Country Profile – Jamaica

Country Profile: Jamaica

Connecting country profiles with data that drives disaster readiness

This section brings together key demographic, geographic, economic, and natural risk indicators that shape the nation’s exposure and vulnerability. These elements paint a comprehensive picture of the country’s baseline conditions, supporting informed decision-making, strategic planning, and targeted action to strengthen resilience across the region.

General Information

Total population (inhabitants): 2,823,713 (2024 est.) (1,426,218 Female and 1,397,495 Male)
Human Development Index (HDI): 0.720 (117 out of 193 countries)
Basic geography: Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba. With a total area of 10,991 sq km and 1,022 km of coastline. The terrain is mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plains (Highest point: 2,256 m and mean elevation: 18 m).

Economic Overview

Real GDP growth (Annual percent change): 2.1 (2025)
GDP and GDP per capita current prices (U.S. dollars): 23.14 billion and 8.4 thousand (2025)
GDP – composition, by sector of origin: agriculture: 9.8%, industry: 18.3% and services: 60.3% (2024 est.)*
Key indicators of economic vulnerability
- General government gross debt (% of GDP 2025): 59.2

*Figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Risks and Disasters

Natural Disaster History (1980-2024)

Type of disaster	Total Disasters (#)	Total Deaths (Persons)	Total Affected (Persons)	Total Damages (000 USD, Adjusted for Inflation)	Internal Displacements (2008-2024)
Drought	2	0	91,545	23,488
Epidemic	2	3	580	0
Flood	7	97	651,712	419,738	60
Storm	23	132	1,748,935	5,196,786	12,000
Total	34	232	2,492,772	5,640,012	12,060

International Risk Indexes – LAC INFORM RISK

The Index for Risk Management (INFORM) for the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region uses a scale of 0–10 to represent the level of risk, where 0 represents the lowest and 10 represents the highest. The Natural column shows the overall index related to natural hazards.

To access an indicator at the global level, please consult this page: INFORM Risk

Earthquake and tsunami
6.4

Flood
3.8

Tropical cyclone
9.2

Eco-Damage and drought
3.9

Epidemics
6

Natural
6.4

References

Central Intelligence Agency. (2025). The World Factbook: Countries. The World Factbook. [LINK]

International Monetary Fund. (2025). DataMapper profile. International Monetary Fund. [LINK]

International Monetary Fund. (2025). Gross general government debt data by country. International Monetary Fund. [LINK]

Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre. (2024). Displacement Data. IDMC. [LINK]

Joint Research Centre (JRC) — European Commission. (2020). INFORM Subnational Risk: Latin America and Caribbean. INFORM Index. [LINK]

United Nations Development Programme. (2025). Country insights. Human Development Reports. [LINK]

World Bank. (2024). Explore. Climate Change Knowledge Portal. [LINK]

Additional Information

Last Updated: November 2025

Created by: Azucena Ceniceros Gutiérrez