 of 1928.2 deaths per 1,000 people#11 of 23 in North America
- Children under 15#124 of 19218.3% under 15#12 of 23 in North America
- People over 65#87 of 1928.6% aged 65 and over#15 of 23 in North America
- Net migration#168 of 192−3.9 per 1,000 people#22 of 23 in North America
- Refugees abroad#62 of 1900.93 refugees abroad per 1,000 people#14 of 23 in North America
Health & education
- Life expectancy#120 of 19271.6 years#20 of 23 in North America
- Infant mortality#75 of 19116.4 infant deaths per 1,000 live births#6 of 23 in North America
- Doctors#130 of 1780.46 doctors per 1,000 people#19 of 20 in North America
- Human Development Index#116 of 190an index of 0.720#18 of 23 in North America
Economy
- GNI per capita#90 of 185$7,790 a person#16 of 22 in North America
- Internet users#54 of 18490% online#5 of 23 in North America
- GDP per capita (PPP)#115 of 184$13,291 a person#19 of 22 in North America
- GDP growth#174 of 187+0.1% a year#19 of 23 in North America
- Inflation#55 of 176+4.0% a year#3 of 22 in North America
- Unemployment#127 of 1783.3% of the labour force#14 of 19 in North America
- Extreme poverty#79 of 1491.4% under $3.00 a day#7 of 14 in North America
- Income inequality (Gini)#38 of 149a Gini index of 39.9#9 of 14 in North America
- Jobs in agriculture#97 of 17813.9% of jobs#8 of 19 in North America
- Jobs in industry#112 of 17817.1% of jobs#11 of 19 in North America
- Jobs in services#57 of 17868.9% of jobs#10 of 19 in North America
- Foreign investment#122 of 1841.2% of GDP#17 of 23 in North America
- Military spending#94 of 1551.4% of GDP#4 of 14 in North America
- Mobile subscriptions#87 of 191118 subscriptions per 100 people#7 of 23 in North America
Energy & environment
- CO₂ per person#86 of 1852.84 tonnes a person#9 of 23 in North America
- Forest area#37 of 19257% forest#6 of 23 in North America
- Renewable energy#141 of 19010.5% renewable#14 of 23 in North America
- Access to electricity#120 of 19297.7% with electricity#17 of 23 in North America
- Air pollution (PM2.5)#75 of 19121.7 µg/m³#4 of 23 in North America
- Protected land#83 of 19119.9% of the land protected#12 of 23 in North America
- Arable land#87 of 19011.5% of the land arable#10 of 23 in North America
- Water stress#82 of 17612.4% of its available fresh water#10 of 22 in North America
- Precipitation#29 of 1802,051 mm a year#8 of 23 in North America
Governance & safety
Countries of a similar size
Every country within 25% of Jamaica’s area, lit up on the map →
How many times does Jamaica fit into…
- Russia: about 1553 times
- Canada: about 908 times
- United States: about 894 times
The land itself
Rivers, summits and lakes Jamaica shares with the rest of the world. Turn on “Rivers & lakes” and “Physical names” in the atlas to see them on the map.
Summits
- Blue Mountain Peak2,256 m
Rivers are listed by the published length of their whole course, not the part inside Jamaica. Figures from Wikidata, features from Natural Earth.
Questions about Jamaica
- How big is Jamaica?
- Jamaica covers 10,992 km², which makes it number 161 of 194 countries by area. About 2,837,077 people live there (2025), 258 per km².
- Is Jamaica bigger than Gambia?
- Jamaica and Gambia are almost exactly the same size. Jamaica: 10,992 km²; Gambia: 11,300 km².
- How much does the Mercator map distort Jamaica?
- Jamaica lies close to the equator, so Mercator draws it at nearly its true size. It is the countries far from the equator that Mercator inflates.
- Does Jamaica have land borders?
- No. Jamaica has no land neighbours; every border is a coastline.